Portland OR lands WNBA expansion franchise. 2026 season start

[LadyStanley]

WNBA awards Portland expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026

Portland, Golden State and Toronto will all be joining the league over the next two years.

sports.yahoo.com

Click to read more...

 

[Bostonzamboni]

Probably no need for an NHL team there now, as just more competition with the ever-hot WNBA arriving.

 

[LadyStanley]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836430258935144765

 

[The Marquis]

I'm pretty indifferent to the WNBA after the Fire left, but I guess I'll have a team to follow for the first time in like 20 years.

 

[GKJ]

So:

Golden State - NBA owner
Toronto - NBA owner
Portland - NWSL owner, NBA building

A pattern is developing

 

[KevFu]

So:

Golden State - NBA owner
Toronto - NBA owner
Portland - NWSL owner, NBA building

A pattern is developing

I mean, yeah. But at the same time, the big pocketed people winning the bids isn't really a development.

 

[PCSPounder]

BTW, trying to figure out if the entry fee was $125 million, or if that number includes a practice facility investment.

Given my circle of friends, someone on social media suggested a shared Thorns/ WNBA practice facility, and I’ve heard worse ideas. I’ve only seen the Blazers practice facility from the outside, and since the G-League Rip City Remix started, I doubt it’s big enough to share with the Dub. The Thorns were denied access to the Timbers practice facility (which also holds the development program) from the jump.

 

[LadyStanley]

Re practice facility...

Aces built a brand new, state of the art facility built (near owner's NFL facility). Has allowed better recruiting for team.

In addition other teams responded with new/upgraded facilities.



While a joint facility might work for workout spaces, lockerroom and practice court/pitch have very different needs.
NWSL has 48 players+practice squad while WNBA has 12 players.

 

[PCSPounder]

Re practice facility...

Aces built a brand new, state of the art facility built (near owner's NFL facility). Has allowed better recruiting for team.

In addition other teams responded with new/upgraded facilities.



While a joint facility might work for workout spaces, lockerroom and practice court/pitch have very different needs.
NWSL has 48 players+practice squad while WNBA has 12 players.

Eugene’s former Civic Stadium site now hosts a soccer field for which a stand is being built (targeting USL-1, maybe as soon as next year) as well as the “KidSport” facility which has several basketball courts as well as lockers for soccer teams and other purposes. Easy to see how something like that can be done in one of 2-3 locations in the metro area.

 

[rojac]

So:

Golden State - NBA owner
Toronto - NBA owner
Portland - NWSL owner, NBA building

A pattern is developing

To be accurate, the Toronto franchise will be owned by Kilmer Sports (Larry Tanenbaum's company). Kilmer Sports currently owns 25% of MLSE (Raptor' owner). However, Rogers apparently has the right to buy out the 25% when Tanenbaum turns 80 which is sometime next year) so by the time the WNBA team begins play in 2026, Kilmer Sports my no longer be an NBA owner.