2026 WNBA Mock Expansion Draft: Who could fill the inaugural rosters of the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo?

On Friday afternoon, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will, finally, have players. WNBA Expansion Draft 2026 is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).

Ahead of the first significant event on the WNBA’s compressed offseason calendar, Josh Felton took a stab at predicting which five players each team would protect. Now, Cat Ariail and Zack Ward are putting on their general manager caps and drafting teams for the Fire and Tempo. Cat is in charge of the Tempo, with Zack managing the Fire.

Here’s a look at all the unprotected players available to be drafted, with their contract status denoted in parentheses.

Unprotected lists

Atlanta Dream: Brittney Griner, Jordin Canada, Nia Coffey and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (UFAs); Maya Caldwell, Sika Koné (reserved); Taylor Thierry (under contract); Isoebl Borlase, Maite Carzorla, Lorela Cubaj, Nyadiew Puoch, Holly Winterburn, Matilde Villa (rights held)
Chicago Sky: Rebecca Allen, Kia Nurse, Michaela Onyenwere, Elizabeth Williams, Rachel Banham (UFAs); Sevgi Uzun (reserved); Hailey Van Lith, Maddy Westbeld (under contract); Aicha Coulibaly (rights held)
Connecticut Sun: Tina Charles, Lindsay Allen, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Bria Hartley (UFAs); Haley Peters (RFA); Mamignan Touré, Nikolina Milić (reserved); Rayah Marshall (under contract)
Dallas Wings: Myisha Hines-Allen (UFA); Luisa Geiselsöder, Li Yueru, Haley Jones, Grace Berger (reserved); Diamond Miller, JJ Quinerly (under contract); Lou Lopez Sénéchal, Awak Kuier (rights held)
Golden State Valkyries: Kayla Thornton, Monique Billings, Temi Fagbénlé (UFAs); Janelle Salaün, Laeticia Amihere, Iliana Rupert (reserved); Kate Martin (under contract); Maria Conde (rights held)
Indiana Fever: Sophie Cunningham, Damiris Dantas, Sydney Colson, Brianna Turner, Aari McDonald (UFAs); Chloe Bibby (reserved); Makayla Timpson (under contract); Kristy Wallace (rights held)
Las Vegas Aces: Kiah Stokes, Megan Gustafson, Dana Evans, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (UFAs); NaLyssa Smith, Kierstan Bell (RFAs)
Los Angeles Sparks: Azurá Stevens, Emma Cannon (UFAs); Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo, Alissa Pili (reserved); Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sania Feagin (under contract)
Minnesota Lynx: DiJonai Carrington, Natisha Hiedeman, Jessica Shepard (UFAs); Maria Kliundikova, Jaylyn Sherrod, Camryn Taylor (reserved); Dorka Juhász, Anatasiia Kosu (under contract); Maia Hirsch, Aubrey Griffin (rights held)
New York Liberty: Natasha Cloud, Kennedy Burke, Isabelle Harrison, Emma Meesseman, Stephanie Talbot (UFAs); Rebekah Gardner, Marine Johannès (reserved); Nyara Sabally (under contract); Annika Soltau, Raquel Carrera, Seehia Ridard, Adja Kane, Marine Fauthoux, Han Xu (rights held)
Phoenix Mercury: Sami Whitcomb, DeWanna Bonner (UFAs); Natasha Mack, Kitja Laksa, Lexi Held, Kathryn Westbeld, Kiana Williams (reserved); Kalani Brown (under contract); Helena Pueyo, Julia Ayrault, Klara Lundquist (rights held)
Seattle Storm: Brittney Sykes, Katie Lou Samuelson, Erica Wheeler, Tiffany Mitchell (UFAs); Mackenzie Holmes, Zia Cooke (reserved); Lexie Brown, Jordan Horston, Nika Mühl (under contract)
Washington Mystics: Alysha Clark, Stefanie Dolson, Jade Melbourne (UFAs); Madison Scott (reserved); Jacy Sheldon, Lucy Olsen (under contract); Bernadett Határ, Nastja Classens, Txell Alarcon (rights held)

Remember, each expansion team can only select one player who is an unrestricted free agent. And in each round, only one player can be plucked from each existing team. Portland was awarded the first pick, giving Toronto the first pick of the second round; otherwise the picks alternate. Here we go!

Round 1

No. 1 pick (Portland): Brittney Sykes (Seattle)

I felt that Sykes was the best player available. Emma Meesseman was a close second, but I’m not sure how frequently she’ll be in the WNBA. I had NaLyssa Smith, Azurá Stevens and Natasha Cloud after Sykes and Meesseman, in that order. I went with the player who I felt is best suited to be a best player on a WNBA team. She was close to that in Washington last year, and she can certainly be a team’s leading scorer. Her improvement in Unrivaled demonstrated that she can also rack up those points efficiently.

No. 2 pick (Toronto): Rae Burrell (Los Angeles)

Since Zack used his first pick on his UFA selection, I’ll reserve my UFA, and the No. 1 player on my board, for the second round. Instead, I’ll go with the player who I believe has the highest upside: Rae Burrell. Sweet Baby Rae is coming off a stellar Unrivaled season, and while I don’t think that level of production will translate to the 5×5 setting of the WNBA, I do believe that the progress is real. Burrell has become less of a great athlete who is playing basketball and more of a basketball player who is a great athlete. And if the 40 percent 3-point shooting she showed off in the friendly confines of Sephora Arena is real, all the better.

No. 3 pick (Portland): NaLyssa Smith (Las Vegas)

Smith averaged 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 2023, and though many questioned the Aces for acquiring her mid-season in 2025, she helped Vegas win the title. She’s a former No. 2 pick in the draft, and I think she’s capable of being a star. I’m really happy I could get her at No. 3.

No. 4 pick (Toronto): Jacy Sheldon (Washington)

Despite the fact that she could be on her fourth team in just her third year in the league, Sheldon’s performance as a pro has mostly been in line with what was expected of her coming out of Ohio State. She’s fits the archetype of a modern, versatile guard who is a good point-of-attack defender, a competent secondary ball handler and an improving 3-point shooter. Like Burrell, she’ll inject the Tempo with tempo thanks to her athleticism.

No. 5 pick (Portland): Janelle Salaün (Golden State)

I feel like Salaün could also be the best player on a WNBA team; she was certainly the best player on the floor for the Valkyries at times last year. And she’s only 24; I tried to go with youth where I could in this draft. With another player I feel can be a star—and the No. 5 player on my big board excluding Meesseman—I was feeling very good about this draft three picks in.

No. 6 pick (Toronto): Dorka Juhász (Minnesota)

That Juhász, like Sheldon, is under contract for next season makes her valuable. And so does her production. She’s been essential to Galatasaray’s rapid return to relevance in EuroLeague Women, ranking in the top 10 in scoring and top three in rebounding in the competition. She also was the lone WNBA player for the Hungarian national team as they qualified for the FIBA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 1998. I don’t think Juhász has star upside, but she can be an offensive floor raiser.

No. 7 pick (Portland): Li Yueru (Dallas)

Yueru’s midseason trade request was a smart decision because it allowed her to prove that she can be a key contributor in the WNBA. She averaged 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 20 minutes per game after making the move from Seattle to Dallas. I was drafting by position, and had everything but a center and point guard when I got to this point. Yueru was behind Iliana Rupert on my big board, but I couldn’t pick another Valkyrie until the second round.

No. 8 pick : (Toronto): Maya Caldwell (Atlanta)

Caldwell’s intrigue is both tangible and intangible. In terms of on-court tangibles, she’s fits the athleticism-versatility philosophy embodied by Burrell and Sheldon. She also plays with fearlessness, willing to risk errors of commission over errors of omission when given opportunities with the Dream last season. That she has established herself as a WNBA rotational player is also credit to her basketball character. Coming out of Georgia, her pro prospects seemed slimmed, unlikely to extend beyond training camp invites. Yet, she’s built herself into the type of role player any team, including the Tempo, should be happy to roster.

No. 9 pick (Portland): Hailey Van Lith (Chicago)

Here I got my point guard. To me, Jacy Sheldon was the best non-UFA PG in this draft, but Cat had already selected her. I also had Julie Vanloo ahead of Van Lith, but couldn’t take a Spark. HVL didn’t do too much as a rookie with the Sky, but was a big college star, and I think she can become a key contributor in the WNBA. This hypothetical Fire team hopes that time comes in 2026.

No. 10 pick (Toronto): Makayla Timpson (Indiana)

Timpson’s a perfect off-the-bench bouncy big. Not given tons of time in a mostly-crowded Fever frontcourt as a rookie, she impressed when opportunities arose, as our Eric Nemchock wrote about last season. Athleticism, again, is again a primary part of her appeal.

No. 11 pick (Portland): Nyara Sabally (New York)

With all five positions taken care of, I went with the best player available who wasn’t from a team that was restricted. Sabally is a former No. 5 overall pick who is only 26. Though she was limited by injury in 2025, she had career highs of 5.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 17.9 minutes across 17 games. Having already notched 13 points and seven boards in a Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, she is expected to be a key contributor in the league.

No. 12 pick (Toronto): Helena Pueyo (Phoenix)

Pueyo brings a skillset similar to Sheldon, albeit at a lower grade. Despite not logging any minutes in the W after being drafted by the Sun in 2024, she still sports a lot of high-caliber experience, playing for a spunky Zaragoza side in EuroLeague Women, while also suiting up for the Spanish national team at EuroBasket Women last summer and during World Cup Qualifiers earlier this month.

Round 2

No. 1 pick (Toronto): Azurá Stevens (Los Angeles)

Stevens was the player I most coveted. Importantly, I feel like she’s an unrestricted free agent that the Tempo would have a good chance of signing. The Sparks likely will prioritize new contracts for Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby, while other existing teams are unlikely to chase Stevens before taking care of their own players. That leaves time for Toronto to induce her to sign a player-friendly deal, one that will come with a featured role—something she hasn’t had in her WNBA career. An ideal modern big, Stevens—who can stretch the floor on one end and protect the rim on the other—can provide offensive and defensive infrastructure for Toronto.

No. 2 pick (Portland): Diamond Miller (Dallas)

Still with my eye on Rupert, but now having two centers, I decided to wait to draft a third. So I went with my second small forward instead. Had to go with the Terp here! Miller averaged 12.1 points and 26.1 minutes as a rookie in 2023 after being the No. 2 pick in the draft. She’s had quieter seasons since, but just needs a setting where she can reach her star potential. She would likely be able to get that on an expansion team.

No. 3 pick (Toronto): Jordan Horston (Seattle)

Horston is another player I had high on my board, but had to wait for because Zack took a Storm player with the first overall pick. As with many of the theoretical Tempo, the story with Horston is the same: versatility, athleticism and upside. She was finding her niche as a defensive disruptor to close her second season in Seattle; for Toronto, it will be hoped that she’ll continue to build on that defensive profile, while also getting permission to do more on the offensive end.

No. 4 pick (Portland): Iliana Rupert (Golden State)

I was delighted to get the No. 6 player on my big board here. Rupert’s numbers last year were really quite impressive. She’s a 6-foot-4 center who shot 44.2 percent from deep with 46 makes. Both she and Salaün got to prove themselves on the expansion Valkyries last year, and I’m hoping they will be really good again for my Fire.

No. 5 pick (Toronto): Jaylyn Sherrod (Minnesota)

Head coach Sandy Brondello has some familiarity with Sherrod, as she spent her first season and change in the league with the Liberty. Because of her speed, there’s a sliver of upside still worth believing; however, she more likely slots in as an end-of-bench energy booster.

No. 6 pick (Portland): Kierstan Bell (Las Vegas)

I’ve been a big fan of Bell’s game since her FGCU and Ohio State days. She made 81 3s as an Eagle in 2020-21. That was in just 26 games, so it was 3.1 per contest! And at a solid 35.8 percent clip. She hasn’t been able to repeat that efficiency at any other point in her career, but the potential is there. I truly believe she has star potential with her length and all-around offensive game, but she’s been buried deep on the bench of the three-time champion Aces.

No. 7 pick (Toronto): Rebekah Gardner (New York)

Here’s another now-former Liberty who can reunite with Brondello. Gardner’s a bit older than the rest of the theoretical Tempo; however, she still fits the overall player profile I’ve prioritized, and, like Caldwell but to an even greater degree, she models high basketball character as she had to persevere overseas before earning her spot in league. The over 47 percent 3-point shooting she averaged for New York last season is encouraging, as was her performance in Athletes Unlimited, where she finished as the third-place medalist.

No. 8 pick (Portland): Kitija Laksa (Phoenix)

Laksa disappointed with a 3-point percentage of just 31.7 percent for the Mercury in 2025, but she is a talented sharpshooter who is worthy of a second chance. Many thought she could be a high impact player for Phoenix, so I’m happy to get her this late in the draft.

No. 9 pick (Toronto): Maddy Westbeld (Chicago)

Westbeld didn’t see a ton of opportunity in Chicago last season, although she largely fulfilled her more optimistic pro projection as a real, not just theoretical, stretch big when she did get minutes, shooting almost 40 percent from 3. Her shooting and size allows her to somewhat imitate what Stevens offers, making her a potentially valuable fourth big.

No. 10 pick (Portland): Chloe Bibby (Indiana)

I went with another Terp here. In 14 career WNBA games, Bibby is shooting 40.5 percent from beyond the arc. In her five games with Golden State last year, she averaged a decent 6.4 points and 13.2 minutes. Not a bad pick at all for this late in the draft.

No. 11 pick (Toronto): Isobel Borlase (Atlanta)

Drafted by the Dream in 2024, Borlase has yet to play in the WNBA. Surely, Brondello, who has coached Borlase for the Australian national team, can convince the 2026 WNBL MVP—the youngest MVP since 2011—to make the move to the W. Not yet 22 years old with lots of pro and international experience, Borlase also might have the most promise of any player selected.

No. 12 pick (Portland): Lucy Olsen (Washington)

Olsen was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2025 draft, going to the Mystics, where she played in 41 games, averaging 12.4 minutes and four points. That’s decent playing time for a rookie second-rounder, and I’m interested to see more from her. She averaged 23.3 points as a junior at Villanova.

Portland roster analysis

Roster: Brittney Sykes (UFA), NaLyssa Smith, Janelle Salaün, Li Yueru, Hailey Van Lith, Nyara Sabally, Diamond Miller, Iliana Rupert, Kierstan Bell, Kitija Laksa, Chloe Bibby, Lucy Olsen

Here’s how I see my hypothetical Fire’s starting lineup: PG Van Lith, SG Sykes, SF Salaün, PF Smith and C Rupert. And here’s how I see the bench, in this order: SF Miller, C Yueru, C Sabally, PG/SG Bell, SG Laksa, SF Bibby and SG Olsen.

The first three players off my bench are all somewhat proven at the WNBA level, so I like my depth. I’m clearly lacking an experienced starting point guard and a backup point guard. I think Bell can handle backup PG duties to a certain extent, but it will definitely be the first thing to address in the college draft. I was going to pick Maite Cazorla with my final pick, but Cat took Borlase from the Dream right before I could. If I could go back, I’d take Cazorla with my second-to-last pick instead of Bibby because of the point guard need. That would be an Oregon homecoming, as Cazorla was a great distributor alongside Sabrina Ionescu in Eugene.

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