Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for live updates and analysis of the 2026 WNBA expansion draft here.
Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton is heading to Portland.
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire tip off play this season as the 14th and 15th WNBA franchises, and both teams began assembling their rosters Friday, April 3 through the WNBA expansion draft after a new collective bargaining agreement was reached last month.
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With the No. 1 overall pick, Portland selected Carleton out of Minnesota. Carleton started all 44 games for the Lynx last season and averaged 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in their run to the 2025 WNBA semifinals, as Minnesota fell short of its second consecutive WNBA Finals appearance.
Portland Fire general manager Vanja Černivec said Carleton “immediately stood out” to the franchise and quickly became their No. 1 target in the expansion draft. The Fire had the No. 1 overall pick of the expansion draft after the Toronto Tempo opted to take the sixth pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft – scheduled for April 13 – instead of the seventh.
“The obvious logic was she’s going to be our number one pick,” Černivec said during ESPN’s broadcast. “Bridget (Carleton) is someone that, number one, everybody wants to play with. Her character speaks herself and then what she brings on court on both ends of the floor, it’s something it’s hard to find new player. So we’re very excited to see her excel defensively but also kind of stretch her floor.”
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Carleton was selected out of Iowa State with the 21st overall pick of the 2019 WNBA Draft. Carleton was dropped by the Sun after four games, but signed a 7-day contract with the Lynx in August 2019 and found a home in Minnesota. She spent seven seasons in Minnesota before being selected by the Fire on Friday.
Following her selection, Minnesota shared a social media graphic, saying, “Thank you for everything.”
Here’s the entire Portland Fire roster following the expansion draft:
Portland Fire Roster
First Round
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F Bridget Carleton – Minnesota Lynx
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G Carla Leite – Golden State Valkyries
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C Luisa Geiselsöder – Dallas Wings
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G Emily Engstler – Washington Mystics
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G Maya Caldwell – Atlanta Dream
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F Chloe Bibby – Indiana Fever
Second Round
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F/G Haley Jones – Dallas Wings
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F Nyadiew Puoch – Australia
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G Sarah Ashlee Barker – Los Angeles Sparks
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G Sug Sutton – Washington Mystics
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G Nika Mühl – Seattle Storm
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Portland Fire take Bridget Carleton No. 1 in WNBA expansion draft
