Fire, Tempo WNBA Expansion Draft 2026 Rules, Format, Mock and Top Eligible Players
The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are a little over a day away from figuring out who might be taking the floor for them in their inaugural WNBA season.
Friday's expansion draft will be unlike almost any other in the league history with nearly every veteran player in the league hitting free agency.
Still, this is an opportunity for Portland and Toronto to begin putting a framework in place before free agency opens and the 2026 draft unfolds.
Here's what you need to know.
Expansion Draft Format
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All of the WNBA's 13 teams submitted a list of five players they're protecting from the expansion draft. General managers could pick from players who are signed through 2026 or those who were under contract to conclude the 2025 season.
Portland and Toronto are permitted to select one player from each team. They also have the option of bypassing a team's list of unprotected players. Last year, the Golden State Valkyries didn't take anybody from the Seattle Storm.
Impending free agents with at least five years of service time are considered a "Potential Unrestricted Free Agent" for the purposes of the expansion draft if they're in the unprotected pool. The Fire and Tempo are permitted to select one player who falls under that designation.
The advantage selecting a UFA provides for Portland or Toronto is that the team could table a supermax extension to that player.
In the case of a restricted free agent, the Fire or Tempo would assume matching rights for that player, an even bigger advantage toward signing them to a deal.
Expansion Draft Order
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Portland won the coin toss, granting the Fire the first selection in the expansion draft. From there, it's a straightforward snake format, so Toronto will pick first in the second round.
2026 WNBA Expansion Draft Order
Round 1
1. Portland
2. Toronto
3. Portland
4. Toronto
5. Portland
6. Toronto
7. Portland
8. Toronto
9. Portland
10. Toronto
11. Portland
12. Toronto
Round 2
13. Toronto
14. Portland
15. Toronto
16. Portland
17. Toronto
18. Portland
19. Toronto
20. Portland
21. Toronto
22. Portland
23. Toronto
24. Portland
Who Was Left Unprotected?
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This where the intrigue truly starts. The WNBA doesn't announce which players were and weren't protected, so fans are left to ponder who might be available.
Compared to the 2025 draft, general managers can try to be a little more strategic this time around.
The Los Angeles Sparks, for example, weren't going to leave Dearica Hamby unprotected last year because she was under contract. When she's going to be an unrestricted free agent, maybe general manager Raegan Pebley allows Hamby or fellow UFA Kelsey Plum to be unprotected with the idea either will re-sign with L.A. anyway.
That would allow the Sparks to effectively have one extra slot for Sarah Ashlee Barker or Sania Feagin, who are both still on rookie deals, or Rae Burrell, a reserved free agent whose negotiating rights are exclusively tied to her current team.
Even if GMs don't embrace gamesmanship to that degree, some notable veterans could be the victims of a roster crunch.
Dynamic young big Dominique Malonga is a lock to be protected by the Seattle Storm. Gabby Williams is a pretty safe bet, too, and Jordan Horston's rookie deal is valuable enough on its own. Seattle may have to choose between Skylar Diggins, Ezi Magbegor and Nneka Ogwumike.
The Las Vegas Aces are in a similar situation as A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray will all command big contracts. There may not be enough cap space to pay Jewell Loyd her full market value.
The New York Liberty have to balance running it back with what it will cost to keep Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Marine Johannès, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Emma Meesseman —if she returns to the W — all together.
Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams are strong candidates to be protected by the Minnesota Lynx. DiJonai Carrington, Natisha Hiedeman, Bridget Carleton and Dorka Juhász could all be left unprotected.
The Atlanta Dream are almost certainly going to part ways with Brittney Griner after she had her worst season in the WNBA, and and there may not be enough room for two-time All-Defensive honoree Jordin Canada, either.
It's pretty much impossible for a team to build a contender through only the expansion draft, and the Fire and Tempo are at an added disadvantage. The pure talent in the 2026 draft could be higher than it was in 2025, though.
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Projecting The Draft
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Portland Fire
Toronto Tempo
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