WNBA expansion team coming to Portland in 2026.
Source: WNBA
The WNBA is adding its 15th team in Portland, the third new franchise, as part of its latest expansion, the league announced Wednesday.
The Portland-based team, whose name was not disclosed in a WNBA announcement, will begin play in 2026 and will be owned by RAJ Sports, an investment firm focused specifically on sports. Lisa Bhathal Merage will be majority owner and CEO.
“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “Portland has been an epicenter of the women's sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans.”
The Portland team will play at the Moda Center, the same arena as the NBA's Portland Trailblazers.
The WNBA is in growth mode as its popularity soars. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play in 2025, followed by teams in Toronto and Portland in the 2026 season.
Portland had a WNBA team before, but it folded in 2002 after a few years. The addition of the new Portland team underscores the booming growth of both the WNBA and women's sports in general. The National Women's Soccer League is also in expansion mode, having added several teams since 2022.
RAJ Sports purchased the Portland Thorns of the NWSL in January and also became co-owner of the NBA's Sacramento Kings in 2013.
The 2024 WNBA season saw record numbers for both in-person attendance and viewership, according to WNBA data at the start of the season, with playoffs scheduled to begin on September 22.
A combination of existing stars like A'ja Wilson and an exciting rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have contributed to the rise of the WNBA and led to a huge increase in the value of the recent NBA media rights deal.
In May, the WNBA also announced that teams would use league-wide charter flights for the first time, primarily through Delta Air Lines.
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