As women’s sports continue to gain fans and funding, an increasing number of purpose-built facilities have opened across the country, including CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Now, the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and WNBA’s Portland Fire have cut the ribbon on a joint training and performance center, a first-of-its-kind facility for professional women’s sports.
The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center is a dual facility for professional soccer and basketball players in Portland. It contains spaces for athletic training, sports science, strength and conditioning, and relaxation.
There are also two full-sized soccer pitches, an outdoor training zone, two full-sized basketball courts, a 5,000-square-foot weight room, a dining room and kitchen, family spaces, locker rooms and team meeting spaces.
“This groundbreaking facility sets a new standard for how we invest in, support and care for women athletes. We’re excited to bring the same clinical expertise and integrated care our members count on every day to the Thorns and Fire,” said Wendy Watson, president of Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of a partnership that is helping shape the future of women’s sports. The impact extends far beyond the field and court - from the beginning, it’s been about inspiring healthier communities, creating opportunities for women and girls, and making a lasting difference across our region.”
The Kaiser Permanente Performance Center ribbon-cutting was held as a part of the second annual RAJ Sports Epicenter of Women’s Sports celebration, an event that brings industry professionals to Portland’s women’s sports scene for community events and games.
“Our vision for the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center was always centered on our athletes and creating the best possible environment for them to perform and thrive,” said RAJ Sports co-owner and Portland Fire and Portland Thorns governor Lisa Bhathal Merage. “This facility reflects our long-term investment in our players, their performance, recovery and overall wellbeing, and represents the kind of infrastructure we believe will help define the next era of women’s sports.”
