The WNBA’s two newest franchises have officially started building their rosters, and they began by poaching talent.

Through the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, both franchises were given the opportunity to select from the pool of unprotected players across the league. The price of WNBA expansion just hit home for the Indiana Fever.

Specifically, the Portland Fire moved to acquire Australian forward Chloe Bibby, who enters the team as a reserved free agent. In the same vein, the Toronto Tempo selected Kristy Wallace, another Australian talent, alongside other acquisitions from across the league.

The WNBA expansion draft is structured to give each new franchise a fair opportunity to build while maintaining competitive balance across existing teams. With the structure, each expansion team can select up to 12 players across two rounds, with a maximum of one player taken from any single team per round. Meanwhile, existing teams may protect up to 5 players from their rosters, so only unprotected talent is eligible for selection. 

As for the Indiana Fever, they chose to protect key players, including Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. And of course, that was very much expected. That decision ultimately ensured that their core foundation remains intact heading into the new season. By doing so, they ensured that their foundational talent would remain untouched. 

With the expansion draft now completed, the WNBA will now shift its attention to a packed stretch of offseason activity. This includes negotiations, official signings, the WNBA Draft, training camps, and then preseason action by April 25. And of course, the Indiana Fever will be looking to fill the roster spots left by Bibby and Wallace.

Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo Expansion Draft Picks: Full List of Selections

Both the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo selected 11 players each. This is one less than the maximum 12 picks allowed under the WNBA expansion draft rules. Notably, neither team selected a player from the Chicago Sky. This is as a result of pre-draft agreements where Chicago traded draft assets for the April 13 collegiate draft. And in return, they received full protection that prevented both expansion teams from selecting any of their players.

The table below lists all the players selected by both expansion teams during the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.

Portland Expansion Draft Picks

Toronto Tempo Expansion Draft Picks

Apart from these selections, both the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will also participate in the standard 2026 WNBA Collegiate Draft on April 13. The Tempo hold the No. 6, 22, 26, and 36 picks. The Portland Fire, on the other hand, has the No. 7, 17, 21, and 37 picks.

Both teams received their primary first, second, and third-round slots through a coin toss that determined their expansion priority. They also both acquired an extra second-round pick from the Chicago Sky as part of the protection trade that prevented them from selecting from their roster.

The last time the league expanded was in 2024. That was when the Golden State Valkyries were introduced, and they played their first season last year. They went on to become the most successful expansion team in WNBA history, reaching the playoffs in their debut season. If that is any indication, then it’s safe to say the WNBA is about to become even more competitive with this latest expansion.