Portland nears WNBA return in 2026 with new ownership group

The franchise is expected to be announced officially on Sept. 10, but details like the team’s name and logo are yet to be decided. The team would play most games at the Moda Center, but depending on renovations, it might start out at Veterans Memorial Coliseum next door. Both are large arenas, seating about 20,000 and 13,000 fans, respectively.

The city had a WNBA team, the Portland Fire, from 2000 to 2002 and played home games at the Moda Center (then known as the Rose Garden). The Fire struggled throughout their short existence, failing to make the playoffs in any of their three seasons.

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The Fire began with a 10-22 record in their inaugural season. They experienced another losing season in 2001 despite the promising performance of rookie guard Jackie Stiles, who won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Unfortunately, Stiles suffered several injuries the following year, which hampered the team’s performance.

After finishing the 2002 season with a 16-16 record, the Fire folded, becoming the only WNBA franchise to cease operations without a playoff appearance. Attempts by former NBA players like Clyde Drexler to purchase the team were unsuccessful, sealing the team’s fate.

Initially, Portland was set to gain a WNBA team in 2025, led by ZoomInfo co-founder Kirk Brown. Plans were advanced enough that a press conference was scheduled, but the deal fell through at the last moment. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert initially attributed the collapse to renovations at the Moda Center. The reasons later shifted, including differences in franchise naming preferences and concerns about practice facilities.

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Since purchasing the Thorns for $63 million earlier this year, the Bhathals have engaged deeply with Portland’s sports community, capitalizing on the strong local support for women’s sports. They have also been part of the ownership group of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings for over a decade, which means they’ve already been through some of the financial evaluation process that new ownership groups have to go through.

The Bhathals have committed to build the Thorns a new practice facility, and sources told Highkin that the facility could also include space for the WNBA team. Several WNBA franchises are investing or have recently invested in new practice facilities for their teams.

Adding a Portland team aligns with the WNBA’s broader expansion plan, which aims to grow the league from 12 to 16 teams by 2028. A team in San Francisco, the Golden State Valkyries, has already been announced and will begin play in 2025. Toronto will also join the league in 2026 (like in Portland, ownership has not announced a team name or logo). Along with Portland’s likely return, the WNBA is considering cities such as Philadelphia, Denver, Nashville and Miami for its 16th team.