Oregon gets a taste of a WNBA future via preseason Liberty game

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - There was no shortage of "WNBA Portland" T-shirts among the fans at the New York Liberty’s preseason game at the University of Oregon.

The sellout crowd, which welcomed former Ducks Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally back to Eugene for a WNBA exhibition against the Toyota Antelopes, exemplified the popularity in Oregon of women’s basketball, and of women’s sports in general.

And that’s a harbinger of what could come when Portland’s expansion team joins the WNBA next year.

"Hell yeah, I’m excited," said basketball fan Lynn Manuel, who was at Monday’s game.

Portland was awarded an expansion team last September. RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, own and operate the team. They paid $125 million for the franchise.

"I’m so excited. Understanding the fan base that is built here in Eugene, but in Oregon as a whole, and knowing they’re going to come out and support," Ionescu said. "And knowing us being from here, and knowing that fans are going to travel, and there’s a lot of Ducks fans in Portland, so super excited to see how they support that team there, but also support us every time we come to play."

Ionescu drew big crowds in Eugene during her playing days for the Ducks. She set the NCAA record, among women and men, for triple-doubles. A highlight of her four-year career came when the U.S. team played Oregon in November 2019 and the Ducks won, 93-86. Ionescu had 30 points.

After going to the Final Four in 2019 when she was a junior, Oregon won the 2020 Pac-12 championship and was headed back to the NCAA Tournament when the event was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ducks are not alone in cultivating an enthusiastic fan base. The Oregon State women have had success in recent years, at times outdrawing the men. Under coach Scott Rueck, the Beavers reached the Final Four in 2016 and have been to the Elite Eight twice since then.

And Portland has certainly embraced women’s sports. The Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League routinely draw upwards of 17,000 fans to games. The city is also home to the nation's first bar exclusively for women's sports, the Sports Bra, which opened in 2022.

Portland is the third expansion franchise the WNBA has announced in recent years. The Golden State Valkyries will begin play in the San Francisco Bay Area this season and Toronto will join Portland in 2026.

“I think it’s great. We’ve got Golden State this year and we’re excited to go there, but also the Toronto Tempo and the Portland team," said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. "I played when there was a Portland team here, the Portland Fire, and I loved coming to Portland."

The Fire played in Portland from 2000 until 2002 and averaged more than 8,000 fans before folding.