The WNBA and the Women’s Basketball Players Association have settled their differences and agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement. That means the league can now move forward.
The next big step is one that fans have been waiting for. Two brand-new teams, the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire, are set to join the WNBA this season. Before they play a single game, though, they need players. That is where the expansion draft comes in. Here is everything you need to know about how it works.
What Is the Schedule of the Expansion Draft?
According to the league’s official announcement, the expansion process will begin in early April. The draft is scheduled for Friday, April 3, and will play a key role in helping both new franchises form their initial squads.
A special broadcast show will also air that day on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET, with coverage and analysis available for fans to follow along as the selections happen.
How Will Everything Start?
The process begins with a coin toss between Toronto and Portland. The winner gets an important choice: either pick first in the expansion draft or secure the sixth pick (instead of seventh) in the main WNBA Draft later in April. This decision could shape how each team approaches building its roster.
The Real Draft Format
The expansion draft runs two rounds, with both Portland and Toronto picking from a pool of players that the existing 13 teams have left unprotected. Each of those 13 teams is allowed to shield up to five players from being taken. Everyone else on their roster becomes fair game for the two new franchises to select.
This also includes players who are not currently signed but whose rights still belong to an existing team. If either the Fire or Tempo selects one of those players, the rights simply transfer, giving the new team the chance to negotiate a deal with that player.
The order of picks follows a “snake” format, as per the WNBA’s website. So the team that picks first in round one will pick second in round two, and vice versa. The two teams alternate throughout.
How Many Players Can Be Taken From Each Team?
Each of the 13 existing teams can lose a maximum of 1 player. This is a built-in protection to ensure no single team is stripped of its core.
It keeps things fair and makes sure the new rosters are built from a spread of talent across the whole league. Also worth noting is that neither the Fire nor the Tempo is required to make all 12 possible selections.
What Happens With Free Agents?
If one of the new teams selects a player who is about to become a free agent, they assume the same contract rights as the original team.
For example, if a player were to become a restricted free agent, the Fire or Tempo would have the right of first refusal on any contract offer from another team. It keeps the new franchise in control of that player’s situation in the future.
More Teams Are on the Way
Three more franchises are expected to join the league in the coming years, with teams planned for Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia arriving in 2028, 2029, and 2030, respectively.
The league is clearly in a growth phase, and the expansion draft on April 3 is one of the first visible signs.
