WNBA Awards Portland, Oregon A Franchise, Team To Begin Play In 2026
Big news for basketball fans in the Pacific Northwest: Portland has been awarded the WNBA’s 15th franchise, with the team expected to hit the court in the 2026 season. This announcement marks a significant expansion for the league, growing from 12 to 15 teams. Portland is the third new team to be announced in this round of expansion, following franchises in the Bay Area (Golden State Valkyries) and Toronto.
The franchise will mark the WNBA’s return to the city after the Portland Fire played from 2000 to 2002. The league has had as many as 16 teams in the past.
The Portland team will be owned by RAJ Sports, a group led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who are no strangers to the world of professional sports. The Bhathal family boasts over 50 years of experience in the industry, including being key investors in the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and controlling owners of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert celebrated the news, calling it a significant milestone for the league.
“Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans,” Engelbert said. “Pairing this energy with the Bhathal family’s vision will ensure we deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland area.”
Lisa Bhathal Merage, who will serve as the controlling owner and WNBA Governor for the new team, expressed her excitement about bringing women’s basketball back to Portland after over 20 years.
“For decades, Portland has been the global epicenter of sports lifestyle, and today, we are now the global epicenter of women’s sports,” she said. Merage emphasized the importance of community involvement and looks forward to seeing the city rally around the team when it begins play at the Moda Center in 2026.
The Bhathal family’s sports legacy extends across multiple leagues, with Alex Bhathal serving as Alternate Governor and Richard Merage, Lisa’s husband and CEO of MIG Capital, joining as an investor and Executive Board member. Their deep-rooted experience managing professional sports teams promises to bring top-tier basketball back to Portland.
Fans who want to support the Portland WNBA team early can already place deposits for season tickets through the league’s website. The Moda Center in downtown Portland will serve as the home court, providing a familiar venue for local sports enthusiasts.
Quotes
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden
“Today puts basketball fans in Portland and all across Oregon in the ‘W” column,” Wyden said. “Our city and entire state have consistently set the gold standard for supporting women’s sports, and I’m thrilled the Bhathal family is expanding its commitment to women’s sports locally by bringing Portland a much-deserved WNBA franchise. I know from hosting Commissioner Engelbert for a roundtable at the Sports Bra in February 2023 with women athletes, women’s sports executives and coaches that enthusiasm for women’s basketball is off the charts. And I can’t wait for this new team to tip off in 2026.”
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek
“Portland has a passion for women’s sports and the teams who play in the Rose City, making us the ideal home of the next WNBA team,” Governor Kotek said. “From the Thorns to the Rose City Rollers to the Sports Bra, Portland embraces a diversity of athletes and fans. This is an exciting new chapter for our city and our state.”
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
“We are thrilled to welcome the WNBA to Portland, a city renowned for its vibrant sports culture and deep commitment to fostering women’s athletics,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler. “This expansion marks a significant milestone in our city’s sports history and underscores our role as a burgeoning hub for women’s sports. It’s more than basketball; it’s about energizing our community, enhancing our local economy, and celebrating pride in our city.”
