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 Policies79419Have 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/4iixk30.html
Related articles
2024 WNBA Draft: Biggest needs, potential fits for every team; Sparks positioned well with two top
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report2024 WNBA Draft: Biggest needs, potential fits for every team; Sparks positioned well with two top-f...
Read more
Final Week 2 injury report: Los Angeles Chargers could be without big names
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportFinal Week 2 injury report: Los Angeles Chargers could be without big namesTravis Wakeman...
Read more
UFC Noche: Conor McGregor's heir and a historic women's trilogy
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportMcGregor's heir & historic trilogy - inside UFC's $20m SphereImage source, Getty Image...
Read more
Top Article
- 2024 NHL playoff schedule: Panthers topple the Lightning in five games to advance
- Maite Oroz: Tottenham Women sign Real Madrid and Spain midfielder
- Cubs pitch combined no
- Can Mets maintain playoff position after surging past Braves? Three things to know about down
- WATCH: Breanna Stewart saves Team USA from historic defeat with controversial buzzer
- Ranking the top 20 MLB free agents of the 2024
Latest News
USMNT's Christian Pulisic on potential Mauricio Pochettino coaching hire: 'It's time for a change'
Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga full card results, schedule for 2024 boxing fight
Phillies' Bryce Harper admits to playing through wrist, elbow injuries amid two
Who plays on Sunday Night Football tonight? Time, TV channel, schedule for NFL Week 2 game
Dan Hurley understandably turns down Lakers rather than walk away from a possible three
Cubs' Craig Counsell explains why Taylor Swift deserves credit for team's winning streak