• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

Why the WNBA Pulled Out of Portland

  • The WNBA was reportedly on the cusp of announcing a new team in Portland when it reversed course.
  • The league’s explanation for the sudden change of heart has been questioned.
Oct 5, 2023; San Francisco, CA, USA; WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert makes opening remarks during a press conference to announce an expansion WNBA franchise in the San Francisco Bay Area at Chase Center.
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Not too long ago, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that the WNBA would bring a team to Portland.

Reporting indicated that an announcement was imminent, and league commissioner Cathy Engelbert had previously called Portland “an ideal destination for a WNBA franchise.”

However, last week, Engelbert abruptly reversed course in a letter to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, citing planned renovations to the Moda Center, where the NBA’s Trail Blazers play and were prepared to share with a WNBA team.

Bill Oram, a sports columnist for the Oregonian, joined the Front Office Sports Today podcast to explain why, based on his reporting, Engelbert’s explanation may be a cover for the real reason that the league changed its plans days before they were set to announce a Portland team.

Listen to the full episode here:

Oram on why Engelbert’s explanation doesn’t fit with other facts:

[Engelbert’s] justification was that renovations the Portland Trail Blazers have planned to the Moda Center and the surrounding complex in consecutive summers later in the decade would displace the WNBA franchise, and that did not work for the WNBA. That came as a shock to a lot of people in the market for a variety of reasons, one being that those renovations had not been a surprise. 

Portland was seen as being on the very edge of making an announcement of having landed a WNBA team. That was seen as imminent. To then have that fall through over something that had been well-established and part of conversations for months, if not years, left a lot of people scratching their heads. 

On an alternate explanation for the WNBA’s reversal:

What I had heard last week and had been chasing down ever since was that the real death knell here was the withdrawal from the project by Kirk Brown. Kirk Brown had been the proposed owner of the team. He was the one putting up the $50 million expansion fee and is a former co-founder of ZoomInfo. So he had been the face of this — not a particularly outspoken advocate, but he was seen as the financial backbone of this proposal. 

Just a few days ago, they were planning on rolling out this team [on Oct. 26]. And it was only a few days before that Kirk Brown pulled out because of differences he had with the WNBA, including branding of the team. The name that he liked was getting significant pushback from the WNBA. He wanted to name it the Rose City Royalty. My understanding is that Cathy Engelbert felt that had a connotation that the WNBA didn’t want to get behind. 

At a certain point, Kirk felt that there were a lot of hoops to jump through and a lot of rules in joining the ranks of WNBA ownership. This is somebody who is an entrepreneur, has been the head of a major company, and maybe he was not totally comfortable with that level of oversight. And so he ended up pulling out really just days before this team was expected to be unveiled.

On whether a new investor could revive efforts to bring a WNBA team to Portland:

There are efforts underway to round up and build a new ownership group. Whether those will be successful, I do not know. Whether Jodi Allen has any interest, that would not track just because she is in the process of divesting assets and is moving toward an eventual sale of the Trail Blazers. But I know that there are people in Portland who are working feverishly to try to get together another ownership group and present that to the WNBA and see. 

On what the WNBA does next:

It’s interesting, because the WNBA has now backed itself into a corner where it says, ‘The reason we’re not doing this is because of renovations to Moda Center.’ Well, that’s not going to change, those renovations are going to happen. And so if that was the disqualifier, how do you walk that back when, you know, a white knight rides in to save the day? 

They were all-in on Portland. … You’ve heard reports out of Toronto that the MLSE group had pulled its bid. It’s similar in Denver — it sounded like that momentum had stalled. I don’t get the sense — and people I’ve spoken to have said this as well — that the WNBA is pivoting to another city.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Valkyries Debut Season Sets Stage for Free-Agent Buzz

The Valkyries were eliminated in the first round on Wednesday.
Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.

Silver: My Comments About Basketball Highlights Were ‘Misconstrued’

The NBA commissioner spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned in summit.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.

Ryder Cup: Secret Service Key to Smooth Trump Attendance

Trump’s attendance at the US Open delayed the men’s final.
Sep 14, 2025; Bridgeview, Illinois, USA; Portland Thorns FC midfielder Olivia Moultrie (13) kicks the ball past Chicago Stars FC defender Sam Staab (3) during the second half of a match at SeatGeek Stadium.
September 16, 2025

NWSL Beefs Up Media Deal With More CBS, ESPN, Adds Victory+

The NWSL has been locked into its existing deal since last year.
September 16, 2025

Adam Silver Walks Back Claim He’d Never Heard of Aspiration

Adam Silver spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Sep 14, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd (24) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Seattle Storm in the first quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Michelob Ultra Arena.
September 15, 2025

Aces Surge From Collapse to Contention With Dynasty at Stake

The turnaround started after a 53-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
September 15, 2025

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.
September 14, 2025

Most NFL Home Teams Opt to Honor Charlie Kirk Before Games

Several NFL teams playing at home on Sunday recognized the late activist. Some did not.
September 14, 2025

Crawford-Alvarez Bout Draws Biggest Crowd in Vegas Boxing History

Record attendance, a big gate, and growing ambitions mark the high-profile bout.