Trail Blazers News: WNBA Commissioner Hints That Expansion Could Include Portland Team

Matt Levine | Apr 18, 2024

Could the WNBA be heading to Portland very soon? Well, according to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, it very well could be!

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert at her pre-draft press conference just said her goal is to get the league to 16 teams by 2028 and named Portland as one of the cities they continue to have discussions with.

— Sean Highkin (@highkin) April 15, 2024

Before the start of the WNBA Draft earlier this week, Engelbert said that she hopes to get the league to 16 teams by 2028. The city of Portland was named as one of the cities to keep an eye on for potential expansion.

The rise in popularity of women's basketball has allowed this to be possible and it will only continue to grow. Portland has long been one of the better basketball cities in the NBA, making them a clear candidate for a WNBA squad.

The fans in Portland are energetic and passionate, something that would do well within the WNBA. While nobody knows if it will eventually happen, the fact that discussions are happening is a positive sign. The WNBA has been looking to grow for years and it seems that it finally may be becoming more of a reality rather quickly.