The WNBA's Portland Fire and NWSL's Portland Thorns will now train in a first of its kind joint practice facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center homes a 63,000-square-foot training facility that has world-class resources for the Portland women's sports teams. "When we acquired the Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise, our family committed to investing into the Thorns, the WNBA franchise, and the Portland metro region," said Lisa Bhathal Merage, the owner of the Fire and Thorns.
"Building an innovative training facility that provides the best possible environment for our athletes across professional soccer and professional basketball will be a game changer for women’s sports. Our goal is to create the most inclusive and welcoming environment for our athletes, staff, supporters, fans, partners and community as we strive to be an elite organization on the field, on the court, and in the community." For the Fire, the new facility includes a 17,000-square-foot practice gym that features two full size basketball courts. And for the Thorns, two full-sized soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone will be available at the facility.
Together, both teams will be able to utilize the dining room with a full-time chef and nutritionist, participate in the training core program and work out in the strength training facility. There are also dedicated rooms for the players' families, team meetings and making social media content. The Fire and Thorns officially unveiled the new facility on Saturday.
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