Editorial

The WNBA’s next two franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, finally have a roster. 
Both squads participated in a two-round expansion draft on April 3, 2026, picking players from each team in the WNBA except for the Chicago Sky. The Sky, prior to the draft, traded its 17th overall pick to the Fire in exchange for the 21st overall pick, and to prevent the Fire from taking anyone from its team. 
Chicago also sent its 26th overall pick to the Tempo in exchange for Toronto not selecting anyone from its roster. 
That said, every other team was fair game for poaching. Let’s take a look at some of the key players added by both franchises, set to kick off their respective seasons in Season 30.
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<h2>Toronto Tempo roster:</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-258017" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_TORONTO_LISTv7-1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="875" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_TORONTO_LISTv7-1.jpg 1080w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_TORONTO_LISTv7-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_TORONTO_LISTv7-1-819x1024.jpg 819w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_TORONTO_LISTv7-1-768x960.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
A huge takeaway from this initial roster is that the Tempo wanted to take shooting and guard depth seriously. Marina Mabrey’s name obviously jumps off the page on that front, although she had a slump-year (27-percent 3PT shooting) with the Connecticut Sun in 2025. However, it’s clear the Tempo value her veteran presence and competitiveness, with Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers <a href="https://x.com/chelsealeite/status/2040162676702126322?s=20">telling reporters</a> following the expansion draft that Mabrey “&#8230;has something you can’t coach, a fierce, competitive nature. That will resonate with this city.”
Aaliyah Nye, who won a championship in her rookie season with the Las Vegas Aces last year, is another sharp-shooter that should be able to contribute immediately with head coach Sandy Brondello likely seeking to surround the teams’ bigs with as much shooting as possible. She averaged just 31.4 percent from three point range, but was coming off a season with the Alabama Crimson Tide where <a href="https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/aaliyah-nye-1.html">she shot</a> 41.8 percent from long range over four seasons. 
Other players of note from this initial roster include Nyara Sabally, a former member of Brondello’s New York Liberty team, and Julie Allemand, who had a nice bounceback season with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2025. 
Sabally has dealt with injury woes in recent years, but when she’s on the floor, she can make a huge impact on the glass. Her contributions to the Liberty’s championship run, and especially in its Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, couldn’t be ignored by Brondello or the Tempo. She averaged 5.4 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds and one block in 17 games played. 
As for Allemand, she’s a Belgian star set to gain another year with major minutes with the Tempo. Her work as a distributor for Los Angeles clearly didn’t go unnoticed by the Tempo’s scouting team, and she’s a great compliment to players like Sabally, Mabrey, and María Conde (assuming the Spanish forward comes over to the WNBA this season). With the Sparks in 2025, she averaged just 5.4 points per game but a solid five assists in 28.3 minutes per game. 
One thing that could really tie this initial roster together is the team honing in on a big in this year’s college draft. The Tempo are selecting 6th overall in this year’s draft, while the Fire select 7th since they picked first in the expansion draft. That could give them a shot at a player like Lauren Betts, who would be an unbelievably great fit with a roster chock-full of great facilitators. 
A worthwhile nugget to mention regarding this initial roster: according to the Tempo’s press release on these selections, the team has taken seven international players, which the <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/toronto-tempo-select-11-players-in-2026-tempo-expansion-draft">team says</a>, “brings a blend of championship experience, international competition at the highest level, and positional versatility as the Tempo begin building their identity in the WNBA.”
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<h2>Portland Fire roster:</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-258016" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_PORTLAND_LIST.png" alt="" width="700" height="875" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_PORTLAND_LIST.png 1080w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_PORTLAND_LIST-240x300.png 240w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_PORTLAND_LIST-819x1024.png 819w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/04/Expansion-Draft-Results-4x5_PORTLAND_LIST-768x960.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /> 
Bridget Carleton, the former Minnesota Lynx forward, was the Fire’s first overall pick and its selection from a list of available unrestricted free agents available in this expansion draft. Each team was allowed to select one UFA, with Mabrey being the Tempo’s pick from that pool. 
Carleton, who was an integral part of Minnesota’s offense from the three point line and as a defender in the paint, could’ve been a fitting addition to Toronto’s roster considering she’s an Ontario native. But, the veteran lands with Portland, providing immediate starting power in the Fire’s frontcourt. She averaged 6.5 points per game along with 3.6 rebounds and two assists, and shot a clean 37.3 percent from three-point range. 
A somewhat surprising name on this draft list is Carla Leite. The former Golden State Valkyries guard had become a fan-favorite in her rookie season with the squad, averaging 7.2 points per game along with two assists and 1.3 rebounds, providing a pop defensively whenever she was on the floor. Her pick-and-roll proficiency made her a huge asset to the Valkyries offense, and especially their bigs. Her not being protected by Golden State could be Portland’s gain. 
With Carleton in the fold in addition to Emily Engstler and Haley Jones, Leite could emerge as one of next season’s best floor generals if utilized correctly. 
Two underrated picks for Portland are Sarah Ashlee Barker and Maya Caldwell. Caldwell, who spent last year with the Atlanta Dream, is a solid three-point shooter and a great cutter to pair with guards like Sug Sutton and Leite who are more focused on facilitating. 
Her addition to this team brings shooting and rim pressure, taking some of that load off the shoulders of the teams’ talented bigs. She averaged 5.4 points per game in addition to 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and almost one steal in 18.5 minutes per game. 
As for Barker, and similarly to Nye with the Tempo, she has an opportunity to show off her strengths with potentially larger minutes with the Fire. The former Sparks guard got plenty of opportunities to flex her defensive skills in 2025, and she was also a decent scorer for stretches.
However, it was always going to be tough to find her a role behind Kelsey Plum and Allemand. She averaged just 3.1 points per game along with 1.9 rebounds and almost one assist, although she only averaged 14.1 minutes per game as a rookie. 
This Fire roster is emphasizing depth at the forward position, as well as guards who can bring out the best in those front court pieces. Portland general manager Vanja Černivec told reporters following the draft that the team prioritized “great teammates who will help us recruit players in free agency.” 
 
“We want to play team-oriented basketball,” she added. 
Carleton, Leite, Caldwell, and Sutton all fit that bill right off the bat. We’ll see if Černivec’s focus on team &#8211; and fan &#8211; favorites with talent to boot works as they look ahead to the college draft and a tumultuous free agency period.

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Rapid Reactions: WNBA Expansion Draft 2026

Expansion Draft

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Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo Select 22 Players in WNBA Expansion Draft 2026

Player News

Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball brings 40 world-class athletes to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, for four weeks of playoff intensity competition. All games will be available to stream for free on the WNBA App!
Players will be drafted to their Week 1 teams on Sunday, February 1, at 1 pm ET.
Check out a rundown of WNBA players participating in this year’s AU action!
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<h2>The Veterans</h2>
<div id="attachment_205830" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-205830" class="wp-image-205830" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-scaled.jpg" alt="Tina Charles #31 of the Connecticut Sun looks on against Atlanta Dream during first quarter at Gateway Center Arena on September 08, 2025 in College Park, Georgia" width="960" height="633" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-1024x675.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-1536x1012.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2234396956-2048x1349.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />Tina Charles #31 of the Connecticut Sun</div>
Tina Charles, league leader in FGM and rebounds, highlights the veteran WNBA presence on the 2026 AU roster. Alysha Clark, Odyssey Sims, and Bria Hartley also each bring over 10 years of W experience to the roster. Nine-year veteran Aerial Powers, along with eight-year vets Ariel Atkins, Lexie Brown, and Kiah Stokes, are set to hit the floor as well. Emma Cannon, Isabelle Harrison, and Kia Nurse bring seven years of league experience, alongside six-year veterans Shey Peddy and Brianna Turner.
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<h2>The Next Generation</h2>
<div id="attachment_205831" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-205831" class="wp-image-205831" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-scaled.jpg" alt="Te-Hina Paopao #2 of the Atlanta Dream smiles during the game against the Dallas Wings on August 29, 2025 at Gateway Center Arena at College Park in Atlanta, Georgia" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/01/GettyImages-2232055092-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />Te-Hina Paopao #2 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
The 2025 WNBA Draft class highlights the wave of next-generation players set to hit the floor for 2026 AU action, including Aneesah Morrow, Te-Hina Paopao, Aaliyah Nye, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Kaitlyn Chen, and Bree Hall. Two-year veterans Jacy Sheldon and Jaylyn Sherrod are also on the roster alongside Zia Cooke and Grace Berger, who are both finishing up their respective third-year campaigns. NaLyssa Smith, Natasha Mack and Kierstan Bell round out the next generation on the roster, with four years of WNBA experience.
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The AU Pro Basketball season tips off Wednesday, February 4. Stream all games for FREE on the WNBA App!

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2026 Athletes Unlimited: The W Roster

WNBA App

– Sheryl Swoopes and Cindy Brunson Return to Lead Broadcast Team for
Fifth Straight Championship Season –
– With Interest in Women’s Basketball Surging, High Stakes Four-Week Sprint
Tips off February 4 in Nashville with Games Available Nationwide via
ESPN and WNBA App; Tickets On Sale Now –
January 21, 2026, New York – With interest in women’s basketball at an all-time high and the sport commanding unprecedented attention across media, culture and fandom, Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is meeting the moment – unveiling its most ambitious broadcast experience yet for its milestone fifth season, delivered via ESPN and the WNBA App.
As the league enters 2026 with its most competitive roster yet, AU Pro Basketball is matching elite on-court talent with a bold, fan-first broadcast production and talent team designed to bring viewers closer to the game than ever before. All 24 games of the AU Pro Basketball season will be available via ESPN and the WNBA App, with additional regional coverage on Gray Media’s Tennessee Valley Sports &amp; Entertainment Network (TVSEN) – ensuring expansive, always-on access throughout the league’s fast-paced, four-week sprint.
Headlining the evolution is the addition of two-time WNBA Champion Sydney Colson, who – as she recovers from her recent injury and works towards her on-court return – joins the AU Pro Basketball broadcast team in a newly-created, dynamic on-air role that blends high-level analysis, personality and real-time connection. A founding AU Pro Basketball athlete and Player Executive Committee member who has competed in every season since the league’s launch in 2022, Colson brings championship credibility and authenticity to the coverage.
Colson joins a veteran, championship-caliber broadcast team led by Basketball Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes and longtime play-by-play voice Cindy Brunson, who return for their fifth consecutive season as the defining voices of AU Pro Basketball, anchoring coverage of what shapes up as the league’s most competitive and talent-rich season yet.
In addition to the iconic Swoopes-Brunson pairing, Colson will serve as a regular game analyst alongside Kevin Barnett, delivering real-time storytelling and high-level breakdowns across ESPN and the WNBA App. Each game will also feature “The Half Show,” an enhanced, high-energy halftime experience spotlighting in-depth analysis, player conversations, and celebrity and VIP guest interviews – with Colson leading the way. Play by play duties will also see appearances by veteran NBA and Milwaukee Bucks announcer, Lisa Byington, as well as legendary play by play broadcaster, Pam Ward. Anna Camden will serve as in-game reporter and halftime contributor.
In addition, former WNBA champion Theresa Plaisance – who is also not competing in AU Pro Basketball this season – will nonetheless have a significant presence in Nashville. She will serve as a co-host in the arena during games and participate in postgame fan appearances, while she and Colson will also co-host a social-first, digital series mockumentary that will be released weekly throughout the season.
At the center of the 2026 AU Pro Basketball broadcast experience is a new approach to bring fans closer to the game. Athletes Unlimited will debut a custom-designed, elevated, fan-facing broadcast booth positioned above the scorer’s table and adjacent to the team benches – and featured prominently on air through a live “small box” view, allowing fans at home to watch announcers react and engage in real time. The Half Show Interviews, certain game analysis and some direct fan engagement fun are included in the plans for the in-venue audience to also enjoy some broadcast &#8220;extras&#8221;.
The fifth AU Pro Basketball championship season returns to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium from February 4 through March 1, 2026, following a record-setting debut in Music City in 2025. Tickets are on sale now at AUProBasketball.com.
“This season of AU Pro Basketball is about innovation on every level – from the stacked roster to the physical spaces where games are called, and to how our broadcast talent moves, interacts, and tells the story of the game,” said Cheri Kempf, Chief Broadcast Officer for Athletes Unlimited. “Sydney represents that evolution perfectly, and will make a great addition to our broadcast team this season.”
“I’m really glad that we were able to figure out a way to keep me involved even though I’m physically unable to play,” said Sydney Colson. “AU has been such a special place to me as a player and now I’m excited to join Sheryl, Cindy, and Kevin on our broadcast team and hopefully make season five the best one yet. I’m not one for dramatics, but this will be the broadcast of a lifetime so just watch us.”
Forty elite professional athletes will compete in four weeks of fast-paced, 5-on-5 full-court action, with $500,000 in prize bonuses on the line and rules set by the players themselves, making every possession matter as athletes compete for the title of AU Pro Basketball Champion.
The league has already announced a robust group of signees for the 2026 season, featuring a dynamic mix of WNBA veterans and emerging fan favorites, including Tina Charles, Alysha Clark, Isabelle Harrison, Lexie Brown, NaLyssa Smith, Kaitlyn Chen, Odyssey Sims, Deja Kelly, Aneesah Morrow, Kia Nurse, Jaylyn Sherrod, Ariel Atkins, Aaliyah Nye, Te-Hina Paopao, Kiah Stokes, and Jacy Sheldon, among others.
AU Pro Basketball was the first winter pro women&#8217;s basketball league to launch in the United States when it began in 2022 and remains the only platform in the U.S. offering professional women the opportunity to play 5-on-5 full court basketball outside of the WNBA. Innovative in its player-focused approach, AU Pro Basketball provides an ability for WNBA players to stay in the U.S. during the offseason while also providing playing opportunities for elite pro players not currently on WNBA rosters. Like other Athletes Unlimited leagues, AU Pro Basketball is led by a Player Executive Committee, and players have the opportunity to share in long-term profits of the company.
AU Pro Basketball is part of Athletes Unlimited, which was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023 and features an Advisory Board comprised of an illustrious group of high-profile contributors from the worlds of sports, business and entertainment including basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes, two-time NBA champion and entrepreneur Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman of 35 Ventures; and U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team superstar Abby Wambach, among many others.
&nbsp;
About Athletes Unlimited:
Named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, Athletes Unlimited owns and operates professional women’s softball, volleyball, and basketball leagues featuring world-class competition and fan experience, and stands out as an organization driven by the athletes that play in the leagues, with athlete representation on the company’s board of directors, each league led by a Player Executive Committee, and players sharing in long-term profits of the company, all while being proactive in shaping policies supporting the women that play in the league. Athletes Unlimited is the first professional sports league to be organized as a Public Benefit Corporation. For more information, visit AUProSports.com.

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Sydney Colson Joins Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball Broadcast Team as League Debuts Fan-First Broadcast Experience for 2026 Season in Nashville

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Latest

Aaliyah Nye

<ul>
<li>2025 WNBA Champion</li>
<li>Drafted No. 13 overall (Round 2, Pick 1) by Las Vegas in the 2025 WNBA Draft</li>
</ul>
<a style="color: #c41010" href="https://aces.wnba.com/full-bio-aaliyah-nye">Click here for more on Aaliyah Nye, including season-by-season, international, college and personal notes.</a>

Aaliyah Nye was drafted in the 2027 Expansion Draft by the  Toronto Tempo.

Selected by Tempo

Comes off bench in rookie season

Back to bench for Game 1

Starting sans Bell

Scores six against Minnesota

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