Portland, Sep 18 : The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced on Wednesday that it has awarded Portland, Oregon, the league's 15th franchise.

The Portland team, set to begin play in the 2026 season, will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. Portland is the third expansion franchise awarded by the WNBA during this round of expansion, following the Golden State Valkyries and a Toronto franchise, bringing the league 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,'

he added.

Lisa Bhathal Merage will serve as controlling owner and WNBA Governor, while Alex Bhathal will serve as Alternate Governor. The Bhathal family (Lisa, Alex and their parents, Marta and Raj) brings more than 50 years of experience in the professional sports industry, including serving as investors of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and controlling owners of the National Women's Soccer League's Portland Thorns.

Lisa Merage's husband, Richard Merage, will also join the buyer group as an investor and Executive Board member of Portland WNBA.

'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 highly 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.'

The team will play its home games at the Moda Center in downtown Portland. The new team marks the WNBA's return to Portland after more than 20 years. The Portland Fire played three seasons in the WNBA from 2000-02.

The latest expansion announcement comes amid the WNBA's historic 28th season. In addition to announcing three new teams, the league in recent months has added its most anticipated rookie class ever; signed a groundbreaking new media rights deal; and shattered records for viewership, attendance, merchandise sales, social media engagement and digital subscriptions (WNBA League Pass).

/IANS