How Nike, the WNBA, and NWSL Pitched Women’s Sports in Portland

August 6, 2025

Last week, during The Epicenter Women’s Global Sports Summit, RAJ Sports general manager Karina LeBlanc put in the legwork to show brands, fans, media, and the world at large what Portland, Oregon, had to offer all levels of women’s sports. Led by siblings Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, RAJ Sports initially formed when it took ownership of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings in 2013, entering the Portland market in January 2024 when it bought the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns for $63 million.

In September, RAJ Sports was awarded a WNBA expansion franchise for a $125 million fee, and, during the announcement at Portland’s Moda Center, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert remarked that it “has become an epicenter of women’s sports, and the people of Portland have established this city as a premier destination.” Ad Week