Portland Fire WNBA Expansion Draft Recap
The 2026 Portland Fire roster began to take shape today, as the franchise selected 11 players in a nationally-televised expansion draft.
Friday April 3rd 2026 is not just a day. It is a day that women’s basketball fans in Portland will remember forever.
Today, the WNBA expansion franchise Portland Fire selected 11 members in an expansion draft. They are the first professional women’s basketball players to represent the Rose City since the original Portland Fire folded in 2002.
In a nationally televised spectacle on ESPN this afternoon, both expansion franchises Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo announced their picks. Afterwards, their general managers each performed 1-on-1 interviews with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
The first selection in Portland Fire history was Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton. The 28 year old Carleton is a three-point sniper and defensive stalwart. Carleton broke out in 2024, tallying 9.6 points per game on 44% field goal shooting and 44% three point shooting, while averaging 29.4 minutes per game. She also represents Canada at the international level, where she won a gold medal at 2017 FIBA AmeriCup and a silver medal at the 2019 AmeriCup.
The full list of Portland’s expansion draft selections, with links to feature pieces here at PortlandSupporter.com, can be browsed below:
Minnesota Lynx F Bridget Carleton
Golden State Valkyries G Carla Leite
Dallas Wings C Luisa Geiselsöder
Washington Mystics F Emily Engstler
Atlanta Dream G Maya Caldwell
Indiana Fever F Chloe Bibby
Dallas Wings G/F Haley Jones
Atlanta Dream F/C Nyadiew Puoch
Los Angeles Sparks G Sarah Ashlee Barker
Washington Mystics G Sug Sutton
Seattle Storm G Nika Mühl
—
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 100% subscription-free & advertisement-free. Instead, we conclude every article with a brief spotlight on our favorite local charities. The Autism Society of Oregon sponsors local support groups across Oregon which assist people of all ages on the autism spectrum, and their caregivers. To learn more about volunteering and/or donating to ASO, browse this link.