The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo have players now. After months of roster speculation, protected list projections, and coin toss outcomes, the 2026 WNBA expansion draft aired Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and both franchises walked away with the foundation of their inaugural rosters.
The draft ran two rounds with up to 12 picks per round, six for each team, and followed a snake format that flipped the selection order between rounds. Portland held the first overall pick after Toronto won the coin toss and chose instead to take the sixth overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. That decision handed the Fire a significant opening advantage in the expansion process.
How the draft was structured
All 13 existing WNBA teams submitted protected lists of up to five players each before the draft. Those lists were not made public, meaning neither team nor outside observers knew exactly which players were available until selections were announced. Each expansion franchise could select one player per existing team per round, but both teams from the same existing franchise could be taken in different rounds by the same expansion club, effectively blocking the other new team from that pool entirely.
One notable restriction shaped early strategy for both rosters. Each expansion team could select only one unrestricted free agent, a rule that forced both front offices to commit early and close off the remaining free agent pool from the other franchise. Players with unrestricted free agent status whose rights were claimed would give the selecting team the ability to offer a supermax contract extension, which represents a financial advantage over any other bidder in free agency.
A side agreement also shaped the final picks of both rounds. The Chicago Sky reached separate deals with Portland and Toronto earlier in the week, exchanging draft picks for guarantees that neither expansion team would select any Sky players. As a result, both franchises passed with their final second-round selections.
Portland Fire roster
Portland used the first overall pick on Jordin Canada, a guard from the Atlanta Dream who previously played in the Pacific Northwest and brings a reputation as one of the better backcourt defenders in the league when healthy. The selection also used the Fire’s unrestricted free agent slot, removing Canada and all remaining unrestricted free agents from Toronto’s available pool in the same move.
The Fire rounded out the first round by adding forward Nyara Sabally from the New York Liberty, wing Rae Burrell from the Los Angeles Sparks, guard JJ Quinerly from the Dallas Wings, forward Makayla Timpson from the Indiana Fever, and wing Mamignan Touré from the Connecticut Sun.
In the second round, Portland selected forward Maria Kliundikova from the Minnesota Lynx, wing Maria Conde from the Golden State Valkyries, guard Julie Allemand from the Los Angeles Sparks, and guard Sug Sutton from the Washington Mystics before passing on their final pick.
The backcourt construction stands out as a strength. Canada, Allemand, Sutton, and Quinerly give the Fire a mix of experience and playmaking ability with a defensive orientation. The frontcourt built around Sabally, Kliundikova, and Timpson carries significant upside, particularly on the defensive end, with Sabally coming in as a former top-five overall pick.
Toronto Tempo roster
Toronto opened with Bridget Carleton from the Minnesota Lynx, a pick that carries meaning beyond basketball strategy. Carleton is from Chatham, Ontario, has represented Canada at the Olympics, and arrives as a natural candidate to become the face of the country’s first WNBA franchise. She is an elite shooter and a versatile defender with playoff experience from Minnesota’s recent runs.
The Tempo completed their first round by selecting wing Carla Leite from the Golden State Valkyries, forward Emily Engstler from the Washington Mystics, forward Kathryn Westbeld from the Phoenix Mercury, wing Kierstan Bell from the Las Vegas Aces, and then passing rather than selecting from a limited Seattle Storm pool.
The second round opened with Toronto’s pick, which they used on New York Liberty guard Marine Johannès. The selection drew immediate attention given Johannès’ reputation as one of the most creative offensive players in the game, a talent who had limited opportunity on a deep Liberty roster and now moves into a primary role. The Tempo added guard Maya Caldwell from the Atlanta Dream, forward Li Yueru from the Dallas Wings, guard Lexie Held from the Phoenix Mercury, and forward Chloe Bibby from the Indiana Fever before passing on their final pick per the Sky agreement.
Toronto’s backcourt presents a genuinely exciting combination. Johannès and Carleton anchor the group, with Leite and Caldwell providing depth and youth. Bell arrives off the best season of her career, having started every playoff game during the Aces‘ 2025 championship run. The frontcourt features size in Yueru, floor spacing from Bibby and Westbeld, and versatility from Engstler.
What comes next
Both rosters will develop further through the 2026 WNBA Draft and free agency, which is shaping up to be the most active in league history with nearly every veteran player hitting the open market. The expansion draft provided a foundation, but the rosters that take the floor for opening night will look different still as both franchises continue building toward their inaugural seasons.
