unrestricted free agent bridget carlton was chosen by portland fire Friday as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.
A source told ESPN that Carlton was targeted by the Flames early and Portland did not want to give Toronto the opportunity to select the Ontario native.
fire and both toronto tempo The draft emphasized experienced role players, with each franchise laying a more experienced foundation in the first steps taken in building its inaugural roster, and expected that with increased opportunities for each player, there would be greater production.
Carlton, who has played with minnesota lynx Since she was drafted by the team in 2019, she has been a rotation player for the franchise en route to the league’s best record last season. Coming off the bench he averaged 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.9 minutes per game.
portland was also selected Maya CaldwellFive-year veteran who most recently spent three seasons with atlanta dream, Emily Engstler (five years’ service) and sug sutton (four years’ service).
Toronto drafts six-year veteran marina mabrey From connecticut sun. Last season, she was the team’s second-highest scorer with 14.4 points, and also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a team-high average of 31.5 minutes per game. took the tempo also unique strongwho filled some holes for new york liberty Last season when they struggled with injuries to their stars, and Julie AllemandWho has only played three seasons in the league but was originally drafted in 2016.
Here is the full list of selected players, listed in the order selected by each team:
portland fire
Bridget Carlton, Minnesota Links
F Carla Leight, Golden State Valkyries
Yes louisa geiselssoder, dallas wings
C Emily Engstler, washington mystic
F Maya Caldwellatlanta dream
Yes chloe bibby, indiana fever
Yes haley jonesdallas wings
Yes nyadiu puochatlanta dream
F sug suttonwashington mystic
Yes Nika Muhl, seattle storm
toronto tempo
Yes Julie Allemand, los angeles sparks
Yes unique strongnew york liberty
C marina mabreyconnecticut sun
Yes Aaliya Nee, Las Vegas Aces
Yes lexi held, phoenix mercury
Yes maria condeGolden State Valkyries
F Maria Klyundikovaminnesota lynx
F adja canenew york liberty
F Nikolina Milikconnecticut sun
F Kitija Laksaphoenix mercury
Yes Christy Wallaceindiana fever
Leight’s move to Portland led to her meeting with general manager Vanja Cernewicz, who served as vice president of basketball operations for the Valkyries in her first season and helped bring Leight to the Bay Area – where she became a key scorer and facilitator off the bench.
Jones was the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft, but he was waived a few times by the Dream and Mercury before landing in Dallas last year. There, he finally got more opportunities and also increased his production, averaging eight points per game.
Portland also selected Muhl, who was ruled out of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn right ACL. It marks the second consecutive year the third-year player will miss, as he recovers from a left ACL tear that has ruled him out of the 2025 season. Muhl has a personal relationship with Cernewic, with the two having worked with each other at the NBA Academy in 2019.
For Toronto, landing Held gives the team a strong 3-point shooter who played a big role with the Mercury on their way to the WNBA Finals. Last season she was a 25-year-old rookie, but she came with three years of experience playing abroad.
None of these teams were selected chicago skyOption to complete predraft trades with Chicago – exchanging picks in the expansion draft for the 17th pick (to Portland) and 26th pick (to Toronto) in the collegiate draft in 10 days.
Each team was allowed to select one unrestricted free agent, which Portland chose to use on Carlton and Toronto chose to use it on Mabrey. Because they are not core players, both Carlton and Mabrey can still exercise that right and not sign with the team that took them in the expansion draft.
Next on the WNBA’s offseason agenda is free agency. However, sources told ESPN that teams do not have dates or details on when the period will begin. This is because the new collective bargaining agreement has not yet been signed. The league, its players and the Board of Governors all voted to ratify the CBA, which the WNBA said was “one of the most transformative labor agreements ever reached in major professional sports.” However, free agency cannot occur until a long-form document is signed, sources said. Another source said it was hoped it could be completed by Sunday.
The collegiate draft is scheduled for April 13, and training camp begins on April 19.
