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 Portland Fire have picked Chloe Bibby, a reserved free agent, off the Fever’s roster.
The Fever officially lose two players (Kristy Wallace to Toronto) to the expansion draft, but neither affect their core group.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) April 3, 2026
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
The table below lists all the players selected by both expansion teams during the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.
Portland Expansion Draft Picks
| Player | Position | Former Team |
| Sarah Ashlee Barker | Forward | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Chloe Bibby | Forward | Indiana Fever |
| Maya Caldwell | Guard | Atlanta Dream |
| Bridget Carleton | Forward | Minnesota Lynx |
| Emily Engstler | Forward | Washington Mystics |
| Luisa Geiselsöder | Center | Dallas Wings |
| Haley Jones | Forward | Dallas Wings |
| Carla Leite | Guard | Golden State Valkyries |
| Nika Mühl | Guard | Seattle Storm |
| Nyadiew Puoch | Forward | Atlanta Dream |
| Sug Sutton | Guard | Washington Mystics |
Toronto Tempo Expansion Draft Picks
| Player | Position | Former Team |
| Julie Allemand | Guard | Los Angeles Sparks |
| Maria Conde | Forward | Golden State Valkyries |
| Lexi Held | Guard | Phoenix Mercury |
| Adja Kane | Forward | New York Liberty |
| Maria Kliundikova | Center | Minnesota Lynx |
| Kitija Laksa | Guard | Phoenix Mercury |
| Marina Mabrey | Guard | Connecticut Sun |
| Nikolina Milić | Forward | Connecticut Sun |
| Aaliyah Nye | Guard | Las Vegas Aces |
| Nyara Sabally | Center | New York Liberty |
| Kristy Wallace | Guard | Indiana Fever |
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.
