Present position:WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report >>Text
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report
Credit Card Protection Policies829Have read
About WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report Planned renovation...
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report
Planned renovations to the Moda Center cited by the league as a key issue
By Jack Maloney • 3 min readThe WNBA's plans to bring an expansion team to Portland have collapsed, according to The Oregonian, with the league citing planned renovations to the Moda Center as a key issues. Furthermore, there was uncertainty regarding a practice facility for the team, which would have begun play in 2025.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a letter to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden explaining the decision, and noting that the league still hopes to one day bring an expansion team to Portland. Engelbert's letter, in full:
Dear Senator Wyden
I was able to experience Oregon's passionate basketball community first-hand at that incredibly enthusiastic gathering of women's sports advocates that you pulled together last February at The Sports Bra in Portland. It became clear that Portland is an ideal location for a WNBA franchise. Since then, the league and a prospective local ownership group have been working with city and local officials to resolve issues related to the Moda Center.
However, in light of the potential renovation of the Moda Center currently anticipated to take place during consecutive summers, consideration of a WNBA franchise for Portland will be deferred for now until the timing and scope of the arena improvements are settled.
Thanks for the work you and Oregonians have done so far. When the time is right, we look forward to pursuing prospects for bringing the WNBA to Portland.
Per The Oregonian, the Portland Trail Blazers and owner Jody Allen were caught off guard by Engelbert's letter and had been willing to put off renovations to allow the prospective WNBA franchise to play there for multiple seasons before beginning the work. To that point, the Blazers' general plan to renovate Moda Center have been known for some time; if it was truly a major sticking point, how did the Blazers and Portland get this far down the line in the first place?
Portland entrepreneur Kirk Brown was leading the push to bring a team to the city but did not respond to requests for comment from The Oregonian. His current and potential future involvement is not known at this time. Early in October multiple reports suggested that a new team coming to Portland was "close to a done deal." Wyden's office issued a statement saying that he was "confident the scoreboard will end up with Portland winning that franchise."
Whether the two parties could eventually get negotiations back on track for the team, which will have an expansion fee of $50 million, remains to be seen. If not, the league will have to reopen their search.
Tags:
Reprinted :Welcome friends to share to the network, but please explain the source of the article“Credit Card Protection Policies”。http://aqntz.feilaokan.com/17anc30.html
Related articles
Transfer portal needs 3.0: Who and what every major college basketball team is targeting
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportTransfer portal needs 3.0: Who and what every major college basketball team is targeting Chan...
Read more
NFC South Rivals Pile on Pressure for Falcons
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportNFC South Rivals Pile on Pressure for FalconsSaivion Mixson...
Read more
Rangers, former No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere agree to two
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportRangers, former No. 1 overall pick Alexis Lafreniere agree to two-year, $4.65 million contract...
Read more
Top Article
- College basketball transfer portal: Indiana landing guard Myles Rice was best fit of the weekend
- Kraken's Jordan Eberle suffers 'deep cut' in leg from teammate's skate blade in practice
- Candid Coaches: Who will be college basketball's best team in 2024
- Tennessee newspaper makes bold comparison of Heupel to Spurrier, Saban, Smart
- Fever vs. Sun odds, prediction, time: Experts reveal top Caitlin Clark prop picks for WNBA debut
- Justin Jefferson injury update: Vikings star helped off the field after suffering quad injury