After a coin toss Friday, the Toronto Tempo chose to pick sixth in the first round of the upcoming WNBA draft on April 13.
That means the other new team for 2026, the Portland Fire, will have the first pick in the expansion draft for the two franchises. That will be held April 3. Then the Fire will pick No. 7 in the standard draft’s first round.
The expansion draft will be two rounds with 12 selections in each. Portland and Toronto will alternate picks and select from a designated pool of players left unprotected by the other 13 teams.
By Sunday, those teams must submit to the league a list of five protected players who will not be available for selection in the expansion draft.
Overall, Toronto will now have picks No. 6, 22 and 36 in the standard draft, while Portland will have the Nos. 7, 21 and 37 selections. The coin toss outcome also grants the Tempo first position on the waiver wire.
Last year, the Golden State Valkyries joined the WNBA and went through the expansion draft and regular draft to build their team. The Valkyries finished eighth at 23-21 and made the playoffs.