The franchises are installed. Uniforms and mascots have been designed. And the league itself is back open for business. Now, it\u2019s time for two new WNBA teams to put players on the floor.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s expansion draft brings the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire into focus as both newcomers get a chance to add talent from around the W. Fans in the expanded markets tune in to witness history. Fans elsewhere bid farewell to important contributors. It all goes down five weeks out from the season opener.<\/p>\n
How to watch the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft<\/p>\n
ESPN programs are also available with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.<\/p>\n
How the format works<\/p>\n
Toronto and Portland are picking within a private player pool that\u2019s been sourced from the 13 current teams. Each active franchise protects up to five players \u2014 including potential unrestricted free agents with at least five years of league service.<\/p>\n
Both expansion squads are limited to just one potential unrestricted free agent. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, they can offer their selection a core designation<\/a> for supermax contract rights. No more than two players can be plucked off each current roster.<\/p>\n A coin toss was held last Friday to determine the order. Toronto won it, then chose a higher pick in the league-wide rookie draft that\u2019s scheduled for April 13. The Tempo now hold the No. 6 selection in that draft, while the Fire follow at No. 7. And in return, Portland gets first crack at Friday\u2019s proceedings.<\/p>\n From there, the teams alternate back and forth through the 12-pick first round. They swap positions to start the second round, with Toronto going first. All 24 picks don\u2019t need to be used, should either side want to save space for rookies or free agents.<\/p>\n Who might be available<\/p>\n The protected player lists are not made public. We can safely assume they include superstars like A\u2019ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark.<\/p>\n Cornerstones get covered, but there are certainly more than five valuable players on a competitive WNBA roster. Teams must be judicious about the protection process, balancing between controlled contracts and potential free agency rights.<\/p>\n Because a new CBA was on the horizon, most players took deals that expired after 2025, creating a class of more than 100 free agents this offseason.<\/p>\n Sabreena Merchant projected who might be in the unprotected player pool<\/a>\u00a0and thus eligible for the expansion draft. Possible highlights include Arike Ogunbowale, a three-time All-WNBA free agent from the Dallas Wings, and Azur\u00e1 Stevens, the rangy 6-foot-6 center approaching free agency with the Los Angeles Sparks.<\/p>\n We know who won\u2019t be available \u2014 anyone from the Chicago Sky. On Wednesday, the Sky announced a pair of interesting pre-draft trades. In exchange for avoiding Chicago\u2019s unprotected players, Portland gets to move up four spots (21st to 17th) in the upcoming rookie draft. The same agreement goes for Toronto, which gets the No. 26 draft pick now.<\/p>\n A look back at recent expansion drafts<\/p>\n The Golden State Valkyries necessitated an expansion draft last season. It was a remarkable success \u2014 the first-year franchise stunned the W and made the playoffs<\/a>. No prior expansion team had crashed the postseason so quickly.<\/p>\n Veronica Burton, once a reserve guard for the Connecticut Sun, won the 2025 Most Improved Player award and drew MVP votes as Golden State\u2019s centerpiece. Kayla Thornton was added from the New York Liberty; the 10-year pro earned her first All-Star nod in Valkyrie violet.<\/p>\n A previous expansion draft was held for the Atlanta Dream in 2008. Atlanta turned seldom-used Connecticut center Erika de Souza into a three-time All-Star.<\/p>\n Another expansion draft took place in 2006 to welcome the Sky. Chicago\u2019s best selection was Jia Perkins, who broke out as an All-Star after she was poached from the now-defunct Charlotte Sting. There were also multi-team expansion drafts in 1998, 1999 and 2000.<\/p>\n