How will the WNBA expansion draft work for the Indiana Fever?
With the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire joining the WNBA for the 2026 season, here's how the Indiana Fever could be impacted.
On Friday, April 3, the WNBA's newest teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will build part of their inaugural rosters by selecting players from the league's 13 existing franchises. While there are some similarities to the 2025 WNBA Expansion Draft involving the Golden State Valkyries, there are also a few key differences to note. Thanks to the rules established in the newly codified CBA, the Fever and the 12 other existing franchises will be allowed to protect up to five players from their submitted Roster List, which includes every player they have rights to, covering active, suspended, draft list/reserve, core, and retired lists.
Given that the exact Roster List for the Fever has not yet been publicly shared, fans can infer the Fever will likely protect guard Caitlin Clark, guard Kelsey Mitchell (unrestricted free agent), guard Lexie Hull (restricted free agent), guard Sophie Cunningham (unrestricted free agent), and center Aliyah Boston, as they looks to make a championship push this season. After an official coin toss on March 27 to determine who would select first between the two new franchises, the Fire were named the owners of the No. 1 overall pick, while the Tempo will draft players second.
everything you need to know about the 2026 @WNBA expansion draft ▶️ tune in Friday at 3:30 p. m. ET as Portland & Toronto build their teams.
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