Tempo opt for versatility, Fire prioritize shooting in WNBA expansion draft
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The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire now have a clearer picture of what their respective rosters could resemble following Friday's WNBA expansion draft.
The Tempo and Fire took part in a two-round snake draft in which both teams could make up to 12 total selections. They picked from a designated pool of players left unprotected by 12 of the league's 13 other teams. Only one player per club could be selected in each round.
Nobody from the Chicago Sky was eligible to be taken, as the team made separate trades with Toronto and Portland prior to the expansion draft to ensure that its squad stayed intact.
Toronto and Portland also had the option of taking one unrestricted free agent with the benefit of being the only club that can offer them a supermax contract, which is worth $1.4 million annually.
The Tempo won a coin toss conducted by the WNBA on March 27 and subsequently chose to pick sixth in the first round of the college draft rather than first in the expansion draft. As a result, the Fire obtained the top pick in Friday's draft and the No. 7 overall pick in the WNBA draft on April 13.
Here are some initial thoughts on Toronto's and Portland's first roster moves.
Portland emphasized 3-point shooting with its selection of Carleton. The 6-foot-2 forward developed into a key starter for the Lynx, finishing third in Most Improved Player voting in 2024. Her 39.1% career clip from downtown is the ninth-best mark among active players. With Carleton set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Fire can offer her the core designation, which allows the franchise to give her a one-year deal with a supermax salary if the two sides can't agree on a long-term contract. Geiselsoder and Bibby give Portland a pair of stretch-bigs, while Caldwell is a 3-and-D wing like Carleton.
The Wings selected Leite with the No. 9 overall pick two years ago, but she initially chose to stay overseas. The Frenchwoman made her WNBA debut last season after being chosen by the Valkyries in the 2024 expansion draft. She averaged 7.2 points and two assists in a backup role, thriving as a downhill attacker. Leite, 21, appears to be just scratching the surface and is under team control for multiple seasons. Engstler and Jones are another pair of former high draft picks. Engstler's athleticism allows her to defend multiple positions, but she's struggled to develop a consistent jumper thus far. Meanwhile, Jones started 16 games last season on a rebuilding Wings squad, tallying 8.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest across 24 appearances.
"Throughout this process, our priority was finding players who embody effort, selflessness, and a commitment to team success," said Fire general manager Vanja Cernivec in a statement. "Each player we selected reflects the culture of what we are building and the style of play we want the Fire to represent from Day 1."
Toronto gave itself plenty of flexibility heading into the upcoming draft and free-agency period. Allemand provided the Sparks with a steady presence at the point last season, registering five assists per contest and finishing with the league's fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.21). She'll likely share the backcourt with Mabrey, who can also slide up to play small forward. The Notre Dame product is an unrestricted free agent and eligible to receive the core designation from the Tempo. Mabrey is coming off a down shooting season with the Sun, but she's been a steady scorer and capable secondary playmaker throughout her career. She has finished in the WNBA's top 10 for 3-point field goals on three occasions.
Nye can also play the two or three and could bring great value on a rookie deal. She showed promise during her 2025 debut campaign as both a floor-spacer and versatile defender. Held, another second-year player, offers a similar skill set. She served as the Mercury's backup point guard during her maiden WNBA season, knocking down 2.1 threes per 36 minutes and playing solid point-of-attack defense. Sabally and Kliundikova are in line to anchor Toronto's defense. Sabally spent the last three seasons in New York with Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello and excelled as a rim-protector while filling in for Jonquel Jones as the starting five. Kliundikova emerged as a dependable frontcourt option for the Lynx after taking a six-year hiatus from the WNBA. The 6-foot-4 forward provides physicality and shot-blocking and has enough size to play center.
"Our goal was to construct a roster that reflects the style of play and culture we want to establish - one that balances competitiveness with long-term flexibility and features players who bring versatility, toughness, and winning experience," said Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers in a statement. "This group gives us the ability to compete from Day 1 while continuing to build and embraces the opportunity to help shape something new in a new country as Canada's first WNBA team."