PORTLAND, OR -- Political and business leaders continue to push the WNBA to bring an expansion team to Oregon. A group of more than 140 businesses has sent a letter to the WNBA Commissioner in support of bringing an expansion team to Oregon. "The letter is basically saying ‘get in here; hurry up. What are you waiting for?’" Andrew Hoan, President of the Portland Business Alliance, says a new professional sports team would benefit the state’s economy on several levels, "The activity of the events, the investment in our community, the opportunity for the hospitality community is just incredible." He believes the letter shows the league a unified front, "Everyone is aligned. There is no disagreement that this is the best place for a WNBA franchise, because we support the WNBA, because our business community is excited, because this is a place to do business that welcomes this level of investment."

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden says there’s really just one message for the WNBA: "Rip City is poised to be a WNBA city." The Oregon Democrat says he’s supported the idea from the start, and wants to see more opportunities for female athletes around the state, "Young girls and women are hooping in Hermiston, playing in Portland, rebounding in Roseburg and what they’re doing is they’re rooting for a WNBA team to come to their home state."

Hoan says Oregon is now known as “the state of sport” and is ready for the WNBA to return, "NCAA is coming here, we’ve got Formula E happening this next month, we just hosted the world track and field games; Oregon is becoming a destination for sports activity. And then that is a compliment to the existing brands, such as Nike and Adidas and Keen, all those household names that also happen to be headquartered here."

Portland’s last WNBA team folded about 20 years ago … supporters say attendance was high, but it was a very different economic time. Since then, women’s sports have become much more commercially viable, they say, with Oregon leading the way.

The league has said Oregon is among a short list of locations for a new franchise. If Portland gets a team, they would play at the Moda Center during the summer, when the Trailblazers are off. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said any new teams wouldn’t start until at least 2025.