'Good progress': Senator Wyden issues statement on Portland's WNBA future
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has been one of the main advocates of bringing a WNBA franchise to Portland, organizing several events over the past year to try to sway the league as they look into expansion.
On Thursday, Wyden's office released a statement out of the blue about the city's chances.
“Senator Wyden is hearing from people high up in the basketball business that Portland is making good progress on getting a WNBA team," the statement read. "He’s hoping and working to hear later this year that Portland will be one of the new WNBA franchises.”
This is a new and positive indication from Wyden as the league has remained relatively mum about expansion.
Back in February, Wyden organized a roundtable at The Sports Bra -- which later created a petition to bring a WBNA team to the Rose City -- to discuss the possibility. The roundtable included WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Oregon State head women's basketball coach Scott Rueck, Oregon head women's basketball coach Kelly Graves and Blazers executives Joe Cronin and Dewayne Hankins.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke to the media after the event, saying that expansion was anywhere from two to four years out at the time, which did not thrill league fans online. She also said she hoped to add two teams whenever the league does expand.
As for if Portland was a finalist for one of those two expansion squads at the time?
“This event tonight has been great to see the love and the fandom. What the Senator has pulled together here as far as advocates around the Portland ecosystem, I think is really important. I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t on the list,” said Engelbert.