WNBA Expansion: 14th and 15th Teams Reveal Rosters

The WNBA’s 14th and 15th franchises, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, established their initial rosters on April 3, 2026, through a double expansion draft. The event, which took place on ESPN, followed a period of delay caused by extended labor negotiations between the league and the players union regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

The Portland Fire held the first overall selection in the expansion draft, using the pick to select forward Bridget Carleton from the Minnesota Lynx. Carleton is coming off a season in which she started 44 games for the league-best Lynx, recording a field goal percentage above 40 percent and a 3-point percentage of 37.3 percent.

The Toronto Tempo followed with the second overall pick, selecting guard Julie Allemand from the Los Angeles Sparks. The selection marks a significant step for Canada’s first WNBA team as it builds its foundation for the 2026 season.

Expansion Draft Structure and Rules

The expansion draft consisted of two rounds with a total of 24 picks, allowing each new franchise to select 12 players. The draft utilized a snake format to determine the order between rounds, while picks within each round alternated between the two teams.

The Portland Fire owned picks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. The Toronto Tempo held picks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23.

To protect their existing rosters, the 13 established WNBA teams were required to submit lists of up to five protected players by the Sunday preceding the draft. These lists were not made public, and any player on a protected list was ineligible for selection.

The league imposed specific limits on how many players could be taken from a single existing franchise. Expansion teams were permitted to select a maximum of two players from any one of the 13 existing teams, with a limit of one player per round. However, a single expansion team was not limited to taking only one player from a specific existing team; for instance, one team could potentially select two players from the same franchise across two rounds, effectively blocking the other expansion team from selecting from that roster.

Regarding free agency, the draft allowed expansion teams to acquire the rights to free agents. However, each new franchise was restricted to selecting only one unrestricted free agent during the process.

Chicago Sky Strategic Trades

The Chicago Sky entered the expansion draft after completing separate trades with both Portland and Toronto to ensure none of their unprotected players were selected.

To secure an agreement from the Portland Fire, the Chicago Sky traded the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. In exchange, the Sky received the No. 21 pick and a guarantee that the Fire would not select any Chicago players.

The Sky reached a similar arrangement with the Toronto Tempo, sending the No. 26 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to Toronto in exchange for an agreement that the Tempo would not select any unprotected Sky players.

Draft Order Determination

The draft order for the expansion process was determined by a coin toss. The Toronto Tempo won the toss and opted to take the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. This decision resulted in the Portland Fire receiving the first overall selection in the expansion draft.

The additions of Carleton and Allemand provide the two new franchises with immediate veteran presence. For the Portland Fire, Carleton will be a primary building block for head coach Alex Sarama as the team brings WNBA basketball back to Portland for the first time since 2002.