WNBA expansion team coming to Portland in 2026.
Source: WNBA
The WNBA announced Wednesday that it will add its 15th team in Portland, the third new franchise as part of its latest expansion.
The Portland team, which was not named in the WNBA’s announcement, will begin play in 2026 and will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, an investment firm focused specifically on sports. Lisa Bhattal Miraj will be the controlling owner and governor.
“With the WNBA building on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing the team back to Portland represents another important step forward,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “Portland has been a hub for the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans.”
Portland will play at Moda Center, the same arena that hosts the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.
The WNBA is seeing significant growth as its popularity rises. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play in 2025, followed by teams in Toronto and Portland in the 2026 season.
Portland previously had a WNBA team, but it closed after a few years in 2002. The addition of the new Portland team underscores the booming growth of both the WNBA and women’s sports in general. The National Women’s Soccer League is also in expansion mode and has added several teams since 2022.
RAJ Sports purchased the Portland Thorns of the National Basketball Association in January, and became a co-owner of the Sacramento Kings of the NBA in 2013.
The 2024 WNBA season has set records for in-person attendance and viewership, according to data from the WNBA for the start of the season. The playoffs are set to begin Sept. 22.
The combination of current stars like A'ja Wilson and an exciting rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reyes has helped propel the WNBA forward, resulting in a huge jump in the value of the NBA's latest media rights deal.
In May, the WNBA also announced that teams would have league-wide charter flights for the first time ever, primarily via Delta Air Lines.
