WNBA basketball is officially heading back to Portland, Oregon. The league announced on Wednesday that the city has been awarded an expansion franchise, which will begin play in 2026. In addition to the Golden State Valkyries and a yet unnamed Toronto franchise, which were announced earlier this year, that will bring the league to 15 teams.
The league has not yet released details regarding expansion drafts for the incoming organizations, but fans are already dreaming of a potential big addition due to comments from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. During Wednesday’s press conference at the Moda Center, which is where the Portland team will play, Wyden noted that he has been in contact with New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu regarding the news.
“First of all, Sabrina. She and I have been texting back and forth this morning,” Wyden said. “She is so fired up for what you all did. She’s been with us every step of the way.”
Ionescu is a California native, but she played college basketball at the University of Oregon and became a local icon for her exploits with the Ducks. She won Pac-12 Player of the Year three times, Naismith Player of the Year in 2020, set the all-time NCAA record for triple-doubles (26) and…
