WNBA announces expansion from 2026 as team from Portland will become the 15th franchise that will be added to the league
Portland, Oregon joins the WNBA as the 15th franchise, and are set to debut in 2026 under RAJ Sports ownership.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert approves a team for Portland, Oregon
The city of Portland today got exciting news as the WNBA announced that it will be home to the league’s 15th franchise. The new team is set to begin play in the 2026 season. It was also revealed that the Portland team will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports. It is led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal.
Fans will be excited about this news and the prospect of the WNBA growing. The latest news marked the third expansion thus expanding the league from 12 to 15 teams. The WNBA commissioner hopes to match the popularity the league has experienced this season by ensuring other cities get to experience the WNBA fever.
As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward. Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans.WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in a statement:
Further details revealed that the new team will play its home games at the Moda Center in downtown Portland, home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Interestingly, this new team marks the WNBA’s return to Portland after over 20 years. The previous team Portland Fire previously played in the league from 2000 to 2002.
This expansion is happening during the best season of the WNBA, fueled by the rivalry between rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. All this has made the league secure media rights, set records for viewership and attendance on the ground as well as massive social media engagement.
WNBA MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson adds another record to her name
When A’ja Wilson broke the record for the most points in a single season, most fans and analysts may have anticipated that the well would run dry. However, they were wrong as she added another milestone to her impressive 2024 season by breaking the WNBA single-season rebounding record.
During the Aces game against the Seattle Storm, she recorded seven rebounds in the 85-72 win which pushed her to 451, which surpassed the previous record of 446 set by the Rebound Queen herself, Angel Reese. It’s fair to say that Reese won’t be chasing after her as she had been ruled out with a season-ending wrist injury.
The WNBA this season has by far exceeded expectations. As such, it has seen wave after wave of record-breaking performances from Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark. She set the single-season assist record and holds the rookie record for most points in a season. It gets better as Wilson is currently averaging a league-leading 26.9 points per game and ranking second in rebounds with 11.9.
Ubong Archibong
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