Expansion Draft

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Below are answers to some of the main questions regarding the WNBA Expansion Draft 2026 presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY. 

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What is an Expansion Draft?  
An Expansion Draft is a process used by professional sports leagues to allow a new team to build its roster by selecting players from existing teams. In this case, the WNBA’s 14th and 15th  franchises, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, which will debut in the 2026 season, will be able to select a player from a designated pool of unprotected players from each of the current 13 WNBA teams. 
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When will the WNBA Expansion Draft 2026 presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY occur? 
The Expansion Draft is scheduled for April 3, at 3:30pm ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. 
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Which players will be available in the Expansion Draft?  
Each of the existing 13 WNBA teams has submitted a Roster List that includes every player they have rights to, covering active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, and retired lists. Each team can protect up to five players on this Roster List who will not be available for selection. All other players on the team’s Roster List who are not protected will be made available for selection in the Expansion Draft. 
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How many players can the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire select? 
The Expansion Draft will consist of two rounds, and each round will consist of up to twelve selections, up to six selections by Portland and up to six selections by Toronto. Once Portland or Toronto have selected an unprotected player from a team’s Roster List in the first round, neither Portland nor Toronto may select an unprotected player from that same team until the second round, at which point either may select from such team. No team may have more than two unprotected players selected in the Expansion Draft: up to one in each round. 
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Can Toronto and Portland select a player from a team’s Roster List who will be an unrestricted free agent entering 2026?  
Toronto and Portland may each select one player in the Expansion Draft who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent entering the 2026 season.  
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What about former players? 
Each team’s submitted Roster List for the Expansion Draft only includes players on the team’s active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, and retired lists as of the final day of the 2025 regular season.  
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 Do Toronto and Portland have to select players according to on-court position?  
There are no on-court positional requirements. Toronto and Portland can choose players regardless of position, depending on team needs and available players.  
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Do Toronto and Portland have to build their entire team through the Expansion Draft?  
No. The Expansion Draft is just the start of Toronto and Portland’s roster-building process.  
After the Expansion Draft, both teams will participate in the typical team roster-building functions, including the free agency period, and the 2026 WNBA Draft Presented by State Street Investment Management SPY, which will take place on Monday, April 13, 2026. Toronto currently holds the No. 6 overall pick, along with the seventh pick in the second round and sixth in the third round. Portland currently holds the No. 7 overall pick, along with the sixth pick in the second round and seventh in the third round.

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WNBA Expansion Draft 2026: FAQ and Things to Know

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