Klay Thompson Celebrates Portland's New WNBA Team: A Heartfelt Tribute to Jackie Stiles

 Klay Thompson Celebrates Portland's New WNBA Team: A Heartfelt Tribute to Jackie Stiles

Klay Thompson is embarking on a new chapter in his NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, and he's already showing support for the WNBA’s latest expansion. Thompson, who spent much of his childhood in Oregon, took to social media on Thursday to express his excitement about Portland getting a WNBA team. He shared a post from Portland Thorns FC, the local NWSL soccer team, which welcomed the WNBA’s return to the city.

In his Instagram story, Thompson gave a special mention to Jackie Stiles, a former player for the Portland Fire, the city's previous WNBA team. "This is so cool, Jackie Stiles was really HER back in the day. ABSOLUTELY CLIP!" he wrote, referring to Stiles’ impressive legacy and the short-lived history of the Portland Fire, which folded in 2002 after just two seasons due to financial struggles.

The new WNBA team in Portland, set to debut in 2026, will be owned by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal of RAJ Capital. The team will play its home games at the Moda Center, where the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers also play.

Thompson isn’t the only one excited about the team. Jackie Stiles, who was drafted by the Portland Fire as the fourth overall pick in 2000, also shared her enthusiasm. "I’m thrilled about the news of Portland getting a WNBA expansion team," Stiles said in an email to Bill Oram of The Oregonian, as reported by Geoffrey C. Arnold. Stiles, who made an immediate impact by scoring 14.9 points per game in her debut season, was named to the WNBA All-Star team and won Rookie of the Year honors.

The return of a WNBA team to Portland has brought back fond memories of the Portland Fire, which had a passionate fanbase during its brief existence. For Thompson, having spent his early years in Portland, Stiles’ connection to the city clearly resonated, despite her career being shortened by injuries.

The Portland team, along with a newly announced WNBA team in Toronto, is expected to begin play in 2026. The Golden State Valkyries, based in San Francisco, will start their season earlier, joining the league in 2024. By 2028, the WNBA plans to expand to 16 teams, up from the current 12.