The NWSL's Portland Thorns and the WNBA's Portland Fire have a luxe new training facility
Near the foyer of the new joint training facility for the WNBA's Portland Fire and the NWSL's Portland Thorns is an expansive set of lighted shelves enclosed by glass. It's the trophy case, “soon to be filled,” said Lisa Bhathal Merage, who owns both teams with her brother Alex Bhathal.
Hillsboro, Oregon is home to a brand new $150 million training facility shared by the WNBA's Portland Fire and the NWSL's Portland Thorns. The 12-acre campus, officially opened on Saturday, boasts two full-sized soccer fields, a 17,000-square-foot gym with basketball courts, a weight room, locker rooms, and conference spaces.
What sets this facility apart are its unique amenities designed with the players in mind. There are nursing and changing rooms for parent players, a nursery stocked with toys and stuffed animals, a meditation room with a forest-themed ceiling, a Pilates and yoga studio, and even an underwater treadmill for recovery. The building, formerly a Nike office complex, was repurposed to create a spa-like atmosphere for the athletes.
The idea was to develop a high-end training facility that would not only serve the needs of the Thorns and Fire teams but also be a model for future professional sports facilities. Lisa Bhathal Merage, the owner of both teams, emphasized that the facility was designed to provide a 'spa-like' ambiance for the players. The facility's opening was part of "Epicenter Week," a celebration featuring a Women's Global Sport Summit, where athletes such as U.S. national team player Sophia Wilson and former players like Tobin Heath shared insights.
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