HILLSBORO, Ore. — A new training facility designed to serve both the Portland Thorns F.C. of the National Women’s Soccer League (N.W.S.L.) and the Portland Fire, the city’s W.N.B.A. expansion franchise, officially opened last Sunday. The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center, a 100,000-square-foot complex located in Hillsboro, Oregon, cost over $150 million and is tailored specifically to meet the needs of professional female athletes in two distinct sports.
Owned by Raj Sports, an investment firm led by the Bhathal family that controls both teams, the facility includes two full-size basketball courts for the Fire and two soccer fields—one grass and one turf—for the Thorns, three-time N.W.S.L. champions. While many amenities are duplicated, such as separate locker rooms, lounges, and meeting spaces, common areas including a 5,000-square-foot treatment room and cafeteria are shared to foster interaction and collaboration between the basketball and soccer players.
Karina LeBlanc, former Thorns general manager and current executive vice president of strategic growth and development at Raj Sports, emphasized the importance of these shared spaces for building community and support among athletes. "It’s for an athlete who’s struggling, who is being seen by somebody who cares about them," she said, highlighting the center’s role beyond physical training.
The facility’s design reflects extensive input from players, with attention to details such as handheld shower heads to accommodate various hair care routines and private massage and meditation rooms to support wellness. The interior contrasts with the facility’s matte-black exterior—which was once a Nike office complex—featuring neutral tones, forest-inspired patterns, and soft lighting that aim to balance strength with comfort. Clare Hamill, president of the Fire, described this design philosophy as “strong on the outside, but on the inside, it’s a little softer.”
The training center also advances medical care, with orthopedic surgeon Jacqueline Brady serving as team physician for both teams. Brady’s office is within the treatment area, facilitating close coordination with training staff. She praised the building’s flexible spaces—including a retractable wall allowing the training room to expand or divide based on needs—and highlighted equipment like the Alter G treadmill, which aids athletes in injury recovery by reducing weight impact during running.
Though the W.N.B.A. has mandated minimum facility standards effective in 2028, the Fire’s new center already exceeds these benchmarks. It follows recent trends set by other W.N.B.A. teams such as the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, and Golden State, which have all developed dedicated training facilities in recent years. On the soccer side, the Thorns join the Kansas City Current in pushing forward with world-class infrastructure for women’s professional sports.
Portland’s dual-sport facility is positioned not only as a high-performance hub but also as a recruiting asset, offering amenities such as recovery pools, advanced equipment, and family-friendly spaces including baby-changing tables. Fire forward Bridget Carleton, the team’s first signing, highlighted the center’s unique atmosphere, saying, “You walk in, and you could tell it’s built for women and built by women. It’s really an incredible feel.”
The arrangement also fosters cross-sport collaboration. Thorns manager Robert Vlahamn expressed enthusiasm about exchanging coaching ideas with Fire head coach Alex Sarama. Hamill summarized the facility’s significance as bringing “two incredible women’s brands under one ownership group in a city that is crazy about women’s sports,” setting a potential blueprint for future professional sports training centers.