Author: Jared Cowley (KGW)
PORTLAND, Ore. – It’s been a 22-year wait, but the WNBA is finally returning to Portland.
The official announcement came down Wednesday morning that the Women’s National Basketball Association has awarded an expansion franchise to Portland. The team will begin play in the 2026 season.
The news was first reported in late August by Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report.
Portland had a WNBA team for three seasons, from 2000 until the team folded following the 2002 season. The Portland Fire were a popular draw, with more than 8,000 fans attending games at the Rose Garden on game nights, which ranked in the middle of the WNBA at the time.
The ownership group bringing a WNBA franchise back to Portland is led by the Bhathal family, which also owns the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. The family, via RAJ Sports, are also principal co-owners of the Sacramento Kings (NBA), the Sacramento RiverCats (MiLB, AAA) and Stockton Kings (NBA G-League). Lisa Bhathal Merage will serve as controlling owner and WNBA Governor; Alex Bhathal will serve as Alternate Governor.
“For decades, Portland has been the global epicenter of sports lifestyle and today, we are now the global epicenter of women’s sports,” said Lisa Bhathal Merage. “We believe in the transformative power of women’s sports and are thrilled that the W will call Portland home. We know that Portland’s vibrant and diverse communities will highly support and rally around this team. Our goal is to grow this organization in partnership with the Portland community and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world when they take the floor at the Moda Center in 2026.”
A team name and logo will be announced at a later date.
The team will play its home games at Moda Center, but while that arena undergoes renovations between now and 2030, when the NCAA Women’s Final Four comes to Portland, the WNBA team may play some of its home games at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans. Pairing this energy with the Bhathal family’s vision of leading top-flight professional sports teams will ensure that we deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland area.”
The Rose City is an ideal fit for the WNBA, with proven interest in college women’s basketball at Oregon and Oregon State, and one of the most dedicated fan bases in the NWSL with the Thorns, who rank third in the league in attendance this season.
Gov. Tina Kotek released a statement following the announcement.
“Portland has an unequivocal love of women’s sports. The National Women’s Soccer League made a smart bet on Portland twelve years ago with the Portland Thorns, now an unmatched cultural hallmark,” Kotek said. “The Rose City Rollers are among the founding members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and later this year their national championship will take place in Portland’s own Veterans Memorial Coliseum. And you can watch it all from The Sports Bra, the nation’s first-ever sports bar dedicated to supporting and showing women’s sports.”
Kotek’s statement continued to say, “the next WNBA team is a great fit. Portland is back on the rise, and Oregon is aiming high with Portland. I look forward to seeing you at the first tip off.”
Portland is joining back up with the NBA at an ideal time. The WNBA is as popular as it has been in years. Attendance is up to an average of 9,311 fans per game this season, up from 6,615 last season, and ESPN reported in July that viewership of WNBA games on the network is up 183% compared to last season.
In November 2023, following multiple reports that Portland was a leading candidate for an expansion team, the WNBA announced those plans had been put on hold. At the time, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, “when the time is right, we look forward to pursuing prospects for bringing the WNBA to Portland.”
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