Nike & RAJ Sports Join Forces to Accelerate Women's Sports

Nike and RAJ Sports have announced a new partnership to advance the next era of women’s sports, focusing on athlete performance, innovation, and community development. The announcement came during the second annual Epicenter: Women’s Global Sports Summit, held on 20 August 2026 at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon.

Key Highlights:

• Nike and RAJ Sports partner to advance women’s sports in Portland
• The partnership will support a women-specific high-performance training facility
• Epicenter Week brings athletes, investors and sports leaders together to drive growth

The invitation-only summit brought together athletes, investors, senior executives and decision-makers from across the global women’s sports ecosystem. The event formed the centrepiece of Epicenter Week, a five-day initiative running from 19 to 23 August to strengthen Portland’s position as a global hub for women’s sports.

RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, owns the Portland Thorns of the NWSL and the Portland Fire of the WNBA. Through the new alliance, Nike will use its expertise in sports innovation, performance, and product development to enhance training environments for athletes associated with both teams.

A major focus will be the development of a women-specific high-performance training facility designed around the requirements of women athletes. The facility will support training, recovery and preparation, reflecting a broader shift towards more tailored and holistic approaches to athlete development.

The partnership also extends beyond professional sport. Nike and RAJ Sports plan to introduce youth clinics, camps, mentorship programmes and product support to improve access to sport for girls and young people in Portland. The initiatives aim to reduce barriers to participation while encouraging more girls to view sport as an opportunity for development and leadership.

Ann Miller, Nike’s executive vice-president of Global Sports Marketing, said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to supporting athletes, teams and communities while raising standards across the industry.

Lisa Bhathal Merage, Governor of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire and Managing Partner of RAJ Sports, described Nike’s involvement as a sign of Portland’s growing influence in the women’s sports landscape.

The summit featured prominent figures including Dawn Staley, Olympic champion and South Carolina women’s basketball head coach; NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman; U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson; former Portland Thorns player Tobin Heath; and Portland Fire forward Bridget Carleton.

Portland’s wider ambitions are reinforced by the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center, a privately financed dual-sport facility serving the Thorns and Fire. The centre opened during Epicenter Week and is designed to support both teams under one performance infrastructure.

With Nike’s partnership, investment in specialist facilities and expanded youth programmes, Portland is seeking to establish itself as a leading centre for the continued growth and professionalisation of women’s sports.