As the WNBA continues to expand after a season of unprecedented growth, the league announced Wednesday that its third expansion team has been awarded to Portland, Oregon.
The expansion team will bring women's basketball back to Portland after the previous franchise, the Fire, founded in 2000, folded after just three seasons.
A basketball sits near the WNBA logo during a timeout during a game between the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty at Feld Entertainment Center on August 29, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The league's 15th franchise will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Vassal Merage and Alex Vassal. The Vassal family is also co-owners of the Sacramento Kings and controlling owners of the NWSL's Portland Thorns.
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“Bringing a team back to Portland this season marks an important step forward as the WNBA experiences unprecedented growth,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “Portland is the epicenter of the women's sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans. Combining this energy with the Vassal family's vision to lead a top-tier professional sports team will deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland region.”
A new practice facility will be built for the team, while the franchise will play its games at the Moda Center, home of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.
Cathy Engelbert speaks to media prior to the match between Team WNBA and the USA Basketball Women's National Team during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game at the Footprint Center on July 20, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Portland team would debut in 2026 and join two other expansion franchises, the Golden State Valkyries and the Toronto franchise, who will begin play next season.
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The league's expansion from 12 to 15 teams comes amid a period of rapid growth for the WNBA, led by the emergence of Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
Clark, a former University of Iowa star and college basketball shooting phenom, continues to break personal records while promoting women's basketball. The Fever's average attendance is the highest in the WNBA at just under 17,000, and 10 of the team's games have set league television ratings records, many of which have been played in front of sold-out crowds.
The league announced last month that Indianapolis will host the WNBA All-Star Weekend in 2025, a first for Indy.
Indiana Fever forward Aaliyah Boston (7) celebrates recording a triple-double with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. The Indiana Fever defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 93-86. (Grace Hollers/IndyStar/USA Today Network)
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“We are in the midst of a pivotal and transformative moment in the history of the WNBA and women's basketball, and we are excited to have Indiana at the center of it all and feature some of the biggest names in sports in action during next season's All-Star Game,” Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines said in a press release. “Our community leaders will be doing what we do best – welcoming fans from around the country and world to Indiana, raising the bar for future host cities and leaving a lasting legacy for our city and state.”
The WNBA also announced groundbreaking media rights deals through 2036 with The Walt Disney Company, Amazon Prime Video and NBCUniversal, as well as a multi-year partnership with Delta Air Lines, which becomes the Official Airline Partner of the WNBA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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