The WNBA’s Portland expansion franchise is still without an official name, and now it is also reportedly without a team president. Inky Son was fired on Thursday in a stunning shake-up with less than a year to go until the team’s inaugural season in 2026, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian.
RAJ Sports, which owns and operates the franchise, and is led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, declined to comment when reached by The Oregonian.
Son, the organization’s first employee, was hired in April after serving as the chief administrative officer for the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
“Today marks a significant milestone for the Portland WNBA franchise,” RAJ Sports managing director Mike Whitehead said in a statement at the time of Son’s hire. “As the very first employee of the organization, Inky will lay the groundwork for our future growth, and we are confident her leadership will drive the franchise to new heights, creating a lasting impact both in Portland and across the WNBA.”
Son lasted less than three months in the role.
It’s unclear exactly what led to Son’s departure, but the organization is well behind schedule with its official rollout, and the last few months have been “rocky” and featured “significant growing pains,” per Oram. Notably, there is still no brand identity and the club does not have a general manager despite being officially announced as an expansion franchise in September of 2024.
Earlier this month, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report noted that the WNBA has filed three new trademark applications regarding the “Portland Fire.” One day after Highkin’s report, a cryptic message posted to the Portland franchise’s social media account hinted at an announcement to come on July 15.
WNBA awards Portland new expansion franchise: League’s 15th team will begin play in 2026
Jack Maloney
All signs point to the expansion team assuming the name of the previous Portland WNBA franchise, which was in operation from 2000-02 before folding.
Per Oram, there has a been a “lack of connection between ownership and the city of Portland as well as women’s basketball.” That is at least in part because the Bhathals are based in Southern California, while Whitehead is based in Sacramento. The Bhathals also own the Portland Thorns, an NWSL franchise, and Whitehead runs operations for both the Thorns and the WNBA expansion team from afar.
Despite some of the chaos behind the scenes in Portland, there has been some good news. On Thursday, hours before Son was reportedly fired, the franchise announced that it has received 10,000 season ticket deposits.
Those fans will be expecting a good product on the court, especially after the success of the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA’s 13th franchise. Golden State began play this season and is on track to make the playoffs in its first season. In order for the Portland franchise to have a chance to follow suit, it will need to get its act together quickly.
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