Portland Fire Announces Expansion Draft Selections
WNBA Portland Fire

Portland Fire Announces Expansion Draft Selections

Published on April 3, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Portland Fire News Release


Portland, OR - The Portland Fire has announced the team's selections in the WNBA Expansion Draft, presented by State Street Investment Management SPY, marking the first step in building out its roster ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.

The selections took place on Friday, April 3, during which the Fire had the opportunity to select from a designated pool of available players as determined by each of the current 13 teams. On April 1, the Fire agreed to a second-round pick swap with the Chicago Sky in exchange for not selecting any of its unprotected players.

The list of players selected by the Fire includes:

Bridget Carleton (via the Minnesota Lynx)

Carla Leite (via the Golden State Valkyries)

Luisa Geiselsöder (via the Dallas Wings)

Emily Engstler (via the Washington Mystics)

Maya Caldwell (via the Atlanta Dream)

Chloe Bibby (via the Indiana Fever)

Haley Jones (via the Dallas Wings)

Nyadiew Puoch (via the Atlanta Dream)

Sarah Ashlee Barker (via the Los Angeles Sparks)

Sug Sutton (via the Washington Mystics)

Nika Mühl (via the Seattle Storm)

"Today marks a significant milestone for the Portland Fire," said Portland Fire General Manager Vanja Černivec. "Our goal with the Expansion Draft was to add players who bring versatility, competitiveness, and strong character to this organization. Each selection was made with intention, focusing not only on talent, but on identifying players who align with the culture and style of play we are committed to establishing in Portland."

With the Expansion Draft now complete, the Fire will continue building its roster through the upcoming free agency period, and additionally, the team owns the 7th, 17th and 37th picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which takes place on Monday, April 13.

The Fire's Expansion Draft selections are listed below:

Player Position Height DOB Prior To WNBA WNBA Experience

Sarah Ashlee Barker G 6-0 9/10/2001 Alabama / USA 1

Chloe Bibby F 6-2 6/15/1998 Maryland / Australia 1

Maya Caldwell G 5-11 12/15/1998 Georgia / USA 4

Bridget Carleton F 6-2 5/22/1997 Iowa State / Canada 7

Emily Engstler F 6-1 5/1/2000 Louisville / USA 4

Luisa Geiselsöder C 6-4 2/10/2000 Germany 1

Haley Jones F 6-1 5/23/2001 Stanford / USA 3

Carla Leite G 5-9 4/16/2004 France 1

Nika Mühl G 6-0 4/9/2001 Connecticut / Croatia 2

Nyadiew Puoch F 6-3 6/23/2004 Australia 0

Sug Sutton G 5-8 12/17/1998 Texas / USA 4



Women's National Basketball Association Stories from April 3, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central