The WNBA announced Wednesday it has awarded Portland, Oregon a new expansion franchise, which will begin play in the 2026 season. By then, the league will have 15 teams, with the Golden State Valkyries set to join next season and a yet unnamed Toronto franchise also arriving in 2026.
“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 stated 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. 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.”
The team, which does not have a name yet, will be owned by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. The Bhathal family also owns the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and is an investor in the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
“For decades, Portland has been the global epicenter of sports lifestyle and today, we are now the global epicenter of women’s sports,” Lisa Bhathal Merage said. “We believe in the transformative power of women’s sports and…
