WNBA basketball is officially heading back to Portland, Oregon. The league announced on Wednesday that the city has been awarded an expansion franchise, which will begin play in 2026. In addition to the Golden State Valkyries and a yet unnamed Toronto franchise, which were announced earlier this year, that will bring the league to 15 teams.
The league has not yet released details regarding expansion drafts for the incoming organizations, but fans are already dreaming of a potential big addition due to comments from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden. During Wednesday’s press conference at the Moda Center, which is where the Portland team will play, Wyden noted that he has been in contact with New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu regarding the news.
“First of all, Sabrina. She and I have been texting back and forth this morning,” Wyden said. “She is so fired up for what you all did. She’s been with us every step of the way.”
Ionescu is a California native, but she played college basketball at the University of Oregon and became a local icon for her exploits with the Ducks. She won Pac-12 Player of the Year three times, Naismith Player of the Year in 2020, set the all-time NCAA record for triple-doubles (26) and led the Ducks to their first and only Final Four in 2019.
Coincidentally, Ionescu is set to become a free agent in 2026, the same year the Portland franchise will enter the league. Would Ionescu be interested in returning to Oregon? That remains to be seen, but she’s clearly excited about the state getting a team.
Her texts with Wyden are not the first time she’s discussed the topic.
“I’ve been pushing for a WNBA team here,” Ionescu told The Oregonian back in October of 2023, when rumors were circulating about Portland’s candidacy for an expansion franchise. “Just understanding what we’ve been able to witness from the fans in the last couple years, and how it’s continued to grow. I’m able to take that into my professional career in New York and understand that, if you produce and you believe in the product that’s on the court, the fans are going to follow. What we’ve been able to do here [in Oregon] and what professional sports have been able to do in the city of Portland, we’re continuing to push for more.”
For now, Ionescu is focused on the playoffs, which get underway on Sunday. Her Liberty are the No. 1 overall seed, and hope this is the year they capture the first championship in franchise history.
