Portland Fire 2026 WNBA Free Agency Preview
Here is your preview for the busiest week in the history of the Portland Fire, so far.
Last Friday, the Portland Fire made history with eleven expansion draft selections. Five days later, the 2026 WNBA expansion franchise is meeting and negotiating with potential free agent signings.
Before the signing period opens Saturday April 11th, read this short look at the Fire’s roster, including takeaways from the expansion draft, and where the team might go from here.
Don’t expect many signings
Last Friday, the Fire drafted eleven players. Their final pick, Nika Mühl, suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this Spring. Minus Mühl, the team will start training with ten expansion draft picks and three amateur draft picks. That’s all before including any potential free agents. If the Fire stay quiet during free agency, a glance of the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement might explain why.
From Article XXXIII, Section 4: “Each Team may maintain up to a maximum of twelve (12) players on its roster during each Season covered by this Agreement (barring the granting by the WNBA of a roster hardship exception).“
Simply put, the results of next week’s draft will put them over twelve players, and they’ll need to cut one. If they sign any free agents, then their number of required cuts would go up further.
Still, the Fire will talk with free agents
In an ESPN.com piece published yesterday morning, Kendra Andrews wrote that the Fire would pitch free agents during the WNBA negotiating period, which began this morning.
From that piece: “A team source with the Fire told ESPN that the franchise was trying to get as many meetings as possible with players looking for new teams so they could pitch their vision.“
General manager Vanja Černivec and head coach Alex Sarama will use the negotiating period to share their long-term vision with players and agents. Sarama, 30, is the league’s youngest head coach. He also boasts a unique philosophy and coaching style. While the Fire might not make a big splash in free agency, they can begin introducing Sarama to the W, building relationships that will pay dividends in future offseasons.
If they do add any signings, consider these positions of need
Sarama’s first Fire roster can drive, kick, and shoot threes. They also flash length and positional versatility on defense. However, the roster has two glaring needs: post players, and shooting guards.
Forwards Emily Engstler and Chloe Bibby are better suited to play stretch roles on the perimeter. Centers Luisa Geiselsöder and Nyadiew Puoch share a combined 28 games played in the WNBA. Frankly, the Fire need a veteran presence in the paint.
At two guard, former Atlanta Dream vet Maya Caldwell will likely compete with former Dallas Wings guard Haley Jones. Caldwell and Jones started sixteen games apiece last season, but have largely played rotational roles during their professional careers. Carla Leite might be ready to run the point, but Portland would be wise to add a veteran shooter next to her.
—
Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.
PortlandSupporter.com is free to read without a paywall, and 100% advertisement-free. Instead, Matt concludes every article with a brief spotlight on his favorite local charities.
SheFlies is an initiative under the Sport Oregon Foundation working to support, engage, and celebrate girls and women in sport across Oregon. Their grants help all who identify as girls and women have an opportunity to use sports to take flight into the many positive benefits of sports participation. To learn more about donating, browse this link.