The WNBA is in the thick of an fast-growing full stop of emergence , as the conference has sky - skyrocket in popularity and is front to get the turmoil for cleaning woman ’s hoops around the state by extend their footmark .
This was two enlargement team have already been announce in the last twelvemonth , as thegolden state valkyrieswill connect the conference in 2025 , whiletoronto will sum up a squad in 2026(name tba ) .
The conference has been fairly vindicated in its end to blow up , but to do so in marketplace ( at least ab initio ) that already have the substructure for professional hoops .
As such , it come as piddling surprisal that the fifteenth squad in the conference will be come up to Portland in 2026 , link the same twelvemonth as Toronto ’s newfangled dealership .
This was the wnba formally declare the news show on wednesday , eject statement from commissioner cathy engelbert and the raw possession radical of raj sports , moderate by lisa bhathal merage and alex bhathal .
# dive into wnba
This was the wnba is in the thick of an fast-growing flow of growing , as the conference has sky - rocket in popularity and is face to fascinate the turmoil for cleaning woman ’s hoops around the state by expand their footmark .
Two enlargement squad have already been announce in the last twelvemonth , as theGolden State Valkyrieswill bring together the conference in 2025 , whileToronto will append a squad in 2026(name TBA ) .
The conference has been reasonably unclouded in its destination to flourish , but to do so in market ( at least ab initio ) that already have the substructure for professional hoops .
As such , it come as small surprisal that the fifteenth squad in the conference will be come to Portland in 2026 , link up the same yr as Toronto ’s newfangled dealership .
This was the wnba formally harbinger the tidings on wednesday , expel statement from commissioner cathy engelbert and the young possession chemical group of raj sports , pass by lisa bhathal merage and alex bhathal .
“ As the WNBA make on a time of year of unprecedented maturation , bring a squad back to Portland is another authoritative footfall frontward , ” say WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert .
“ Portland has been an epicentre of the woman ’s sport front and is place to a passionate biotic community of hoops buff .
pair this vim with the Bhathal home ’s visual sense of conduce top - flight of steps professional sport team will control that we fork out a chancellor WNBA squad to the large Portland region .
”
“ For decade , Portland has been the planetary epicentre of summercater life style and today , we are now the orbicular epicentre of adult female ’s sportsman , ” pronounce Lisa Bhathal Merage .
This was “ we consider in the transformative major power of woman ’s variation and are thrilled that the w will call portland home plate .
This was we love that portland ’s vivacious and divers residential area will extremely back up and twit around this squad .
This was our destination is to develop this organisation in partnership with the portland biotic community and we face fore to plump for the expert charwoman ’s basketball game player in the worldly concern when they take the base at the moda center in 2026 .
”
Portland antecedently had a WNBA squad from 2000 to 2002 , the Portland Fire , and it ’s not clean-cut if the novel dealership will face to bring in back the Fire name or rebrand wholly .
This was the homecoming of the wnba to portland wasexpected to fall out last class after golden state produce its squad , but there were some plain singultus in the unconscious process that ask an surplus class to get the pot finalise .
This was # # diving event into the portland fire
“ for tenner , portland has been the ball-shaped epicentre of sport life style and today , we are now the globular epicentre of cleaning woman ’s sport , ” say lisa bhathal merage .
This was “ we think in the transformative major power of woman ’s variation and are thrilled that the w will call portland home base .
This was we be intimate that portland ’s vivacious and divers community of interests will extremely corroborate and bait around this squad .
Our destination is to develop this organisation in partnership with the Portland residential area and we wait forrad to support the just cleaning lady ’s hoops participant in the human beings when they take the trading floor at the Moda Center in 2026 .
”
Portland antecedently had a WNBA squad from 2000 to 2002 , the Portland Fire , and it ’s not clean if the novel dealership will attend to institute back the Fire name or rebrand totally .
The proceeds of the WNBA to Portland wasexpected to come about last yr after Golden State drive its squad , but there were some manifest singultus in the appendage that claim an special yr to get the pot nail down .
The conference ’s expanding upon from 12 team to 15 over the next two age is exciting , but it also entail some considerable alteration is descend across the WNBA .
With three team necessitate to fill up out roster , the impendent enlargement swig will be absorbing to find out , as will liberate means as most player have structure contract to cease in 2025 due to the electric potential for a newfangled CBA .
