Joint Portland WNBA-NWSL training center set to open in August

Audio By Carbonatix

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the joint training facility shared by the WNBA's Portland Fire and the NWSL's Portland Thorns is set for Aug. 22.

It is the nation's first performance center shared by pair of professional women’s teams in different sports. The $150 million campus sits on a repurposed facility formally owned by Nike on 12 acres west of Portland.

Both the Fire and the Thorns are owned and operated by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. The opening of the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center will be part of a celebration of women's sports dubbed Epicenter Week, presented by Raj Sports and Nike, to run Aug. 19-23.

Included in the program will be the second Women's Global Sport Summit held at Nike's Beaverton headquarters on Aug. 20. Last year's summit included panels with South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and New York City Marathon winner Shalane Flanagan, and other executives and leaders in women's sports.

“As women’s sports continues its global rise, there is an increasing need for collaboration, shared learning, and aligned leadership across the industry," said Karina LeBlanc, executive vice president of strategic growth for RAJ Sports. "Epicenter Week builds on Portland’s longstanding foundation by bringing together global leaders across sport, business, media, and culture to explore how women’s sports can continue to grow with greater collaboration, innovation, and long-term impact.”

The Thorns currently train and play their matches at downtown Portland’s Providence Park. The expansion Fire currently practice at Portland State University.

Amenities of the new performance center include locker rooms and lounges for both teams, two soccer fields and an additional outdoor training area, a gym that will include two basketball courts, strength training, conditioning and rehab areas, film theaters, a dining room and team offices.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball