PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Portland Fire, Portland’s newest professional sports franchise, will soon bring a whole new season of excitement to the Moda Center and its surrounding businesses.
With the WNBA season taking place in the summer, restaurants, bars, and other businesses near the Moda Center are expecting busier days in the near future.
“For us, you know, the summer out of all the other bars in Portland, we kind of get a little bit slower. So, for us, we’re really looking forward to it,” said Cynthia Preciado, General Manager of Garden Tavern PDX.
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The Moda Center currently attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors annually and generates $600 million in annual economic activity for the city. The arena hosts about 280 events each year.
Jim Etzel, Ceo of non-profit Sport Oregon, said that adding 22-24 WNBA home games will surely boost those numbers.
“The facility now is hosting basketball year-round. That’s more jobs in the arena. That’s that many more nights that the lights are on,” said Etzel.
Etzel said the athletes and front office personnel coming into the community will benefit the area both directly and indirectly through wages, salaries, residences, and income taxes.
“Those are all positives to grow our community,” said Etzel. “This is just another example of, you know, how we’re improving our community and quality of life and livability, and also how these sports entities see and value Portland and Oregon as an opportunity.”
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The WNBA is surging in popularity at a time when Portland is becoming an epicenter for women’s sports. The league received record-breaking viewership and attendance numbers in the 2024 season, and the 2025 opening weekend saw an average of 8,487 fans per game, a 36.7% increase compared to the previous year.
Oregon college and pro women’s sports teams have had serious success over the last decade. The Portland Thorns have won multiple NWSL titles and set attendance records since their inception in 2013. The University of Oregon and Oregon State University women’s sports teams have won titles over the last decade as well.
“From not just collegiate and professional, but even high school, you know, the amount of people following high school women’s sports is just amazing, the growth,” said Etzel.
Portland is not the only city that stands to benefit from the new franchise.
In May, the City of Hillsboro broke ground on the first joint training facility for women’s pro sports teams in the US. The facility will include two full-sized basketball courts and soccer fields, along with state-of-the-art training and recovery equipment for players and team staff.
Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace said that the new facility is creating jobs and will generate even more in the years to come.
“I think it’s gonna have a very positive economic impact,” said Hillsboro Mayor Beach Page. “We’re honored to be honest with you, and we’re really excited about what it will bring.”
Page said her hope is that players and front office personnel decide to buy homes around the facility and support the nearby businesses. She said she also hopes that this provides new job opportunities for both young and old.
“I also see an opportunity for our students in Hillsborough where they’ll possibly have a chance to intern at the facility, for example, a physical therapy intern or sports training intern, things like that,” said Page.
Page said she could not provide an estimate on how much revenue the new facility will generate for the city.
“I do know it’s making a difference to people in Hillsborough and folks in the region with the jobs that we mentioned, construction jobs and physical therapy jobs, etc,” said Page.