The Portland Thorns celebrate their 2017 NWSL championship with fans at Providence Park Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. Bryan M. Vance / OPB Listen to audio from OPB journalists Portland is the global epicenter of women’s sports. At least, that’s what some people have been saying lately. The phrase pops up in media coverage of our new WNBA team, the Fire, and our beloved women’s soccer team, the Thorns. And those are not our only professional women’s sports teams.