The Portland WNBA team is an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The team is scheduled to begin play in 2026 as the 15th member of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). They will play at Moda Center starting in 2026. It will be the second WNBA team located in Portland, following the Portland Fire in the early 2000s.
| Portland WNBA team | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | WNBA |
| Founded | 2026 |
| History | Portland WNBA team 2026–future |
| Arena | Moda Center |
| Capacity | 19,393 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Ownership | Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal (via RAJ Sports) |
| Website | www |
History
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The Portland Fire were Portland's first venture with the WNBA. The team played from 2000 until 2002 when they folded. In February 2023, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert visited Portland for an event at The Sports Bra[1] co-hosted by US senator Ron Wyden, along with personnel from the Portland Trail Blazers, Portland Thorns FC, and Oregon and Oregon State's women's basketball teams.[1][2] In October 2023, the WNBA was set to award a team to Portland with tech billionaire Kirk Brown as the planned owner of the team. Plans fell through days before a planned October 26 announcement when Brown pulled out which left the potential team without the required $50 million expansion fee. Brown and the league had a difference of opinion on the team's name branding, with Brown wanting the team to be called the Rose City Royalty, but Engelbert was "uncomfortable" with that idea. The league also found Brown's ownership stake in Shoot 360, a basketball training center with locations across the country, as a potential conflict of interest. The WNBA wanted him to give up his investment, but he refused and withdrew his bid with all of the conditions required.[2][3]
On September 18, 2024, Portland was officially awarded a franchise, which will be the WNBA's 15th team. [4] The team will be owned by Lisa Bhathal Merage and her brother Alex Bhathal via RAJ Sports, who also own the Thorns. They paid the WNBA $125 million for the franchise.[5] Lisa Bhathal Merage will serve as controlling owner and WNBA Governor; Alex Bhathal will serve as Alternate Governor. The team will begin play in 2026.[6] The Bhathals began conversations with the WNBA in late 2023 after the previous attempt to bring a team to Portland fell apart.[5] On the decision to award Portland a team, Engelbert said "I think Portland has proven they'll show up for women's sports and definitely for women's basketball, so we're excited to be coming back to the market". Alex added that he and his sister became convinced that Portland was a great market for women's sports during their process of purchasing the Thorns.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Hasenstab, Alex (February 7, 2023). "Portland is in the running for a WNBA team". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Philippou, Alexa (November 1, 2023). "Commissioner: Consideration of WNBA expansion to Portland on hold". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Oram, Bill (November 2, 2023). "How the WNBA-to-Portland plans fell apart days before expected announcement". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ "Portland, Oregon Awarded WNBA's 15th Franchise". WNBA.com. September 18, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Feinberg, Doug (September 18, 2024). "WNBA awards Portland an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Cowley, Jared (September 18, 2024). "Portland gets WNBA expansion franchise, will be league's 15th team". KGW. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Pelton, Kevin (September 18, 2024). "WNBA expands to Portland, with team to begin play in 2026". ESPN. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
