WNBA Unveils Exciting New Team Expansion for the 2026 Season

Another team is coming to the WNBA in the near future.

On Wednesday morning, the WNBA announced that they will be adding a new franchise to the league in the near future, with the city of Portland, Oregon getting a squad starting in 2026.

The Rose City, which is home to the Portland Trailblazers, will now get a second professional basketball team, which will be owned by RAJ Sports. Outside of the Blazers, Portland only has two professional sports franchises — the Portland Timbers in the MLS and the Portland Thorns in the NWSL.

There is not yet an announcement on a team name or location for playing, but that will surely be soon to come.

The WNBA teased this expansion to 15 teams on Tuesday by asking a question with its social media account on X: "You know what's better than 14 teams?"

This is not the first time that Portland almost landed a WNBA franchise. According to Portland beat reporter Sean Highkin , the city was close to landing a team last fall, but the deal fell short of the finish line. This is the second time that Portland will have a WNBA team, with their previous franchise, "The Fire," going away in 2002 after a short stint.

The WNBA plans to add one more expansion team in the near future to reach 16 teams, with eyes on cities like Philadelphia, Denver, Nashville and Miami, according to Highkin.

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