How the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft Works
WNBA Indiana Fever

How the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft Works

Published on March 27, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


The 2026 WNBA season is on its way and, thanks to the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement, it will be a mad dash over the next few weeks, with free agency, the WNBA Draft, and the start of training camp all taking place in the next month. The first offseason domino, however, is the Expansion Draft, which will take place on Friday, April 3 at 3:30 PM ET.

After the Golden State Valkyries became the first expansion franchise in 17 years to join the WNBA last season, two new expansion teams will make their debuts this season: the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. Like the Valkyries last year, they will begin to form their rosters through the Expansion Draft. Thanks to both the new CBA and the fact that there are two expansion teams this year instead of one, the rules for the 2026 Expansion Draft are a little different from those in 2025.

Here's a high-level overview of how the Expansion Draft will work this year and how it could impact the Fever.

First, each of the 13 existing WNBA teams must submit a list to the league office by Sunday, March 29, of all the players they have rights to as of the final day of the 2025 regular season. This list includes players on the team's active, suspended, draft list/reserved, core, or retired lists. Each team can designate a maximum of five "Protected Players" who will not be available for selection in the Expansion Draft. All other players will be placed on the Unprotected List and be eligible for selection.

In 2025, teams were able to protect up to six players. The list of which players were protected by each franchise was not made public.

The Expansion Draft will consist of two rounds, with up to 12 picks per round (six picks per team). As the result of a coin toss, Portland will pick first in the first round and the two teams will alternate picks. Toronto will pick first in the second round, with the teams again alternating selections. Neither team is required to make all six picks in each round.

Portland and Toronto are only allowed to select a maximum of two players from each of the existing 13 teams and only one player from each existing franchise can be picked in each round. So the Fever can only lose a maximum of two players they have rights to during the Expansion Draft. Last year, they lost one player, as Golden State selected Temi Fagbenle.

There are additional stipulations that the Fire and Tempo must follow in the Expansion Draft. Any unprotected player who has five or more years of service and does not have a contract for the 2026 season is considered a "Potential Unrestricted Free Agent." Portland and Toronto can only select one player each that fits that description. If the player they select is eligible to be designated as a Core Player, they can make that designation. If the player is no longer eligible for a Core designation, the expansion team that selects that player will be the only team that can negotiate a supermax contract with that player.

In the five days between when roster lists are submitted and the Expansion Draft, the two expansion teams are permitted to explore potential trades with existing teams. The expansion teams can make an agreement to select a particular player in the Expansion Draft and trade that player to another existing team. They can also make an agreement to select or not select a particular player from an existing team's Unprotected List in exchange for assets.

The 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft will be broadcast on Friday, April 3 at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN.

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