Portland Gets Another Go With WNBA Team (They Had 1 Before?)

Call it the Caitlin Clark effect.

The WNBA is seeing levels of success never achieved by the league, with record attendance, increased viewership on TV (better TV contracts) and, finally making money. Now, the league is expanding.

   Portland OR to get another go at an WNBA Team

The as-yet-to-be-named club will become the 15th team in the WNBA, as two more teams in Toronto and Golden State (Oakland area) will begin operations next year. The Portland team will start in 2026.

The owners are already involved in sports, as investors in the Golden State Warriors and the owners of the Portland Thorns women's pro soccer team. According to CNN:

"The yet-to-be-named club will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by controlling owner and WNBA governor Lisa Bhathal Merage and alternate governor Alex Bhathal."

Despite limited success over the last few decades, Portland's NBA Team, the Trailblazers, have a rabid following, and the new owners hope to capitalize on the growing success of women's sports in general.

It's hoped this new team will fare better than the Portland Fire, who played in the WNBA for three seasons, from 2000 to 2002. They were owned by Paul Allen, but he pulled the plug after the third go-round.  Despite the team averaging over 8,000 fans per game which was well above the league average, and their popularity, the team didn't produce the investment results he hoped for.

The NBA's Trailblazers declined an offer to buy the team, to 'save it' and it folded. Until this last season, with the arrival of Caitlin Clark, the WNBA was kept afloat because it was propped up by the NBA.

The team went 37-59 over three years and was the only team in WNBA history to never make the playoffs at least once. This video from KGW TV in Portland examines what happened when the Fire "went out."