What was Portland's reported expansion fee for its 2026 WNBA franchise?

Portland’s reported expansion fee for its 2026 WNBA franchise was US$125 million.

The fee was paid by the ownership group led by siblings Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal through RAJ Sports. The WNBA awarded Portland its franchise on September 18, 2024, and the team began play as the Portland Fire in May 2026.

The award revived professional women’s basketball in the city. Portland’s original WNBA team, also called the Portland Fire, played from 2000 through 2002 before folding. The new franchise plays at Moda Center and became the league’s 15th team, joining the Toronto Tempo as a 2026 expansion club.

The amount is often confused with earlier Portland expansion discussions. A previous ownership bid was associated with the league’s then-standard US$50 million fee, but that attempt collapsed before the team was awarded. The eventual Bhathal-led franchise was reported at US$125 million, a sign of how sharply WNBA expansion valuations had risen.