The WNBA is expanding to Portland by granting the league’s 15th franchise to the city.
The team, which was announced Wednesday, will begin play in 2026 and be led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, the owners of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. The family also has ties to the NBA as Raj Bhathal, their father, is the principal co-owner of the Sacramento Kings and is majority owner Vivek Ranadive’s alternate on the league’s board of governors.
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The team will play its home games at the Moda Center in downtown Portland, where the NBA’s Trail Blazers also play.
“We believe in the transformative power of women’s sports and are thrilled that the
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