WNBA Reignites in Portland: Fire Return in 2026 as League's 15th Team

As excitement around the WNBA continues to heat up, the league's 15th expansion team name has been officially announced: the Portland Fire will return in 2026.

Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of a Wilson WNBA basketball during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The WNBA’s popularity has caught on like wildfire—so it’s fitting that one of the league’s next expansion teams will be fanning the flames.

In 2026, the WNBA makes its return to the Pacific Northwest with the revival of the Portland Fire, marking the league’s 15th franchise, debuting the same season as another expansion team, the Toronto Tempo. The official announcement came Tuesday alongside the premiere of the team's logo––a flaming rose.

Welcome the Portland Fire

Tip-off in 2026. pic.twitter.com/GFpaZg8pvU

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 15, 2025

“That rose icon represents the fire that burns in the passion of this city,” Portland Fire interim president Clare Hamill said to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “It is a clear nod to the Rose City, and all the beauty and strength that comes with that. The petals begin as flames and reach high.”

The Fire originally debuted in 2000 but folded just three seasons later when the league contracted from 16 to 13 teams. Now, over two decades later, the franchise has been resurrected.

Let’s welcome the Portland Fire back to the WNBA 🔥 the franchise original became apart of the WNBA back in 2000 and lasted until 2002. The franchise had a record of 37W-59L during their tenure. Let’s see what they will bring next season 🫡 #trending #fyp #viral #wnba #wnbanews pic.twitter.com/cZKzr0clrh

— Ssupreme_Bop (@JazzvsBop) July 15, 2025

“As the WNBA builds on a season of unprecedented growth, bringing a team back to Portland is another important step forward,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Portland has been an epicenter of the women’s sports movement and is home to a passionate community of basketball fans”

The Fire will play home games at the Moda Center––also home to the NBA’s Trail Blazers––and fan response has been overwhelming. The franchise stated that the they have already exceeded 10,000 season ticket deposits.

"Portland has long stood at the forefront of women's sports, and with nearly 11,000 season ticket deposits to date, this community has made it clear they're ready to embrace the return of women's professional basketball," owner Lisa Bhathal Merage said in a statement. "We're proud to reignite the Portland Fire and can't wait to welcome new and longtime fans to the Moda Center in 2026."

With the Fire and Tempo set to join the league in 2026, the WNBA’s growth isn’t slowing down—Cleveland is on deck for 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. The hype surrounding league is hot, and the Portland Fire are only turning up the heat.