It looks like Portland might finally have a women’s basketball team again! After a failed expansion attempt last year, the city is on the verge of joining the WNBA. While the official announcement is set for September 10, inside reports have already suggested that the Bhathal Family is likely to be the owners of the new participants. Well, amidst a lot of speculations, now WNBA itself has opened up on the matter.

The reporter who first broke the news about Bhathal Family being the leaders in the ownership race has now revealed WNBA’s latest statement. Taking to his X account, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report tweeted, “Statement from WNBA: “The WNBA remains in active discussions with potential ownership groups across various markets, and the approval of any new expansion teams will be subject to a board vote.” (Invites have already started to go out from the Bhathals for an event on 9/10).” 

Interestingly, the Bhathal family already has a basketball background as they purchased the Sacramento Kings in 2013 for $534 million, showcasing their commitment to the sport. Not just that, they are also the proud owners of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns and now, they might just hold a key position in bringing WNBA basketball back to Portland. They’ve been studying the Portland market and know how much fans love women’s sports.

The city previously hosted the Portland Fire for a brief three-season stint from 2000 to 2002. While Bhathals’ involvement can allow Portland to feature in the WNBA in 2026, they even had an expansion opportunity last year. Let’s see what was that about.

Shattered hope of Portland’s expansion last year

This isn’t the first time Portland has tried to get a WNBA team, as last year, a deal almost went through with ZoomInfo co-founder Kirk Brown. However, it fell apart at the last minute as Highkin mentioned in his report, “it was close enough to official that a date was set last October for a press conference to announce it.” Despite official statements, “Brown’s group bailed on the effort at the last minute…”

Last November, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert informed Oregon Senator Ron Wyden that plans for a WNBA franchise in Portland are on hold. It was mentioned that the delay is due to the anticipated renovation of the Moda Center, which is expected to span over consecutive summers. The letter also noted that the franchise consideration will be postponed until the renovation details are finalized.