WNBA expansion draft results, winners and losers: Tempo, Fire select initial rosters ahead of 2026 season
The 14th and 15th WNBA franchises finally have rosters, and the implications are far-reaching
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the 14th and 15th WNBA franchises, finally have rosters. On Friday, the Tempo and Fire completed their long-awaited expansion draft, which had been delayed due to the extended labor negotiations between the league and the players union over a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Tempo won a coin toss last week and chose the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which gave the Fire the first pick in the expansion draft. The Fire selected Bridget Carleton from the Minnesota Lynx with the first overall pick and the Tempo chose Julie Allemand from the Los Angeles Sparks second.
The draft was two rounds, and the teams alternated picks within each round before snaking the order in between rounds. 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 were not made public -- were ineligible for selection in the expansion draft.
Only two players from the 13 existing teams could be taken -- one in each round -- but each expansion team was not limited to one player from each existing team. If a free agent was selected, the expansion team that made the choice acquired their respective rights. Each expansion team could only select one unrestricted free agent.
Before the draft, the Chicago Sky completed trades with both franchises to ensure that neither one would select one of their unprotected players. The Sky sent the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Fire in exchange for the No. 21 pick and their agreement not to select anyone, and sent the No. 26 overall pick to the Tempo in exchange for their agreement not to select anyone.
WNBA expansion draft results
First round
- Fire: Bridget Carleton
- Tempo: Julie Allemand
- Fire: Carla Leite
- Tempo: Nyara Sabally
- Fire: Luisa Geiselsöder
- Tempo: Marina Mabrey
- Fire: Emily Engstler
- Tempo: Aaliyah Nye
- Fire: Maya Caldwell
- Tempo: Lexi Held
- Fire: Chloe Bibby
- Tempo: PASS
Second round
- Tempo: María Conde
- Fire: Haley Jones
- Tempo: Maria Kliundikova
- Fire: Nyadiew Puoch
- Tempo: Adja Kane
- Fire: Sarah Ashlee Barker
- Tempo: Nikolina Milić
- Fire: Sug Sutton
- Tempo: Kitija Laksa
- Fire: PASS
- Tempo: Kristy Wallace
- Fire: Nika Mühl
Portland Fire roster
| Player | Position | Former team |
|---|---|---|
Forward | Los Angeles Sparks | |
Forward | ||
Guard | ||
Bridget Carleton | Forward | Minnesota Lynx |
Forward | ||
Luisa Geiselsöder | Center | |
Forward | Dallas Wings | |
Guard | ||
Nika Mühl | Guard | |
Nyadiew Puoch | Forward | Atlanta Dream |
Guard | Washington Mystics |
The Fire chose Carleton -- an unrestricted free agent -- with their first pick, and you would have to assume they will use the core designation on her to gain exclusive negotiating rights. She's one of the best 3-point shooters in the league, a versatile wing defender and has played a big role in the Lynx's tremendous success in recent years. It will be interesting to see what she can do in a bigger role for the Fire.
Leite stands out as one of the most exciting picks for the Fire. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and EuroCup Women Finals MVP in 2025 is still only 21 years old and has a lot of potential. She was stuck behind veterans in the Valkyries' rotation last season. It will be fun to see how she fares in Portland.
Caldwell, Engstler and Geiselsöder are other players who have shown some flashes and could break out in bigger roles. Additionally, Barker was the No. 9 overall pick less than a year ago, and it's worth taking a flier on her despite a tough rookie season.
Toronto Tempo roster
| Player | Position | Former team |
|---|---|---|
Julie Allemand | Guard | Los Angeles Sparks |
Maria Conde | Forward | Golden State Valkyries |
Lexi Held | Guard | |
Adja Kane | Forward | |
Center | Minnesota Lynx | |
Guard | Phoenix Mercury | |
Guard | ||
Nikolina Milić | Forward | Connecticut Sun |
Guard | ||
Center | New York Liberty | |
Kristy Wallace | Guard | Indiana Fever |
It would be interesting to know if the Tempo were dismayed that the Fire took Carleton -- a Canadian -- with the first pick. In any case, they chose Allemand, a veteran point guard, with their opening selection. Allemand has only played three WNBA seasons, but has had plenty of success overseas, particularly with the Belgian national team. She's a heady point guard who knows how to run an offense and doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
Mabrey was the Tempo's unrestricted free agent selection, and again, you assume they'll give her the core designation to gain exclusive negotiating rights. Mabrey is coming off a rough season with the Sun, but has been a borderline All-Star in the past and can create offense for herself and others. If she can find her 3-point shot again, this could wind up being a very savvy pick for the Tempo.
Sabally, the former No. 5 overall pick, is a smart swing for the Tempo. She's had trouble staying healthy but is very talented. Kliundikova is another choice that stands out. Like Allemand, she hasn't spent much time in the WNBA but was excellent in a small role for the Lynx in her return to the league last season.
Expansion draft winners and losers
Winners: Bridget Carleton and Marina Mabrey
From a player perspective, Carleton and Mabrey are obviously the biggest winners from this process.
Each expansion team was only allowed to select one unrestricted free agent; the Fire chose Carleton and the Tempo chose Mabrey. The assumption is that both players will receive the core designation -- why draft a UFA if you aren't going to core them? -- which grants their new team exclusive negotiating rights and comes with an automatic one-year, fully guaranteed supermax contract offer.
Thanks to the new CBA, the supermax for 2026 comes in at $1.4 million. Carleton made $125,000 last season while Mabrey made $210,000.
Carleton and Mabrey are not required to take the one-year supermax and could negotiate long-term deals with their respective new clubs if they wish. Regardless of which route they each take, both now have the leverage to command a life-changing pay raise.
Loser: Chicago Sky
On Wednesday night, the Sky announced two trades, one with each of the expansion franchises:
- The Sky sent the No. 17 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Fire in exchange for the No. 21 pick and the Fire's agreement not to select anyone from the Sky's unprotected list
- The Sky sent the No. 26 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Tempo in exchange for the Tempo's agreement not to select anyone from the Sky's unprotected list
The Sky were the only team that did not have a player selected, but that doesn't make them a winner. Chicago went 10-34 last season, tied for the WNBA's worst record. The roster isn't good enough to surrender draft capital to keep it intact.
Is losing No. 26 that big of a deal? Probably not, though it's more significant now with the creation of developmental player spots than it would have been in the past. And dropping from No. 17 -- the second pick of the second round -- to No. 21 definitely does matter, especially for a rebuilding team.
These trades certainly aren't the worst moves the Sky have made in recent years, but their process once again feels unclear.
Winners: Fire's future, Tempo's present
It's extremely difficult to say which team "won" the draft when we haven't seen the rosters in action yet. Everyone thought the Valkyries would be one of the worst teams in the league last season. Instead, they became the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season and nearly forced their first-round series with the first-place Lynx to a deciding third game.
So how's this for a copout: the Fire's roster has more upside, while the Tempo's roster is better right now.
The Tempo seem to have taken more of a Valkyries-style approach and added more experienced players who can help them be competitive right away. Mabrey, Allemand and Kliundikova give them a very experienced core, which they've surrounded with other veterans, such as Conde (yet to play in the W), Wallace and Laksa. Notably, they only picked two players under 25 and have six players older than Carelton, the Fire's oldest player at 28.
The Fire, on the other hand, took more swings at young players and "second draft" candidates -- meaning former high draft picks that haven't yet realized their potential. They have six players 25 or younger, including two 21-year-olds (Leite and Puoch), and Carleton is the only player on the roster with more than four years of WNBA experience.
This could be a long season in Portland, but their roster has more upside than Toronto's.
Loser: Minnesota Lynx
Expansion drafts hurt the teams with the deepest rosters the most. It's no surprise, then, that of the 13 existing teams, the Lynx, who went 34-10 last season to tie the single-season wins record, were the biggest losers on draft night.
The Fire selected Carleton with the first overall pick, and the Tempo chose Kliundikova with the third pick of the second round. If the rule that only one player from each existing team could be selected in each round, the Lynx likely would have had both of their players taken in the top-10 selections.
Carleton never put up huge numbers with the Lynx, but she was a full-time starter in each of the last two seasons and grew into a vital part of their rotation thanks to her elite 3-point shooting and versatile wing defense. She was a perfect fit for their five-out system, especially given her willingness to accept a lesser offensive role. Replacing her will not be easy.
Kliundikova, meanwhile, made her return to the W last season after five years away. She joined the Lynx in June and immediately became part of the rotation. Though she didn't play big minutes when everyone was healthy, she performed admirably in a bigger role when Napheesa Collier was injured. There were even times during the playoffs when coach Cheryl Reeve favored her over co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith. Kliundikova is a real presence in the paint as a rebounder and defender and not someone the Lynx will easily replace.
