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WNBA Expansion: Fire & Tempo Draft Day!
2 Apr
Summary
- Portland Fire picks first in the 2026 Expansion Draft.
- Two rounds of up to 12 picks each will occur.
- Teams can protect up to five players from selection.
The 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft is scheduled for Friday, April 3rd, at 3:30 PM ET. The newest franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will build their rosters from a pool of players provided by existing teams. A coin toss on March 27th determined that the Portland Fire will have the first selection in this draft.
The draft will feature two rounds, with a maximum of 12 picks per round. Current WNBA teams were required to submit protected player lists by March 29th, designating up to five players who cannot be selected. The Fire and Tempo also have specific rules regarding the selection of veteran players, being limited to one player with five or more years of league experience by the end of the 2025 season.
