2026 WNBA Expansion Draft: Toronto Tempo, Portland Fire Smartly Build Their Rosters at Other Teams’ Expense

The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will get the opportunity to build their rosters during Friday’s two-round WNBA expansion draft | R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images

The WNBA offseason is in a full sprint after the league and the players’ union negotiated a new CBA agreement, and the first order of business came on Friday as the W hosted its 2026 expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.

Blink, and you missed it: within five minutes of the starting draft time, ESPN posted graphics of the Tempo’s and Fire’s complete rosters on the broadcast, and that was that. The expansion draft was over.

As WNBA fans reeled from Friday afternoon’s ridiculously fast-paced event, the Tempo and Fire can look back on their draft choices with more satisfaction than regret. The two newcomers could have picked up to 12 players each but ended up selecting 11 apiece, the same number of players the Golden State Valkyries drafted back in 2024. Portland took Lynx forward and Ontario-born Bridget Carleton with the No. 1 pick, while Toronto took Sparks guard Julie Allemand with the second pick.

Here are some more notable names poached by the expansion franchises on Friday.

The most notable players taken by the Tempo, Fire in expansion draft

To start, the Fire taking the best Canadian player available in Carleton was a hilarious surprise. Carleton spent the last six seasons on the Lynx, helping Minnesota reach the WNBA Finals in 2024, and should quickly grow into a beloved star in Portland.

Portland also poached a versatile pair from the Wings: Luisa Geiselsöder and Haley Jones. Jones, a 6’1’’ guard-forward from Stanford, proved herself as a more-than-capable playmaker averaging 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists; last year, she recorded four straight games with 10-plus points for the first time in her WNBA career and should make a fine addition to the Fire’s rotation.

The Fire additionally picked up former Fever forward Chloe Bibby and Storm guard Nika Mühl. While Bibby’s selection makes a lot of sense given her size and solid shooting abilities, Portland may have rolled the dice on Mühl. The Huskies product is set to miss her second straight WNBA season after undergoing surgery for a right ACL she tore on March 11. Mühl, who appeared in just 16 games over the last three seasons with the Storm, brings to Portland a concerning injury history that could see her spending a lot more time on the bench than desired.

As for the Tempo, Toronto started off strong with three big swings in the first round: Sparks guard Julie Allemand, Liberty center Nyara Sabally and Sun guard Marina Mabrey. Allemand will take center stage as the Tempo’s top point guard after helping the Sparks make a late push for the playoffs last season; the Belgian averaged 5.4 points and 5.0 assists across 34 games in L.A. Sabally will get to reunite with former head coach Sandy Brondello in Toronto, with the two having won a title together on the Liberty in 2024. And last but not least, Mabrey will join the Tempo as a veteran locker-room leader and three-level scorer who has averaged at least 13.0 points per game in each of her last seven seasons. The gritty and physical Mabrey, who lands on her fifth career WNBA team, also boasts a wealth of playoff experience, averaging a career-best 15.9 points per game in her last postseason run with the Sun in 2024.

Catch up on all of Friday’s short-lived draft action in Sports Illustrated’s live blog below.

2026 WNBA Expansion Draft Recap: An in-depth look at Tempo, Fire’s full rosters ahead of the new season

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