2026 WNBA Expansion Mock Draft: How will Fire and Tempo build rosters? And who will existing teams protect?

The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will finally acquire some players on Friday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/fubo) when the WNBA conducts the double expansion draft for the two new franchises joining the league this season. 

The Tempo won a coin toss last week and chose the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which means the Fire will have the first pick in the expansion draft. The expansion draft will be two rounds, with up to 12 picks per round -- six for each team. The teams will alternate picks within each round, and there will be a snake format between rounds to reverse the order. 

Here are the picks each team has in the expansion draft:

• Portland Fire: Picks Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 
• Toronto Tempo: Picks Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23

The 13 existing WNBA teams all had to submit a list of protected players, up to five, to the league by Sunday. The players on those lists -- which will not be made public -- will be inelgible for selection in the expansion draft. All unprotected players will be eligible for selection.

Only two players can be selected from each existing team -- one in each round -- but each expansion team is not limited to one player from each existing team. For example, the Fire could select a New York Liberty player in the first round and another Liberty player in the second round, thereby blocking the Tempo from selecting a Liberty player. 

If a player is a free agent, the team that selects them will acquire their respective rights. Notably, each expansion team can only select one player who will be an unrestricted free agent. 

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the process and all of the rules for the expansion draft:

2026 WNBA expansion draft: Date, rules and everything to know as Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo pick rosters

Jack Maloney

Ahead of Friday, we're going to attempt an entire mock expansion draft process, from creating protected lists for all 13 teams, then using those projections to conduct a mock draft for the Fire and Tempo.

WNBA Expansion Mock Draft results

We do not know exactly which players are on the protected lists, but we're taking our best guesses. A detailed explanation of each team's protection process is further down the page, and we're going to use those unofficial lists to inform our mock draft. As a reminder, the Fire have the first pick in the first round, only one player from each existing team can be selected per round and each expansion team can only select one unrestricted free agent. 

Additionally, the Chicago Sky agreed to deals with both expansion clubs on Tuesday night.

• The Sky sent the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Fire in exchange for the No. 21 overall pick, and the Fire agreeing to not select anyone from the Sky's unprotected list in the expansion draft. 
• They sent the No. 26 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft (via the Liberty), to the Tempo in exchange for the Tempo agreeing to not select anyone from the Sky's unprotected list in the expansion draft. 

As a result, no one from Chicago was included in this exercise and both teams passed with their final pick of the second round. 

Without further ado, here are the results of the mock expansion draft:

WNBA Expansion Mock Draft First Round

With the first overall pick, the Fire selected Jordin Canada from the Atlanta Dream. She's not core eligible, so there is some risk here, but she's previously played in the Pacific Northwest and they can give her the supermax and make her their starting point guard. Injuries have been an issue for Canada in recent years, but when she's healthy, she's one of the best backcourt defenders in the league and a very solid playmaker. 

The Tempo took Bridget Carleton from the Minnesota Lynx with their selection. Hailing from Chatham, Ontario, Carleton has represented Canada at the Olympics and would be a perfect player to make the face of the country's first WNBA franchise. She's a versatile wing who can really shoot the ball, defends multiple positions and has extensive playoff experience from her time in Minnesota. 

With those opening selections, the Fire and Tempo both used their unrestricted free agent slot, which meant every other remaining UFA was off the board. 

To round out the first round, the Fire added Nyara Sabally, Rae Burrell, JJ Quinerly, Makayla Timpson and Mamignan Touré, while the Tempo acquired Carla Leite, Emily Engstler, Kathryn Westbeld and Kierstan Bell. The Tempo also passed with their final pick rather than take anyone from the Storm, the only team they were able to choose from at that point. 

Only being able to select one player per existing team per round certainly made things challenging after the first few picks. Some existing teams just don't have many eligible options. 

WNBA Expansion Mock Draft Second Round

The draft snaked in the second round, giving the Tempo the first selection, which they used on New York Liberty guard Marine Johannès. One of the most exciting players in the game, Johannès was often buried on a deep Liberty team, but would have a chance to shine in Toronto as one of their primary offensive players. 

The Fire selected Minnesota Lynx center Maria Kliundikova with their first pick of the second round. The Russian made her return to the WNBA last season after six years away. She didn't play much on a very deep Lynx team, but had a few nice moments in the playoffs and showed that she's more than capable of taking on a bigger role. 

Rounding out the second round, the Tempo picked Maya Caldwell, Li Yueru, Lexie Held and Chloe Bibby. The Fire added Maria Conde, Julie Allemand and Sug Sutton. They passed with their penultimate pick. There were no other eligible players from the Aces on the board, and no one on the Sun or Storm, the only teams they could choose from, were enticing. Both teams passed with their last picks due to the Sky trades. 

Portland Fire Roster

Canada, Allemand, Sutton and Quinerly give the Fire a nice mix of experience and youth in the backcourt. This group is more defensive-minded, but not completely so, and features a number of playmakers. 

The wing department may be lacking WNBA experience, but Touré and Conde have both put their time in overseas and Burrell made her senior national team debut with Team USA this spring. It would be fun if the Fire can convince Conde to come over to the States. 

Portland's frontcourt would be extremely intriguing with Sabally, a former top-five pick, Kliundikova and Timpson. There's a lot of talent there, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. 

Tempo

The Tempo's backcourt is really fun group. Johannès has never gotten the chance to run the show in the W, but she's one of the most creative offensive players in the world. Leite, meanwhile, has a ton of potential and Caldwell showed last season when the Dream dealt with injuries that she can produce at a high level when given the opportunity. 

Caldwell could also fill in on the wing, which is helpful given the Tempo's lack of depth there. Carleton is one of the best shooters in the league and a versatile defender, while Bell is coming off the best season of her career, in which she started every playoff game during the Aces' title run. 

The Tempo's frontcourt is an interesting group. Yueru is one of the biggest players in the league, Bibby and Westbeld can stretch the floor and Engstler is a unique and versatile player. 

Protected player lists

Below are the protected player lists we operated off of to do the mock draft. Again, these are not official and the lists themselves will not be made public. But here's how we think each team could be approaching the Expansion Draft.

Atlanta Dream

Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard are the foundation of the Dream's present and future, and were obvious selections to protect. Naz Hillmon, who won Sixth Player of the Year last season, grew into a key part of their rotation under Karl Smesko and also needed to be protected. Te-Hina Paopao had a very promising rookie season and was their best 3-point shooter percentage wise. Plus, she's on a rookie contract, and productive rookies ease a significant burden on the cap sheet. 

The fifth and final slot went to Isobel Borlase, the Dream's second-round pick in the 2024 draft. She hasn't played in the WNBA yet, but is coming off an MVP season in the WNBL in her native Australia and is only 21 years old. Borlase, a big, versatile guard, is the youngest player to win MVP in the WNBL since Liz Cambage, and it makes sense to keep someone with her potential in the organization. 

So, what about Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada and Brittney Griner? They are all unrestricted free agents and no longer eligible to be cored. The Tempo or Fire could select them, but would not be able to core them and gain exclusive negotiating rights. Thus, their only advantage over the Dream in free agency would be to offer slightly more money via a supermax contract versus a regular max. Plus, the Tempo and Fire can only select one unrestricted free agent each. 

If a slight pay raise would be enough to sway Jones, in particular, then it makes sense to protect her over Borlase. This is one of many situations where it's obviously difficult to make these projections. 

Chicago Sky

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will obviously be protected. No need to go in depth there. Ajša Sivka was the No. 10 overall pick in last year's draft, so you assume she will be protected as well. She didn't play in the WNBA last season, but is a 20-year-old big win who can really shoot the ball. In theory, she should be a great fit around Reese and Cardoso. 

Another spot should go to Atkins. Would the Fire or Tempo actually select Atkins and core her? Maybe not, but the Sky can't take that chance after giving up the No. 3 pick in last years draft (Sonia Citron), a 2027 first-round pick swap and a 2027 second-round pick. Atkins wasn't at her best last season, but she's still a very solid player, and the Sky are short on talent. 

The final spot went to Maddy Westbeld, a second-round pick last year who showed some promise as a floor spacing wing/small-ball big. 

Other options for the last spot are Hailey Van Lith and Courtney Vandersloot. Van Lith really struggled in her rookie season, but the organization may not want to give up on her after taking her in the first round. Vandersloot is a franchise legend, but she's coming off a torn ACL and it's hard to imagine the Fire or Tempo using their lone unrestricted free agent selection on her and giving her the core designation. 

Note: Late on Wednesday, the Sky conducted trades with both the Fire and Tempo to ensure that neither team selects any of their unprotected players. 

Connecticut Sun

The Sun may have been the easiest team to project. Leïla Lacan, Saniya Rivers, Aneesah Morrow and Aaliyah Edwards are all under contract on rookie deals and are part of their young core. Have to protect them. Olivia Nelson-Ododa is a bit older than that group, but she's still only 25 and is a restricted free agent, which would make her a prime target for the expansion clubs. 

Marina Mabrey is the only player that has an argument to be on the protected list, but she's coming off a really tough season and has always been best suited as a bench/tertiary scorer on a playoff team -- something the Sun aren't going to be any time soon. 

Dallas Wings

Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, is an obvious choice, and perhaps the only lock to be protected for the Wings, who have a number of tough decisions to make ahead of the 2026 WNBA Draft, when they'll once again have the No. 1 overall selection. 

Maddy Siegrist has dealt with a lot of injuries in the last few seasons, but she's grown into a productive player and is still on her rookie deal, so it makes sense to protect her. Another spot should go to Luisa Geiselsöder, who had a solid rookie season as a versatile big. And, former No. 2 overall pick Awak Kuier, should also be protected. Kuier hasn't played in the WNBA since 2022, but she's made strides overseas and gives the Wings another young frontcourt option. 

Without a doubt, the biggest question for the Wings is whether or not to protect Arike Ogunbowale. The four-time All-Star is coming off the worst season of her career, by far, and does not appear to be in the organization's long-term plans. However, she is core eligible and still retains some value as a trade asset. As rough as last season was, it doesn't make sense for the Wings to let her walk for nothing -- especially when none of the other options for the protected list are super inspiring. 

This is another situation, though, where it's tricky to make a call without internal knowledge about the organization's thoughts on their rookie class from last season and Ogunbowale's trade value. If the Wings aren't confident they can get much for Ogunbowale in a sign-and-trade deal, or super confident that one of Aziaha James or JJ Quinerly is a core piece moving forward, then you could protect one of them instead of Ogunbowale. 

The unfortunate truth for the Wings is that they're going to lose multiple players no matter what they do. 

Golden State Valkyries

The Valkyries are going to protect Veronica Burton, who won Most Improved Player and made the All-Defensive Second Team last season. It feels safe to assume that they will also protect last year's No. 5 overall pick, 20-year-old Lithuanian guard Justė Jocytė. The other seemingly obvious choice is Janelle Salaün, who surprised everyone by making the All-Rookie Team last season and has been awesome overseas this winter. 

Beyond that, it would appear there are three players for two spots: Iliana Rupert, Cecilia Zandalasini and Carla Leite. 

Rupert has not been super committed to the WNBA in her career, but she's still only 24 and stretch bigs are super valuable, especially in Natalie Nakase's 3-point heavy offensive system. For the same reason, it makes sense to protect Zandalasini, who is one of the best shooters in the league and a reliable veteran wing. 

The 21-year-old Leite has plenty of promise, and it would sting to lose her, but she's a smaller guard who does not shoot the ball well. If Burton and Jocytė are going to be the Valkyries' backcourt of the future, it makes sense to prioritize players who can fill other needs ahead of Leite. 

Indiana Fever

The Fever have three absolute locks: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. They'll still have to convince Mitchell to re-sign in free agency, which Clark said is the team's "first priority," but they obviously have to give themselves the chance. 

Lexie Hull isn't on the same tier as the Fever's big three, but she's almost certainly going to be protected, especially since she's a restricted free agent, which would make her a prime target for the expansion clubs. 

There could be some debate about the fifth and final spot, but it should go to Sophie Cunningham. For one, the Fever gave up a first-round pick (turned into Saniya Rivers) to get her, and, despite some injury trouble last season, proved to be a perfect fit alongside the big three. 

Makayla Timpson is another candidate for the fifth spot, but even though she's on a rookie contract, which is important for the Fever given their coming salary cap crunch, she didn't show enough last season to warrant protection over Cunningham. 

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces are one of the few teams that won't have many hard choices to make. The big three of A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray will all be protected. That's self-explanatory. 

NaLyssa Smith, who is a restricted free agent and played a big role for the Aces en route to the 2025 title after arriving from Dallas in a mid-season trade, will almost certainly also be on the list. And the final spot should go to Aaliyah Nye. Though she struggled during her rookie season, she's the Aces' lone young prospect and their only player under contract for 2026. 

Jewell Loyd is not eligible to be cored, so even if the Fire or Tempo select her, the only advantage they'd have over the Aces is the ability to give her slightly more money in free agency. And if Loyd is demanding a supermax, the Aces aren't going to be able to pay her anyway. Thus, there's no reason to protect her. 

Los Angeles Sparks

Kelsey Plum is the Sparks' best player, and Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson are their two most important pieces for the future, so they'll all be protected. 

What about the final two spots? One should definitely go to Dearica Hamby, who has made a big leap late in her career and is core eligible. If the Sparks left her unprotected, there's a very good chance she would be selected and cored by one of the Fire and Tempo. She's too good to risk losing for nothing. 

The final spot is tricky. Azurá Stevens, who finished second in Most Improved Player voting last season, is clearly the fifth-best player on the team. But the Sparks' frontcourt is already crowded and she's struggled to stay healthy throughout her career. Protecting her would mean potentially losing two of 2025 first-round pick Sarah Ashlee Barker, Rae Burrell and veteran guards Julie Allemand and Julie Vanloo. 

Ultimately, Stevens' is just too talented to let walk, so she should get the final spot despite the potential logjam in the frontcourt. Bigs who can shoot like Stevens are much harder to find than wings or backup point guards. 

Minnesota Lynx

Expansion drafts punish the best teams the most, and this rare double expansion draft is going to inflict extra damage on the Lynx, who have built one of the deepest rosters in the league. 

Napheesa Collier isn't going anywhere, and neither is Kayla McBride or Alanna Smith. You could make a case for leaving Courtney Williams off the list, but she's improved too much and is too important to the Lynx's offense to let walk. 

That leaves one remaining spot, for more than half a dozen deserving players:

• Bridget Carleton: An elite shooter and versatile defender on the wing
• DiJonai Carrington: One of the best defenders in the league, and the Lynx traded Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson and a second-round pick for her less than a year ago
• Natisha Hiedeman: One-half of the StudBudz and one of the best reserve guards in the league
• Dorka Juhász: Floor-spacing big who has been lighting it up overseas
• Maria Kliundikova: Excellent defender and rebounder off the bench
• Anastasiia Olairi Kolu: Lynx's youngest prospect, coming off a strong season in Russia
• Jessica Shepard: Versatile veteran big

The Lynx really needed another frontcourt option last season, so Juhász' ability to stretch the floor and provide an interior presence earn her the nod, but it's hard for the Lynx to go wrong here. No matter what they decide, they're going to keep a good player and lose two good players. 

You have to wonder if the Lynx will try to entice one or both expansion teams to not select anyone from their roster. 

New York Liberty

The Liberty are in a similar spot to the Lynx, but do have one key factor in their favor. Breanna Stewart, who is not eligible to be cored, announced Wednesday that she plans to return to the Liberty in free agency. Thus, there's no reason to protect her. Neither the Fire nor Tempo will waste their lone unrestricted free agent pick on someone who won't sign with them. 

Stewart's decision opens up an extra spot for the Liberty, but they'll still have some difficult decisions to make. Let's first get the obvious choices out of the way. Sabrina Ionescu also wants to return to New York, but she's core eligible so the Liberty have to protect her. Jonquel Jones is also not core eligible, so the Liberty might get away with leaving her unprotected, but we haven't heard her publicly announce that she's returning, so we'll leave her protected for now. 

Leonie Fiebich is also a no-brainer, and it makes sense to bring Betnijah Laney-Hamilton back. She missed all of last season with a knee injury, but was crucial to their title run in 2024. The team really missed her defensive versatility and ability to create her own offense last season. 

From there, the Liberty appear to have four players for one spot, though you could make the case for even more:

• Natasha Cloud: Culture setter, major locker room presence and still a high-level point guard
• Marine Johannès: One of the most exciting guards in the world, struggled a bit last season but was probably under-utilized
• Emma Meesseman: Versatile forward who was awesome in the regular season, but struggled in the playoffs and isn't super committed to the WNBA
• Nyara Sabally: Former No. 5 overall pick who was key to their 2024 title off the bench but has been unable to stay healthy

Cloud is an unrestricted free agent, and the Fire and Tempo can only select one each, so you could gamble and leave her unprotected to keep someone you have control over. But the Liberty gave up two first-round picks to get her and she was so important to the locker room last season that it would be tough to risk her walking for nothing, so she gets the nod. 

You have to wonder if the Liberty will try to entice one or both expansion teams to not select anyone from their roster. 

Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury's lack of depth will make things easy for them in the expansion draft process. There really shouldn't be any debate about their five protected players. The list should be their five starters en route to the Finals last season: Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Monique Akoa Makani and Natasha Mack. 

The only one of that quintet you might leave unprotected would be Copper, who is no longer core eligible. The only advantage the Fire or Tempo would have over the Mercury in free agency is the ability to offer slightly more money, and if Copper communicates that she'll return to Phoenix regardless, the team could leave her unprotected and open up another spot. 

It's hard to imagine they're desperate enough to keep anyone else on the roster, though, so no need to mess around with even a slight possibility that Copper leaves. 

Seattle Storm

The Storm are going to protect 2025 No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga, who is coming off an exciting rookie season, and her French national team teammate Gabby Williams. 

Their other decisions aren't so easy, and may depend on what they've heard from veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, both of whom are unrestricted free agents, but no longer core eligible. Do they want to remain in Seattle after two early playoff exits and a coaching change? Would they be swayed by a potential supermax offer from an expansion team? If so, the Storm will have to protect both. If both have indicated that they want to return to Seattle no matter what, the Storm can leave them unprotected, as the Liberty will surely do with Stewart. 

Diggins has been much more prone to change teams throughout her career, so for the purposes of this exercise, she was protected and Ogwumike was not. 

That leaves two more spots, which should go to Ezi Magbegor and Jordan Horston. Magbegor had a strange 2025, but she remains one of the best interior defenders in the world. Horston missed last season with a torn ACL, but had a very promising sophomore season and is still on her rookie contract. 

Washington Mystics

The Mystics' decision-making process should be straightforward. 

Former No. 3 overall pick Shakira Austin is a restricted free agent, so they have to protect her. The four other spots should go to members of their young core, all of whom are on their rookie deals: 2025 All-Stars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, and  Georgia Amoore and Aaliyah Edwards. 

There's really no case to be made for anyone else.