The Portland Fire selected Bridget Carlton with the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.
The Canadian sharpshooter, a member of the Minnesota Lynx since 2019, will be a founding player in the Flames’ rebirth. The Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, selected Julie Allemand with the second overall pick in the expansion draft. The Belgian point guard has three seasons of WNBA experience, most recently with the 2025 Los Angeles Sparks.
advertise
Here’s how the entire extension draft unfolds:
first round
-
Portland: Bridget Carleton (Minnesota; unrestricted free agent)
-
Toronto: Julie Allemand (Los Angeles; restricted free agent)
-
Portland: Carla Leite (Golden State Warriors; under contract)
-
Toronto: Nyara Sabally (New York; under contract)
-
Portland: Luisa Geiselsöder (Dallas; retained)
-
Toronto: Marina Mabrey (Connecticut; unrestricted free agent)
-
Portland: Emily Engstler (Washington; retained)
-
Toronto: Aaliyah Nye (Las Vegas; under contract)
-
Portland: Maya Caldwell (Atlanta; retained)
-
Toronto: Lexi Held (Phoenix; retained)
-
Portland: Chloe Bibby (Indiana; reserved)
second round
-
Toronto: Maria Conde (Golden State Warriors; contract expired)
-
Portland: Haley Jones (Dallas; retained)
-
Toronto: Maria Kliundikova (Minnesota; retained)
-
Portland: Nyadiew Puoch (Atlanta; holds rights)
-
Toronto: Adja Kane (New York; holds rights)
-
Portland: Sarah Ashlee Barker (Los Angeles; under contract)
-
Toronto: Nikolina Milić (Connecticut; reserved)
-
Portland: Sug Sutton (Washington; restricted free agent)
-
Toronto: Kitja Laksa (Phoenix; retained)
-
Toronto: Christie Wallace (Indiana; contract expired)
-
Portland: Nika Mühl (Seattle; under contract)
While free agency and the college draft are yet to come, let’s take stock of the current state of the inaugural rosters for the WNBA’s 14th and 15th teams.
Portland Flames roster analysis
The Flames’ roster reflects the basketball philosophy of general manager Vanja Chernivik and head coach Alex Salama. Chernivik comes to Portland after spending one season with the Valkyrie, a team that enjoyed great success in its first season by prioritizing system and culture over traditional star power, while Salama, who most recently served as an assistant coach with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, is known for his constraint-driven offensive philosophy that allows players to adapt to on-court circumstances rather than adhere to more of a script.
advertise
As things stand, at least, the Flames are missing a prototypical star more than the Valkyries, but, with No. 1 overall pick Carlton leading the way, the players appear to be the right fit to help realize Cherniewicz and Salama’s vision. It’s also a roster that provides the infrastructure for higher-wattage stars to eventually slide into it, whether it’s during the upcoming free agency period, the college draft or next offseason.
It would make sense for Carlton to lure Portland as one of their unrestricted free-agent prospects with his experience in the Bobcats’ complicated offense. Carlton has also shown malleability throughout her career. Although she was a role player at Minnesota, she took on primary scorer duties while playing overseas and with the Canadian national team.
Considering Chernivik is from the Golden State Warriors, it’s no surprise that Portland drafted Wright with the second overall pick. This is the second year in a row that Wright has been an expansion draft pick, which should be taken as a compliment to the upside she showed with the WNBA’s Valkyrie and the EuroLeague Women’s League’s Casa del Monte Zaragoza. Her value comes not only from her potential as a quick scorer, but also from the fact that she has three seasons left on her contract, including 2026.
advertise
Emily Engstler, Maya Caldwell and Haley Jones, drafted out of Washington, Atlanta and Dallas respectively, are all holdover players who bring different styles of multi-position versatility that seem to fit Portland’s philosophy. Sarah Ashlee Barker, a first-round pick by the Sparks in last year’s college draft, has a skill set that suggests she can replicate Carlton’s combination of high-volume 3-point shooting and creation. Buck has three years left on his rookie contract.
At power forward, offensive skill is a priority for Portland, as Louisa Gesselsold and Chloe Bibby, both arriving from Dallas and Indiana, are comfortable behind the arc and with the ball in their hands, although both have deficiencies on the defensive end due to a lack of foot speed and strength.
Right now, Portland is viewed as a potentially interesting offense that needs to score a lot because they could also sacrifice a lot on the other end. After the draft, Chernivik did suggest that the team intends to prioritize big men in free agency, and that such players might bolster the team’s defensive capabilities.
The point guard drafted could at least provide some defensive resistance, as former Mystic Sarge Sutton and former Storm Nika Mir (who will miss the 2026 season while recovering from an ACL injury) can heat the ball at the point of attack. Based on Chernivik’s comments, the team seems intent on using Mir as a long-term investment despite his current unavailability.
advertise
Toronto Tempo Roster Analysis
While the Flames’ roster seems to reflect a clear identity, it’s more difficult to discern the Pacers’ vision for the expansion season.
So far, this team is much different than the lineups head coach Sandy Brondello had at her previous two positions, both of which produced champions. In Phoenix, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner were the centerpiece stars of their season, along with Skylar Diggins. In New York, she once again leads a super team, coaching the likes of Brenna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.
Currently, Marina Mabray is closest to stardom. However, while Marbury was able to bring star-level scoring prowess to Philadelphia’s unparalleled game, she lacked the game-by-game consistency of a true WNBA star, something that was evident during her tenure with the Suns last season. After the draft, general manager Monica Wright-Rogers emphasized that the organization valued Marbury’s competitiveness, a sign that Toronto’s decision to make her their featured offensive player since she was the team’s unrestricted free agent option goes beyond her on-court performance.
Including Mabrey, Toronto has fielded a more traditional lineup.
advertise
Brondero is a former point guard himself and acquired Allemande as a restricted free agent, a solid offensive coordinator, so the team’s No. 1 pick shouldn’t be too surprising. Lexi Held, Mariah Conde and Chrissy Wallace from Phoenix, Golden State and Indiana respectively provide Toronto with more ball-handling players. A veteran EuroLeague standout, Conde is a Spaniard who played at Florida State but has never played in La Liga. It would be interesting if she decided now is the time to develop her talents in the United States. Brondello is also particularly familiar with Wallace of the Australian national team.
There’s also familiarity with Toronto’s frontcourt strategy, as they optioned New York backup big men Nyara Sabally and A’ja Kane. Using their second first-round pick to draft Sabally was a bit odd, even though she’s still under contract for next season. Despite her talent, injuries prevented her from playing consistently, let alone reaching her potential. Kane is a 6-foot-3, 21-year-old big man from France who was drafted by the Liberty last season but stayed overseas. Maria Klindicova and Nikolina Milic give Toronto another two big men with good size and offensive versatility, as both have attempted three-pointers. Klindicova has not played in the WNBA since 2019 and played for the Bobcats last season. Millic last played in the WNBA in 2023 as a member of the Bobcats after being drafted from the Suns.
Of course, Aaliyah Naye will be expected to provide three-point shooting for Tempo. As a rookie, she played some big games for the Aces, shooting over 31% from three-point range. Toronto could also benefit from her rookie contract. Kitja Laksa offers more 3-point shooting possibilities, although she also shot less than 32 percent from 3-point range in her first WNBA season with the Mercury.
advertise
More importantly than the Flames, Tempo will likely need to make a big move or two in free agency or actually land the sixth overall pick in the college draft in order for this roster to credibly compete on a nightly basis, and that’s their intention, according to Wright Rodgers. Right now, Toronto seems too reliant on Mabrey’s outbursts or Nye’s occasional hot shooting to win.
What’s your assessment? Are you interested in fire? Do you see Tempo’s vision?
And, you’d like us to know about current teams’ protected rosters, players who could actually be drafted, and any behind-the-scenes agents or anglers influencing Portland and Toronto’s draft picks?
advertise
Share all your extended draft analyses, curiosities, and questions.
