{
  "id": 2450361,
  "title": "The NWSL's Portland Thorns and the WNBA's Portland Fire have a luxe new training facility",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/the-nwsls-portland-thorns-and-the-wnbas-portland-fire-have-a-luxe-new",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-21T23:23:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nwsls-portland-thorns-wnbas-portland-232301223.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\n\nWhat 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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "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.",
  "key_points": [
    "$150 million training facility shared by Portland Thorns and Portland Fire",
    "Features nursing rooms, nursery, meditation room, Pilates studio, underwater treadmill",
    "Designed as a spa-like facility for player wellness and as a model for future sports facilities"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "The NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire have a luxe new training facility",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/the-nwsls-portland-thorns-and-the-wnbas-portland-fire-have-a-luxe-new-2455570",
        "published": "2026-08-21T23:24:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}