The Womens National Basketball Association is currently having the most lucrative season since the leagues inception back in June of 1997. The meteoric rise in the league’s viewership is attributed to the star power that has inspired a new wave of WNBA fans. The arrival of rookie sensations Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been a key factor in a new generation of WNBA viewers as the two former All-Americans have had a Bird-Magic type of influence on the league this past year.
The WNBA is set to go through massive expansion over next couple of years as teams are currently being established in other major cities in North America. In 2025 the league will be welcoming the Golden State Valkyries, who will share the Chase Center with the Warriors. The following year the WNBA goes across the northern border after the recent announcement that 2026 will be the inaugural season for the league’s new Toronto-based team.
On Sept. 18, 2024, the WNBA announced that the city of Portland was awarded a team, which will be the league’s 15th franchise. The team will be owned and operated by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also owns the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. The ownership group paid $125 million to establish this franchise, no longer making the Trailblazers the lone professional basketball team in Portland.
Bhathal Merage spoke with media about the excitement surrounding this recent announcement and how this team adds to the inclusivity in Portland.
“This is huge for Portland. We are so honored and humbled to be the vessel that delivers this WNBA franchise to Portland,” Bhathal Merage said. “And that’s really how we consider ourselves. Portland is this incredibly diverse, enthusiastic community. We saw the passion first-hand when we started looking into the Portland Thorns and this is Basketball City. So we’re very excited about the future.”
According to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Portland was a city that was on league offices short list of potential locations. Despite the initial bid for a team in Oregon’s major city falling through, the stars aligned for a chance at redemption.
“We’ve been working on Portland for a while, so when we did our original data analysis, I guess two and a half years ago, Portland was one at the top of the list, after the Bay Area,” Engelbert said. “So I’ve had my eye on Portland.”
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