Catlin community’s reaction to WNBA in Portland

By Charlie Broad ‘25

After a year of unprecedented support for women’s basketball, Portland is set to join the fold. The city’s future team isn’t just about its play, but the inspiration and representation it can have on the community.

Sept. 18, 2024, marked a momentous day for women’s sports in Portland, Ore. The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced they would add an expansion team to Portland at the start of the 2026 season.

This is not the first time a WNBA team will call Portland home. From 2000-2002, the Portland Fire was a WNBA team when the league was in its early years. However, due to financial challenges, it was forced to shut down.

However, the WNBA landscape has changed, which holds more promise for the future team. The WNBA is also adding a team to Golden State (San Francisco area) and Toronto in the upcoming season, noting the league's ambition. The news of the future team has caught the eyes of the Catlin Gabel School (CGS) community members.

Tyler Reuter, the CGS Associate Director of Athletics, had followed the storyline long before the announcement. “[I’m] surprised that it went through, but also not surprised. Portland… has a pretty strong track record of sports fandom, especially around women’s sports,” said Reuter.

“I’m really excited,” said senior Levi Whalen Stewart “Me and my mom already talked about getting season tickets… I’m hyped.” Whalen Stewart also appreciated the increased equality of women's and men's sports in Portland by adding a WNBA team.

This great excitement surrounding the newfound team must translate to continued support, a path to building a strong fan base, seen as a criterion for success. The popularity of women’s basketball is rising, something that some members hope to see happen in Portland. Senior Sofia Rada believes the team needs to be able to attract an audience of those who aren’t interested in basketball.

Rada herself sees how the WNBA team will impact her. “I don’t go to the Blazers (Portland’s male basketball team), but I would go to [the women’s team],” said Rada. Gender representation can be a factor for women not involved in basketball to gain interest in the sport.

There is a desire among the community that the team can pull a separate demographic into the Portland sports culture. “You have sports fans that will attend any Portland sport event, but… there is also so much opportunity for new sports fandom, especially with young girls,” said Reuter.

CGS has seen problems with participation in its own women’s basketball team. This year, rostering enough players for a full team has been a struggle. The emergence of a women’s basketball team in Portland could potentially affect the basketball landscape for young girls in CGS and the broader Portland community.

“The WNBA coming to Portland is going to enhance everyone and hopefully even younger kids desire to go and try it out themselves,” said Kate Williams, the CGS women’s basketball coach and Athletic Director.

Senior Violet Kozak looks ahead to the future landscape. “I see a positive future for women’s basketball, and growth of women’s sports in Portland,” said Kozak.

Based on these student and faculty insights, it is clear the CGS community is excited about the future team’s arrival and its positive impact on the sports culture.