WNBA announces Portland team with excitement for the city's passion for women's sports

Inside the Moda Center on Wednesday, Sept. 18, a vision for the future of women’s sports in Portland came to fruition.

After several years of effort from politicians, local leaders and basketball fans, the WNBA made it official that the league will be bringing a basketball team to the Rose City starting in 2026 with an expansion franchise, the 15th team in the league.

RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and her brother Alex Merage, will be the owners of the team after purchasing the Portland Thorns back in January.

The Bhathal family, which includes Raj Bhathal, are co-owners of the Sacramento Kings as well, giving them some base already on the WNBA radar.

And after moving into the Portland space earlier this year, the family was sold on Portland being the right space to continue building in women’s sports.

“It is obvious that Portland is the global epicenter of women’s sports,” Lisa Bhathal Merage said at the press conference inside the Moda Center. “From the historic success of the Portland Thorns to the growing momentum around women’s basketball, there is no better place for this team to thrive. Portland is at the forefront of the movement that is shaping the future of women’s sports and we are proud to be a part of that history.”

Joining Lisa and Alex on stage were WNBA Cathy Engelbert, Senator Ron Wyden, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Portland Trail Blazers President of Operations Dewayne Hankins and former WNBA player Kym Hampton. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek wasn’t in attendance but had a video-recorded speech played at the event.

All of them seemingly had the same message about Portland being a hotbed for women’s sports and being an inclusive space for the WNBA to continue growing and thrive in the market.

“A year ago, we were just getting going in Portland and now we're firmly rooted with two feet firmly planted in the city of Portland,” Alex Bhathal said. “Our vision for this team is clear: We want to create a space where excellence, community, inclusivity, diversity and equity come together. We’re not just building a team, we’re creating a movement.”

As for the details of the team, the Bhathal siblings said no team name has been determined and they expect to receive community input over the next few months.

As for the next steps, the owners will have to start hiring a general manager to build out the roster and all the other positions that go into it. No timeline for those decisions was given during the event.

Getting to this day was difficult enough. Last fall, many reports had the WNBA announcing a team to Portland, but at the last minute Engelbert pulled out the deal to what she claimed were issues with future plans for renovations to the Moda Center and Rose Quarter.

Behind the scenes, the former ownership group led by ZoomInfo cofounder Kirk Brown, didn’t hold up to what the league was looking for in a new owner and moved on there as well.

Insert the Bhathal family and those worries about the renovations seemed to disappear quickly for Engelbert.

“It wasn’t just singularly the arena, but there were a variety of things,” Engelbert said of last year’s pause. “We needed more clarity around that and I think there’s a lot more clarity around that now.”

The Bhathal family has committed previously to building a state-of-the-art training facility for the Thorns, leading to speculation that the addition of a WNBA could result in a facility that encompasses both teams. The family didn’t commit to one or two facilities on Wednesday.

Either way, the day was filled with positivity from the leaders who think Rip City will be a thriving WNBA city.

“I’m not a gambler, but I know it’s a sure bet that Portland is going to be a slam-dunk success in the WNBA,” Wyden said. “This is going to be a huge economic shot in the arm for the entire region. Thousands of fans booking hotel rooms, visiting restaurants, bars pre and post game. We’re going to be the gold standard.”

Not many of those options currently exist around the Moda Center, but they are a part of the renovations expected in the area in the collaboration effort called Albina Rose Alliance between the Blazers and the Albina Vision Trust.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us to help get ready for 2026, but we’re going to show the world that no one can compete with Portland when it comes to celebrating women’s sports,” Hankins said. “And as we look to the future, we’re already setting the stage for even bigger moments, like the (NCAA) women’s Final Four in 2030. We want to demonstrate that we can host world-class events, and after we host the Final Four, we’ll be ready to host an NBA All-Star game, or now a WNBA All-Star game.”

While the players, coaches and team name are still a long way down the road, the effort to get the team to Portland is finally over.

And now it’s all about building a champion.

“Now that it’s out, our owners will be reaching out to (the Bhathals) soon,” Engelbert said. “Everybody wants a vibrant WNBA. They don’t necessarily want you to win a championship –”

“But we will,” Lisa Bhathal Merage said.