Maya Caldwell: The Steady Hand
Three seasons in Atlanta. 105 games. Charlotte to Athens to the ATL to Portland. The Fire got themselves a guard who knows how to play.
The Pick
Ninth overall from the Atlanta Dream. By pick nine, Portland had already grabbed their headliners: Carleton, Leite, Engstler, Geiselsöder. But building a roster isn't just about stars. It's about players who show up every night, know their role, and keep the machine running. That's Maya Caldwell. 105 games in three seasons. You don't play 105 WNBA games by accident. You play them by being reliable enough that coaches keep putting you on the floor.
Portland needed that in the expansion draft. Flashy picks get the headlines. Picks like Caldwell win you games in July when the schedule gets brutal.
Georgia to the Dream
Caldwell grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and went to the University of Georgia. Stayed in the Southeast. The Indiana Fever drafted her 33rd overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft, third round. She got cut during training camp. Most players at that point disappear. Caldwell didn't. The Atlanta Dream signed her to a training camp contract in February 2022, and she earned a roster spot. Third round picks don't come with guarantees. They come with an invitation to prove you belong. Caldwell proved it on her second try.
Three seasons with Atlanta. 105 games. 508 career points, 221 rebounds, 140 assists. Those are real numbers from a player who earned every minute. At 5'11" she has good size for a guard, and the rebounding numbers (2.1 per game) reflect that. She gets to spots and she competes on the glass. That combination of size, production, and availability is exactly what you want from a mid-round expansion pick.
Three Seasons in Atlanta
The Dream gave Caldwell opportunity and she took it. 105 games is a lot of basketball. That's three full seasons of showing up, competing for minutes, and producing when she got them. Her 4.8 PPG and 1.3 APG won't jump off the page, but context matters. She was a third-round pick who turned herself into a rotation player on a WNBA team. That's a success story, and Portland is betting that success travels across the country.
What the numbers don't show is the knowledge she brings. Three years of WNBA scouting reports in her head. Three years of game planning, film sessions, and understanding what it takes to win at this level. For an expansion team with players from all over the world, having someone who's been through 105 WNBA games is valuable beyond the stat sheet.
What to Watch in 2026
The guard rotation is deep. Sug Sutton runs the point. Carla Leite brings scoring punch. Caldwell slots in as the steady hand who can spell either of them over a 44-game schedule. That's not a small role. WNBA seasons are marathons, and having a guard who can step in and not lose you anything is how you stay competitive deep into the summer.
Watch for her defensive versatility. At 5'11" she can guard both backcourt positions, and her rebounding from the guard spot (2.1 RPG) helps in transition. Paired with Haley Jones on the wing, Portland has length across the backcourt and wing spots. The May 9 home opener vs Chicago Sky will show how head coach Alex Sarama uses the full guard rotation.
The Person
Caldwell is from Charlotte, North Carolina. She went to college in Georgia, played professionally in Atlanta, and now moves to Portland. That's a big geographic shift. Charlotte to Athens to Atlanta is all Southeast, all the time. Portland is a different world: different weather, different culture, different energy. But Portland has a way of adopting people who come here from somewhere else, and Caldwell is exactly the kind of player this city will appreciate. Shows up, does the work, doesn't need the spotlight.
She'll play at Moda Center, a building the original Portland Fire called home when it was the Rose Garden. Different era. Same city that rewards effort and authenticity. Caldwell brings both.
Career Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Maya Caldwell on the Portland Fire?
Maya Caldwell is a 5'11" guard for the Portland Fire. She was the ninth overall pick in the 2026 expansion draft, selected from the Atlanta Dream. Caldwell played college basketball at the University of Georgia and was drafted 33rd overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft. She has 105 career WNBA games across three seasons with averages of 4.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.3 APG. She's from Charlotte, North Carolina. She'll debut at Moda Center for the May 9 home opener.
What are Maya Caldwell's WNBA stats?
Over 105 WNBA games across three seasons with the Atlanta Dream: 508 points, 221 rebounds, 140 assists. Career averages: 4.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.3 APG. She was a third-round pick (33rd overall) in the 2021 WNBA Draft who became a consistent rotation player. Check the Fire schedule to see her play.
Where did Maya Caldwell play college basketball?
Caldwell played at the University of Georgia in the SEC. She is from Charlotte, North Carolina and stayed in the Southeast for both college and her first three WNBA seasons with the Atlanta Dream. Portland selected her 9th overall in the 2026 expansion draft.
What does Maya Caldwell bring to the Portland Fire?
Caldwell brings experience and reliability. With 105 games across three WNBA seasons, she is one of the most experienced guards on Portland's expansion roster. Her steady production (4.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.3 APG) gives Portland a proven rotation player alongside Sug Sutton and Carla Leite in the backcourt. At 5'11" she has size to guard multiple positions.