The City of Portland has officially been awarded the 15th franchise in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the league announced today. The new team, scheduled to begin play in the 2026 season, will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. The Portland franchise joins the recent expansion of the league, which also added teams in the Bay Area and Toronto, growing the WNBA from 12 to 15 teams.
“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans. Pairing this energy with the Bhathal family’s vision of leading top-flight professional sports teams will ensure that we deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland area.”
Lisa Bhathal Merage will serve as the team’s controlling owner and WNBA Governor, with Alex Bhathal acting as Alternate Governor. The Bhathal family, including Lisa, Alex, and their parents, Marta and Raj Bhathal, brings over 50 years of professional sports experience. They are investors in the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and are also the controlling owners of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns. Lisa Bhathal Merage’s husband, Richard Merage, CEO of MIG Capital, will also join the ownership group as an investor and Executive Board member.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and team owners Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal made the official announcement during a press event last week at the Moda Center, which will serve as the team’s home. During the event, Wheeler expressed the city’s enthusiasm about having a new WNBA team.
“We are thrilled to welcome the WNBA to Portland, a city renowned for its vibrant sports culture and deep commitment to fostering women’s athletics,” said Wheeler. “This expansion marks a significant milestone in our city’s sports history and underscores our role as a burgeoning hub for women’s sports. It’s more than basketball; it’s about energizing our community, enhancing our local economy, and celebrating pride in our city.”
The Bhathal family is equally optimistic about the team’s future in Portland.
“For decades, Portland has been the global epicenter of sports lifestyle, and today, we are now the global epicenter of women’s sports,” said Lisa Bhathal Merage. “We believe in the transformative power of women’s sports and are thrilled that the W will call Portland home. We know that Portland’s vibrant and diverse communities will support and rally around this team. Our goal is to grow this organization in partnership with the Portland community, and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world when they take the floor at the Moda Center in 2026.”
This marks the WNBA’s return to Portland after more than 20 years. The Portland Fire, the city’s first WNBA team, played from 2000 to 2002. The new team’s return is expected to generate a fresh wave of enthusiasm and community engagement, offering Portland fans another professional sports team to rally behind while further solidifying the city’s commitment to inclusive sports.
