On Wednesday (Sept. 18), the WNBA announced the impending return of a franchise to Portland, OR. The new organization, which will be the 15th team, marks a significant milestone as the first instance of the league returning to a city it previously left.

The team will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by siblings Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who are also majority owners of the National Women's Soccer League's Portland Thorns. According to ESPN, this ownership group emerged after the WNBA's initial plans for Portland fell through, leading to a brief period of disappointment for supporters like Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who had been advocating for the squad’s return.

Previously, Portland participated within the WNBA via the short-lived Fire, which operated from 2000 to 2002. Despite never making the playoffs, they maintained strong attendance figures, outperforming several other WNBA lineups in their final season.

“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” said Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in an official statement. “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.”

The new squad will play at the Moda Center, home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN further reported that the ownership group has committed to investing in a state-of-the-art training facility for both the WNBA team and the Thorns. Additionally, as an official name has yet to be determined, the owners are reportedly open to community input on whether to revive the Fire moniker or create a new identity. This decision and other key announcements – such as practice facility details – are expected to be revealed in the coming months.