Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Photo: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert/Getty Images
The WNBA is awarding a 15th expansion team to Portland.
The team will be owned by Raj Sports, which also owns the Portland Thorns soccer team. The expansion team will start playing in 2026.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says Oregon has consistently set the gold standard for supporting women's sports and he's thrilled the Bhathal family, which owns Raj Sports, is expanding its commitment to women's sports in Portland.
Governor Tina Kotek said, “The decision to choose Portland for the next WNBA team is just as much a recognition of our past as it is about faith in our future. Portland has an unequivocal love of women’s sports."