On Wednesday the WNBA announced that there will be a new franchise in Portland, Ore. starting in the 2026 season. This will increase the number of WNBA teams from 12 to 15. In 2025, the Golden State Valkyries will begin play and in 2026, two new teams in Toronto and now Portland will begin play.
The move is a reflection of the WNBA’s growth after a long period of relative stability since 2009 when the league was at 12 teams. The new 15-team WNBA will also begin play right as a new Collective Bargaining Agreement begins to take shape.