WNBA expansion is here — yet again.
The league announced Wednesday that Portland has been granted a new franchise that will become the WNBA’s 15th team when it launches in 2026. RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and her brother, Alex Bhathal, will own and operate the team.
The news comes after two other expansion franchises were announced in Golden State (in October 2023) and Toronto (May 2024).
Portland previously was home to a WNBA team in the Portland Fire, which played three seasons from 2000 to 2002 before folding. It was the only WNBA franchise to never make the postseason.
The WNBA’s rapid expansion — it hadn’t added a new team since 2008 but now has three on the way in the next two years — signals the league’s vitality as it enters a new phase of rapid growth. With a new $2.2 billion media deal, greater investment from corporate partners, a boost in attendance and TV viewership and now expansion, fans and stakeholders alike have plenty of reasons to feel confident with where the WNBA is headed in the near future.
Here’s what we know about the new WNBA team headed to Portland:
When will Portland join the league? When will Golden State and Toronto start play? How will roster spots be impacted?
Portland’s team will begin play during the 2026…
