Professional women’s basketball will return to the Rose City for the first time in more than two decades after the WNBA announced Wednesday that it has awarded Portland an expansion team that will begin play in 2026.

The return of a WNBA team to Portland has sparked memories of the Fire, which gained a dedicated fan base in its short two-year run. Stiles, whose career was cut short by injuries, became a household name in Portland, and her connection to the city clearly resonated with Thompson, who spent his formative years in the Portland area.