The “I-5 Rivalry” Is Back After WNBA’s 2026 Portland Expansion

The Portland-Seattle rivalry goes beyond basketball. 

It’s about coffee. Music. Food trucks. Soccer!

And yes, once upon a time, it was also fiercely about basketball. 

On Wednesday, Portland and Seattle took a giant step toward feeling whole again when the WNBA announced it would return to the City of Roses in 2026. 

With that reveal comes about a million positive thoughts. But for starters, we can’t ignore the history.

It was back in 2002 when the Portland Fire folded after just three seasons—becoming the only franchise never to make the playoffs. 

The team’s exit made sense, but so much time has passed—22 years for those counting—and Portland

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