Expansion Draft Tracker
The Portland Fire have zero players. Everything depends on the CBA. This page tracks every development.
The Negotiations: Day by Day
The CBA expired January 9, 2026. The WNBA imposed a March 10 deadline for a handshake deal to keep the May 8 season start on track. That deadline passed. Here is what happened since:
- March 10-11: Marathon 12-hour negotiation session at The Langham hotel in midtown Manhattan. WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said talks are "going in the right direction."
- March 12: Nine hours of talks. Seven proposals exchanged in the first two days. Ogwumike: "We want to play. We've heard that from the other side as well."
- March 13: Commissioner Engelbert set a new deadline: Monday, March 16. "We have to get it done by Monday... We've got to get expansion going. We've got to get free agency going. We've got to get the college draft."
- March 14 (Friday): 16-hour session, from roughly 10 AM to past 2 AM Saturday. The longest session of the week. Jackson called the league's deadlines "quite arbitrary" but said "movement is still the word." At least 15 proposals exchanged over five days.
- March 15 (Saturday): Talks resumed around 1 PM after the 16-hour overnight. Ogwumike: "There's still work to do, but ultimately we want to get this done." Revenue sharing and housing remain the top items.
- March 16 (Sunday): Engelbert's deadline. Talks expected to continue. "Can things be 24 to 48 hours later than maybe a date that we put on a piece of paper? Sure. But not much more before you start to look at, can we open training camp up."
Where the Money Stands
The core sticking point is revenue sharing. The two sides aren't just offering different numbers -- they're using different accounting frameworks:
26% of Gross Revenue
Salary cap: $9.5M in Year 1
Averaged over the life of the deal (25% in Year 1, rising). Based on total league revenue before expenses. The union says the league's net revenue offer amounts to less than 15% of gross.
70% of Net Revenue
Salary cap: $6.2M in Year 1 (up from $1.5M in 2025)
Net revenue subtracts operating costs before the split. Max base salary exceeding $1.3M in Year 1, growing to ~$2M by Year 6. Average salary ~$570K.
Housing has also been a flashpoint. The league initially proposed eliminating team-provided housing, arguing higher salaries would cover it. They've since reversed and offered to keep housing for all players in 2026.
The WNBPA authorized its executive committee to call a strike in December 2025. Kelsey Plum said publicly that "a strike would be the worst thing for both sides." No strike has been called.
The Timeline If a Deal Happens
Based on the league's proposed calendar (obtained by the AP). Once a deal is reached, ratification takes about three weeks, then the offseason machinery starts:
| Date | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| March 16 | Target for handshake CBA agreement | Tomorrow |
| ~March 31 | CBA formally signed and ratified | Pending |
| April 1-6 | Expansion Draft (Fire + Tempo) | Pending |
| April 7-8 | Qualifying offers sent (incl. core designations) | Pending |
| April 12-18 | Free agent signing period (100+ players) | Pending |
| April 13 | 2026 WNBA Draft | Pending |
| April 19 | Training camp opens | Pending |
| May 8 | WNBA season tips off | Scheduled |
| May 9 | Portland Fire home opener vs Chicago Sky | Scheduled |
How the Expansion Draft Works
The Fire and Toronto Tempo are both building rosters through expansion. Based on reporting from ESPN and the AP:
- Each existing team protects 5 players (down from 6 for the Valkyries last year)
- Fire and Tempo each select from unprotected players on all 13 existing rosters
- Players whose rights are held but who didn't play in the WNBA last season are eligible to be drafted
- Each expansion team gets one unrestricted free agent pick before the open market, potentially using a core designation
- Coin flip between Fire and Tempo determines: winner chooses between #6 in the college draft + #2 in the expansion draft, OR #7 in the college draft + #1 in the expansion draft
- Unrestricted free agents who have exhausted core eligibility (2+ seasons under core contracts) are ineligible for the expansion draft
The league is expected to model this on the 2000 expansion draft -- the last time two teams were added simultaneously. For the Valkyries last year, Golden State received protected player lists 11 days before the draft. Portland and Toronto currently have nothing -- no lists, no coin flip date, no draft date.
Coaching Staff and Front Office
Alex Sarama
From Guildford, England. Worked in professional men's and women's basketball in Europe before spending the 2023-24 season with the Rip City Remix, the G-League affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers. Named head coach October 2025.
Vanja Černivec
Former VP of Basketball Operations for the Golden State Valkyries. Helped build the winningest expansion team in WNBA history. Oversees all basketball operations including roster construction and player development.
Assistant Coach: Sylvia Fowles -- 2x WNBA champion, WNBA MVP, 4x Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Famer.
Current Roster
The Portland Fire have zero players. Over 80% of WNBA players are free agents because the CBA expired. The roster cannot begin to form until a new CBA is ratified, the expansion draft is held, and free agency opens.
Mock Draft Scenarios
Projections based on 5 protected players per team. These are speculative and will change once actual protection lists are filed:
Marquee Pick: Arike Ogunbowale
The Athletic projects Portland selecting Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) as a marquee expansion draft pick. The league's most electric scorer would bring immediate star power and ticket-selling ability. Also projected: Carla Leite and Emily Engstler.
ESPN's mock (based on 5 protected players per team) projected these unprotected pools:
- From Indiana Fever: Chloe Bibby (Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell, Makayla Timpson protected)
- From Phoenix Mercury: Lexi Held, Kalani Brown (Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Kathryn Westbeld protected)
- From Washington Mystics: Emily Engstler, Jacy Sheldon (Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen protected)
- From Golden State Valkyries: Carla Leite, Maria Conde (Veronica Burton, Juste Jocyte protected)