{"id":564983,"date":"2026-04-04T23:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/564983\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T23:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T23:16:08","slug":"what-to-make-of-the-expansion-rosters-drafted-by-the-portland-fire-and-toronto-tempo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/564983\/","title":{"rendered":"What to make of the expansion rosters drafted by the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\">The Portland Fire selected Bridget Carleton with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">A member of the Minnesota Lynx since 2019, the Canadian sharpshooter will be a founding player for the rebirth of the Fire. Canada\u2019s first WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo, selected Julie Allemand with the second pick in the expansion draft. The Belgian point guard has three seasons of WNBA experience, most recently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s how the whole expansion draft unfolded:<\/p>\n<p>First round<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Bridget Carleton (Minnesota; unrestricted free agent)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Julie Allemand (Los Angeles; restricted free agent)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Carla Leite (Golden State; under contract)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Nyara Sabally (New York; under contract)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Luisa Geisels\u00f6der (Dallas; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Marina Mabrey (Connecticut; unrestricted free agent)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Emily Engstler (Washington; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Aaliyah Nye (Las Vegas; under contract)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Maya Caldwell (Atlanta; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Lexi Held (Phoenix; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Chloe Bibby (Indiana; reserved)<\/p>\n<p>Second round<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Mari\u00e1 Conde (Golden State; contract expired)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Haley Jones (Dallas; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Maria Kliundikova (Minnesota; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Nyadiew Puoch (Atlanta; rights held)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Adja Kane (New York; rights held)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Sarah Ashlee Barker (Los Angeles; under contract)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Nikolina Mili\u0107 (Connecticut; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Sug Sutton (Washington; restricted free agent)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Kitija Laksa (Phoenix; reserved)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Toronto: Kristy Wallace (Indiana; contract expired)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Portland: Nika M\u00fchl (Seattle; under contract)<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Although free agency and the college draft still are to come, let\u2019s evaluate the current state of the inaugural rosters for the WNBA\u2019s 14th and 15th franchises.<\/p>\n<p>Portland Fire roster analysis<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The Fire roster reflects the basketball philosophies of general manager Vanja \u010cernivec and head coach Alex Sarama. \u010cernivec came to Portland after a season with the Valkyries, a team that prioritized system and culture over traditional star power to great success during their inaugural season, while Sarama, most recently an assistant with the NBA\u2019s Cleveland Cavaliers, is <a href=\"https:\/\/highposthoops.com\/portland-fires-constraints-led-approach-could-reshape-wnba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:known for his constraints-led approach;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;known for his constraints-led approach&quot;}\" class=\"link \">known for his constraints-led approach<\/a>, an offensive philosophy that empowers players to adapt to on-court circumstances rather than adhere to more scripted sets.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Even more than the Valkyries did, the Fire, at least as currently constituted, lack a typical star, but, headlined by No. 1 pick Carleton, the players seemed suited to help realize the vision of \u010cernivec and Sarama. It\u2019s also a roster that provides an infrastructure for a higher-wattage star to eventually slide into, whether that happens in the upcoming free agency period, through the college draft or next offseason.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">It makes sense that Carleton, with her experience in the Lynx\u2019s sophisticated offensive system, appealed to Portland as their one unrestricted free agent draftee. Carleton also has demonstrated malleability across her pro career. Although a role player in Minnesota, she has assumed primary scorer responsibilities when playing overseas, as well as for the Canadian national team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Considering \u010cernivec came from Golden State, it\u2019s also unsurprising that Portland grabbed Leite with their second selection. It\u2019s the second-straight year Leite has been an expansion draft selection, something that should be considered a compliment to the upside she\u2019s flashed with both the Valkyries in the WNBA and Casademont Zaragoza in EuroLeague Women. Her value not only comes from her potential as an off-the-bounce scorer, but also from the fact that she\u2019s under contract for three more seasons, including 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Emily Engstler, Maya Caldwell and Haley Jones, drafted from Washington, Atlanta, and Dallas, respectively, and all of whom are reserved players, bring different flavors of multi-positional versatility that would seem to fit with Portland\u2019s philosophies. Sarah Ashlee Barker, a first-round pick by the Sparks in last year\u2019s college draft, sports a skillset that suggests she could replicate the combination of high-volume 3-point shooting and creation of Carleton. Barker also has three years remaining on her rookie-scale contract.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">On the big front, offensive skill was the priority for Portland, as both Luisa Geisels\u00f6der and Chloe Bibby, arriving via Dallas and Indiana, are comfortable behind the arc and with the ball in the their hands, although, due to a lack of foot speed and strength, both leave something to be desired on the defensive end.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">At the moment, Portland profiles as a potentially fun offense, one that will need to score a lot of points because they may also sacrifice a lot on the other end. After the draft, \u010cernivec did suggest the team intended to prioritize bigs during free agency, with such players potentially enhancing the team\u2019s defensive viability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The point guards drafted can at least provide some defensive resistance, as former Mystic Sug Sutton and former Storm Nika M\u00fchl, who will miss the 2026 season as she recovers from an ACL injury, can heat up the ball at the point of attack. <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/highkin\/status\/2040162050060767605\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Based on comment from \u010cernivec;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Based on comment from \u010cernivec&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Based on comment from \u010cernivec<\/a>, it appears the team intends to invest in M\u00fchl as a longterm piece, in spite of her current unavailability.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Toronto Tempo roster analysis<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">While the Fire\u2019s roster seems to reflect a clear identity, it\u2019s more difficult to discern the Tempo\u2019s vision for their expansion season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Thus far, it\u2019s a roster much different from the ones head coach Sandy Brondello has manned in her previous two spots, both of which produced championships. In Phoenix, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, along with one Skylar Diggins season, were the centripetal stars. In New York, she again was in charge of a super team, guiding the likes of Brenna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Currently, Marina Mabrey most approximates a star. But while capable of star-level scoring nights, as she showed at Philly is Unrivaled, Mabrey lacks the night-to-night consistency of true WNBA stars, as demonstrated during her tenure with the Sun last season. After the draft, general manager Monica Wright Rogers emphasized that the organization valued Mabrey\u2019s competitiveness, suggesting that Toronto\u2019s decision to presumably make her their featured offensive player, as she was the team\u2019s unrestricted free agent selection, extends beyond her on-court production.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Including Mabrey, Toronto has compiled a more traditional roster.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">With Brondello herself being a former point guard, nabbing restricted free agent Allemand, a steady offensive orchestrator, with the team\u2019s first pick shouldn\u2019t have been too surprising. Lexie Held, Mari\u00e1 Conde and Kritsy Wallace, from Phoenix, Golden State and Indiana, respectively, give Toronto more on-ball operators. An experienced EuroLeague standout, Conde, a Spanish national who played collegiately at Florida State, has never suited up in the W; it will be interesting if she decides now is the time to take her talents stateside. Brondello also has extra familiarity with Wallace from the Australian national team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Familiarity also describes Toronto\u2019s frontcourt strategy, as they selected New York bench bigs Nyara Sabally and Adja Kane. Drafting Sabally with their second first-round selection was a bit curious, even though she is under contract for the coming season. While talented, injuries have prevented her from consistently playing, much less fulfilling her potential. Potential certainly describes Kane, a 6-foot-3 and 21-year-old big from France who was drafted by the Liberty last season but stayed overseas. Maria Kliundikova and Nikolina Mili\u0107 give Toronto two more bigs with good size and a measure of offensive versatility, as both have experimented with a 3-point shot. Not in the WNBA since 2019, Kliundikova played for the Lynx last season. While drafted from the Sun, Mili\u0107 last played in the WNBA in 2023, when she was a member of the Lynx.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Aaliyah Nye, certainly, will be expected to provide 3-point shooting for the Tempo. As rookie, she had some big games for the Aces, with her prowess as a 3-point shooter exceeding her 31 percent mark. Toronto can also benefit from her rookie-scale contract. Kitija Laksa offers the possibility of more 3-point shooting, although she also scratched under 32 percent from behind the arc in her first WNBA season with the Mercury.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">More than the Fire, the Tempo likely need a significant move or two in free agency, or to really hit on the No. 6 pick in the college draft, for this roster to credibly compete on a nightly basis, which, according to Wright Rogers, is the intention. Right now, Toronto seems too reliant on Mabrey outbursts or the occasional hot shooting night from Nye to generate wins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">What\u2019s your assessment? Are you intrigued by the Fire? Do you see the vision with Tempo?<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">And, what do you wish we knew about existing teams\u2019 protected player lists, who was actually available for drafting and any behind-the-scenes agenting or angling that influenced the selections made by Portland and Toronto?<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Share all your expansion draft analysis, curiosities and questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Portland Fire selected Bridget Carleton with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft. A&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":564984,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[9207,5786,49796,5550,77719,104464,8174,2000,1062,60422,74038,6403,29249,2652,14400,23628,72776,2114,16803,3031,3029,248947,12816,85511,1077,16806,18740,12077,3675,92929,1839,4386,99,60426,1608,85228,69509,2002,434,51110],"class_list":{"0":"post-564983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wnba","8":"tag-aaliyah-nye","9":"tag-atlanta","10":"tag-bridget-carleton","11":"tag-brittney-griner","12":"tag-carla-leite","13":"tag-chloe-bibby","14":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","15":"tag-connecticut","16":"tag-dallas","17":"tag-emily-engstler","18":"tag-expansion-draft","19":"tag-free-agency","20":"tag-haley-jones","21":"tag-indiana","22":"tag-jonquel-jones","23":"tag-julie-allemand","24":"tag-kitija-laksa","25":"tag-las-vegas","26":"tag-lexi-held","27":"tag-los-angeles","28":"tag-los-angeles-sparks","29":"tag-maria-kliundikova","30":"tag-marina-mabrey","31":"tag-maya-caldwell","32":"tag-minnesota-lynx","33":"tag-nyara-sabally","34":"tag-phoenix","35":"tag-portland-fire","36":"tag-sabrina-ionescu","37":"tag-sarah-ashlee-barker","38":"tag-seattle","39":"tag-skylar-diggins","40":"tag-sports","41":"tag-sug-sutton","42":"tag-sun","43":"tag-toronto-tempo","44":"tag-unrestricted-free-agent","45":"tag-washington","46":"tag-wnba","47":"tag-wnba-expansion-draft"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=564983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}