Could The WNBA Save This NBA City?
For years, Portland, Oregon has been anchored by its NBA team the Trail Blazers. Unfortunately for this region’s fanbase, however, this franchise has not been able to trailblaze its way through the Western Conference to a Larry O’Brien trophy since the Bill Walton years in 1977, almost 50 years ago.
The late ‘80s and early ‘90s Trail Blazers brought some hope to Portland, as the team made two NBA Finals appearances. Both times, however, despite being just four wins away from the promised land, Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls proved otherwise.
Even the more recent Damian Lillard era – which ended this past season when he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal also involving the Boston Celtics – proved to fall short. Lillard’s Trail Blazers never made it past the Conference Finals and his departure put Portland in reset mode yet again.
Given the team’s history, it’s hard to say Portland hosts one of the premier sports franchises. The ups and downs the Trail Blazers have experienced over the past few decades have given the city reason to lose its place as a free-agency destination in the league.
That is until news in the world of women’s professional basketball broke on Sept. 18 that the latest expansion franchise coming to the WNBA in 2026 will be in Portland.
With how popular the WNBA has been this season, especially with players like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart continuing to hold things down while rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have jumped on the scene, this new franchise may just be the spark this basketball city has desperately been looking for.
Just when Portland’s fanbase was prepping for another subpar season amid a rebuild, this WNBA announcement arrived on the scene, making things interesting for the city moving forward.
Portland Next Up In The WNBA
With just 12 teams in the WNBA currently, expansion has permeated discussions around the league over the last year.
It started with the Golden State Valkyries, who were announced as the first franchise to be added to the league last year in October. Then came an announcement for a Toronto franchise, which still has yet to be named, this past May. The Valkyries will start play next season, while Toronto will begin its inaugural campaign in 2026.
Then this week, with perfect timing as the regular season winds down, Portland jumped onto the scene as the most recent domino to fall in a rapidly expanding WNBA, a league that has only been around since 1997. This will be the second go-around for a WNBA team in Portland, as the last time it hosted a women’s basketball franchise was from 2000 to 2002 with the Portland Fire.
“It has been more than two decades since this city has been home to a WNBA team, and bringing the WNBA back to Portland is a natural fit,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press conference on Sept. 18. “Not only does this city support women’s sports, but basketball is also in Portland’s blood. This is the latest milestone in Portland’s rich history of iconic basketball moments, and it’s a perfect backdrop for WNBA players to make an impact.”
The former Portland Fire WNBA franchise was only in existence for three seasons, all of which did not result in playoff appearances. The Fire went just 37-59 in three years. Granted, the WNBA was made up of some powerhouses at the time, so the Fire’s lack of success in their short time as a franchise was partially warranted.
The Houston Comets had won their fourth-straight title in 2000, the first year the Fire was in the league, and the Los Angeles Sparks won back-to-back championships in the following two years, giving Portland barely enough time to make its mark in the WNBA.
This time around, though, Portland will have a chance to reestablish itself along with the other expansion franchises. Given there’s been so much parity this season in the WNBA with several title contenders headed for the playoffs, which start on Sept. 22, Portland may just have a better chance to succeed in round two.
“As we’ve seen throughout our 2024 record-breaking season, the demand for the “W” brand of basketball is unprecedented,” Engelbert said. “We’re selling out games at a historic pace, setting ratings records, introducing our veterans and new stars to new fans and the world and seeing incredible excitement as we head into our playoffs this weekend.”
The Trail Blazers have finished below .500 in the standings three years running, and with a young core still trying to find its identity, significant movement in a stacked Western Conference doesn’t seem all too likely this upcoming season.
Come 2026, however, this new WNBA team may just give Portland the spark it needs, breathing some new life into the city’s sports fandom given how things have fared the last few years.
“This new franchise is more than just a team,” Trail Blazers President of Business Operations Dewayne Hankins said during the press conference. “It’s an opportunity for all of us to contribute to Portland’s revitalization and to create deeper connections within our community. And we have a lot of work ahead of us to help get ready for 2026, but we’re gonna show the world that no one can compete with Portland when it comes to celebrating women’s sports.”
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