The WNBA will be gradually expanded in the coming years. Next year, Toronto Tempo will be joined by a team from Portland.
Next year, Portland will return to the WNBA, and the name will also make a comeback. The team will compete as the Portland Fire, just as it did from 2000 to 2002. This was announced by the franchise.
“Portland Fire. Reborn” was the headline of the press release, indicating that the club had been “reborn.” “As a city with a long history of supporting women’s sports, Portland is ready to reclaim its place in the WNBA,” said Clare Hamill, interim president of Portland Fire. The logo features a burning rose, with the flames shaped like the roof of the Moda Center, the team’s home arena.
In 2026, the league will expand from 13 to 15 teams. In addition to Portland, Toronto Tempo will be the first Canadian franchise to join. Cleveland will follow in 2028, and Detroit and Philadelphia will become numbers 17 and 18 in 2029. The Portland Fire club was disbanded in 2002 after only three years.
