In a major step forward for women’s sports, Portland’s NWSL team and the city’s upcoming WNBA expansion team will share a cutting-edge training facility, marking the first collaboration of its kind between the two leagues. The $150 million complex, funded by RAJ Sports and the Bhathal family—who also have a stake in the NBA’s Sacramento Kings—is set to open ahead of the 2026 WNBA season. The facility will transform a former Nike property spanning 12 acres in Hillsboro, just west of Portland.
Designed to cater to the needs of both teams, the campus will include dedicated locker rooms, lounges, two soccer fields, an additional outdoor training area, a gym with two basketball courts, strength training and rehab spaces, film theaters, a dining room, and team offices, per Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. The facility’s design aims to create an environment that prioritizes both performance and overall player well-being.
RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, emphasized athlete involvement in the project’s development. Karina LeBlanc, RAJ Sports’ executive vice president of strategic growth and a former Thorns goalkeeper, highlighted the significance of this approach.
“My generation that played this sport gets to look at this and be like, ‘Wow, this is better than our dreams.’ The athletes are the center of this. They get to walk into a building where they feel like they belong, and they feel like they’re seen and heard,” she said.
Portland was awarded a WNBA expansion team in September 2024, with plans to begin play in 2026. RAJ Sports, which acquired the Thorns earlier that year for $63 million, will own and operate the franchise. The new WNBA team is expected to play its home games at the Moda Center, the same venue that housed the Portland Fire from 2000 to 2002.
The development reflects a larger trend of increased investment in women’s professional sports. For example, the Indiana Fever recently announced plans for a $78 million practice facility, signaling a growing commitment to enhancing player development and attracting top talent.
