The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) awarded Portland, Oregon, the league’s 15th franchise, which will begin play in 2026. The Portland team will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. Portland is the third expansion franchise awarded by the WNBA during this round of expansion, following the Golden State Valkyries and a Toronto franchise, bringing the league from 12 to 15.

Oregon’s franchise will play at the Moda Center, where Oregon Senator Ron Wyden made the announcement. Wyden inspired fans saying he has been in contact with Sabrina Ionescu, who will be a free agent in 2026. She played college basketball at the University of Oregon and became a local icon earning multiple player of the year awards. Ionescu has pushed for an Oregon franchise where she continues to have a fan base.

Governor Tina Kotek hails women’s sports in Oregon. “The decision to choose Portland for the next WNBA team is just as much a recognition of our past as it is about faith in our future. 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. 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.

“You can tell a lot about a community by where people find joy, and Portland just can’t help but break the mold. 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.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Signing Sabrina Ionescu to Portland would give the franchise a starting boost. While sports news has Ionescu going toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry at the NBA All-Star weekend, she wouldn’t just be bringing attention to the new Portland franchise, but her launch of Sabrina 2 Nikes could help with a much-needed boost to Oregon’s Nike business.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-20 12:19:48

Last Update: 2024-09-19 19:44:09