The WNBA will be expanding to Portland, Oregon for the 2026 season, the league announced on Wednesday.
“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.”
Portland’s expansion franchise will be owned and operated by Raj Sports after the group paid $125 million for the team.
The city originally had an WNBA team named the Fire, which played from 2000 to 2002 before it folded.
Portland, which will be the league’s 15th team, will be the third expansion franchise added to the WNBA over the next two years. Golden State will begin play next season and Toronto will join Portland in 2026.
This story will be updated.
Source Agencies
