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The WNBA announced a Portland expansion team and fans were so stoked

meghan l. hall
·1-min read
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: A ball goes towards the net during warmups prior to the game between the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm at Barclays Center on September 05, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: A ball goes towards the net during warmups prior to the game between the New York Liberty and the Seattle Storm at Barclays Center on September 05, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The WNBA is officially coming to Portland, Oregon, again.

On Wednesday, the league (finally!) confirmed that Portland will be home to the organization's 15th franchise. This comes after the WNBA's social media team teased an expansion team announcement on Tuesday and several weeks after Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report reported that the city was securing a team.

This is also a tremendous turn of events after Portland was reportedly "deferred" from consideration over renovation concerns at the Moda Center last year. Portland will begin play during the 2026 season (along with the WNBA's Toronto expansion team) and will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal.

Of course, WNBA fans were totally stoked. Here's how they reacted to the news:

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The WNBA announced a Portland expansion team and fans were so stoked