The NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire have a luxe new training facility
Hillsboro, Oregon (AP) — The WNBA's Portland Fire and the NWSL's Portland Thorns have a new joint training facility tailored specifically for their respective sports. The $150 million Kaiser Permanente Performance Center is the first purpose-built facility for two professional women's teams competing in different sports. Located on a 12-acre campus, the 17,000-square-foot gymnasium houses basketball courts, a weight room, locker rooms for both teams, and conference rooms.
Unique features include nursing and changing rooms for pregnant players, a nursery stocked with toys and stuffed animals, and a meditation, massage, Pilates, and yoga studio. The center's owner Lisa Bhathal Merage emphasized the spa-like atmosphere, with the intention of creating a relaxing space for the players. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Thorns players Sophia Wilson and Morgan Weaver helped select finishes and furniture, such as a nursing chair.
The Fire and Thorns are owned by Raj Sports, led by Bhathal Merage and her brother Alex Bhathal, who repurposed a former Nike office complex for the facility. The opening marked the Epicenter of Women's Sports, presented by Raj Sports and Nike, and featured speakers such as former U.S. national team player Tobin Heath and South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley.
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