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WNBA awards Portland expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026

Portland, Golden State and Toronto will all be joining the league over the next two years.

sean leahy
Contributing writer
·2 min read
FILE - WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media before the WNBA basketball draft on Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media before the WNBA Draft on April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

The WNBA will be expanding to Portland, Oregon, for the 2026 season, the league announced on Wednesday.

Portland's expansion franchise, the 15th in the league, will be owned and operated by Raj Sports after the group paid $125 million for the team. Raj Sports is a subsidiary of investment firm Raj Capital headed by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who are sister and brother.

“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” said WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “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.”

Raj Sports also has ownership stakes in the NBA's Sacramento Kings, the NWSL's Portland Thorns and minor league baseball's Sacramento River Cats. Bhathal Merage will serve as the WNBA franchise's principal governor, and Alex Bhathal will serve as alternate governor.

"Your support and enthusiasm for sports, particularly women's sports, have made this city perfect as our home for Portland's new WNBA team," Bhathal Merage told reporters during the WNBA's announcement Wednesday. "As we prepare to launch this team, it is obvious that Portland is the global epicenter for women's sports."

This will be the second time Portland has had a WNBA franchise. The Fire played three seasons from 2000-02 before folding. The new franchise does not yet have a name.

"Everything is on the table," Bhathal Merage said in terms of the franchise's name, per ESPN. Raj Sports will seek community input in naming the team, with reclaiming the Fire moniker as an option.

This new Portland team will share a home at Moda Center with the NBA's Trail Blazers.

Portland joins Golden State and Toronto as new WNBA expansion teams. All three will join the league over the next two years, with the Golden State Valkyries beginning play next season and Toronto starting along with Portland in 2026.

Engelbert said she is hoping to add more teams by 2028, but it's unlikely any potential new franchises would begin playing before the 2027 season.