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 Policies8Have 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/oi94i30.html
Related articles
Arizona State basketball recruiting: Five
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportArizona State basketball recruiting: Five-star C Jayden Quaintance is top-rated recruit in Sun Devil...
Read more
2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year: Fever's Aliyah Boston becomes fifth player to win award unanimously
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per report2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year: Fever's Aliyah Boston becomes fifth player to win award unanimously...
Read more
Dodgers All
WNBA expansion: Plans to bring team to Portland have collapsed, per reportDodgers All-Star Mookie Betts renovates his father's home in CBS' 'Secret Celebrity Renovation'...
Read more
Top Article
- Brad Calipari joins Arkansas staff: John Calipari's son will work in on
- 2024 NBA Draft: DJ Burns, Armando Bacot among prominent undrafted free agents to quickly land deals
- Lakers hiring JJ Redick as head coach is just aimless activity disguised as forward progress
- Giants, Matt Chapman agree to six
- Jamie Gittens: Who is Borussia Dortmund and England winger?
- Will Yankees' Jasson Domínguez be a September call
Latest News
Aces' Candace Parker becomes first player in WNBA history to win titles with three different teams
Lakers, Clippers fail in NBA free agency as the L.A. teams fall into traps of mediocrity
Deion Sanders believes changes to college football prompted Nick Saban to retire from Alabama
Caitlin Clark speaks out against those who direct racist, misogynistic comments toward WNBA players
WATCH: Alex Morgan walks off pitch for final time after 13
WNBA scores, takeaways: Mercury, Liberty cruise to wins, Angel Reese makes more history