Klay Thompson's hyped reaction to Portland adding WNBA team

Dallas Mavericks' Klay Thompson shared his excitement on social media Thursday following the news of a WNBA expansion team coming to Portland . Thompson, who spent much of his childhood in Oregon, expressed his enthusiasm by reposting an announcement from Portland Thorns FC on his Instagram story. The announcement by the NWSL team welcomed the WNBA back to Portland.

Thompson's post included a reference to former Portland Fire player Jackie Stiles, praising her as a standout figure during her time in the league.

"This is so cool, Jackie Stiles was really HER back in the day. ABSOLUTELY CLIP!," Thompson wrote on his Instagram story, referring to the brief history of the Portland Fire, which folded in 2002 after two years due to financial issues.

The new Portland team, set to debut in 2026, will be owned by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal of RAJ Capital. The franchise will play its games at the Moda Center, home to the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.

The excitement surrounding the new team extends beyond Thompson. Jackie Stiles, who was drafted fourth overall by the Portland Fire in 2000 after her recording-breaking at Southwest Missouri State, expressed her excitement a bout the WNBA's return to Portland.

"I'm thrilled about the news of Portland getting a WNBA expansion team," Stiles said in an e-mail to Bill Oram of The Oregonian, via Geoffrey C. Arnold. "It's fantastic to see women's basketball thriving."

In her rookie season, Stiles' recorded 14.9 points, Stiles earned a spot on the WNBA All-Star team and was honored as the league's Rookie of the Year.

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.