Fire make Carleton top WNBA expansion draft pick
Why it matters: The Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo drafted 17 players to form the core of their inaugural WNBA rosters.
- Portland Fire made Bridget Carleton their top pick, targeting her early to prevent Toronto from selecting the Ontario native, according to an ESPN source.
- Both the Fire and the Toronto Tempo emphasized veteran role players in the draft, aiming for an experienced foundation for their inaugural rosters.
- Bridget Carleton, a rotation player for the Minnesota Lynx, averaged 6.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season, while Marina Mabrey, drafted by Toronto, was the Connecticut Sun's second-highest scorer with 14.4 points.
- Portland also reunited general manager Vanja Cernivec with Carla Leite, an important scorer and facilitator from the Golden State Valkyries, and picked up Haley Jones, who averaged eight points per game in Dallas.
- Toronto also drafted Nyara Sabally, who filled gaps for the New York Liberty, and Julie Allemand, a three-season veteran originally drafted in 2016.
The Portland Fire selected unrestricted free agent Bridget Carleton as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft, prioritizing veteran role players alongside the Toronto Tempo to build experienced inaugural rosters. Both new franchises focused on established talent, hoping increased opportunities will lead to greater production from players like Carleton, who was a key rotation player for the Minnesota Lynx.
