WNBA reveals new expansion team amid huge popularity spike thanks to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Co

The WNBA has announced a new expansion team in Portland as the sport continues to enjoy a boom inspired by the likes of Caitlin Clark.

Women's basketball has seen a huge spike in popularity and attendances thanks to the rise of star players including Clark and Angel Reese.

On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that a new team in Portland, Oregon would become the league's 15th franchise.

The city previously had a team - the Fire - which entered the WNBA in 2000 before folding after the 2002 season 

This new team - whose name has yet to be confirmed - will begin playing in the WNBA from 2026.

It comes after the league expanded the league from 12 franchises with the Golden State Valkyries and a team in Toronto.

'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 team will be owned and controlled by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. They are already majority owners of the NWSL's Portland Thorns. 

Engelbert added: 'Pairing this energy with the Bhathal family’s vision of leading top-flight professional sports teams will ensure that we deliver a premier WNBA team to the greater Portland area.'