As the WNBA regular season comes to a close, there’s a lot of excitement for what’s in store for the league over the next few years. This week, the WNBA announced its latest expansion franchise is headed to Portland, Oregon and will begin play in 2026. The team will be owned and operated by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League.
It’s the third expansion team over the next two years, with Golden State and Toronto getting the other two. It comes on the heels of a remarkable season for WNBA viewership.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available for analysis, commentary and insight. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Senior Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass Restuccio [email protected].
Lisa Delpy Neirotti is the director of the MS in Sport Management Program and an associate professor of Sport Management at the George Washington University School of Business. She has been a professor of sport, event, and tourism management at GW for more than 30 years. Delpy Neirotti works with a number of sport event organizations, sponsors, and professional teams to conduct economic and market research studies including the Olympic Games, World Cup, College Football Bowl Games, among others. She is also an advisory board member of the Women’s Sport Foundation, Up2Us, and the Council for Responsible Sports as well as the past president and founder of the D.C. Chapter of Women In Sports and Events.
Meredith Geisler, assistant professor of sport management, joined GW with over 30 years of experience in sports public relations. Prior to her appointment at GW, Meredith was senior vice president of communications for Tandem Sports + Entertainment, a full-service sports and entertainment agency with expertise in athlete management, talent representation, marketing, communications and publicity services. Tandem represents some of the biggest stars in professional sports and broadcasting, including elite NBA and WNBA athletes, broadcasters, coaches, industry executives and sports organizations.
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