There is no set date for the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft when the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire start filling their rosters. Last year, teams were allowed to protect six players from the Golden State Valkyries. But Kevin Pelton of ESPN wrote earlier this week that WNBA teams are expected to protect only five players when the next expansion draft comes out.
Many WNBA players are expected to change teams in free agency as salaries are likely to increase, possibly by multiple times. In effect, that means
that the league is set for a major realignment where every team is theoretically rebuilding.
Earlier this month, we had a post on which six players the Washington Mystics would protect in an expansion draft, assuming last year’s rules. If only five players can be protected, who would Washington protect?
Pelton predicts that Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore, Shakira Austin and Jacy Sheldon would be protected given a five player limit. I agree with him on the first four players because Citron, Iriafen, Amoore and Austin represent the young core that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and Mystics General Manager Jamila Wideman are keen on developing. However, I’m not convinced that Sheldon would be protected. Pelton noted that Emily Engstler could also be a protected player. I’d still lean toward protecting Sug Sutton.
Let us know your thoughts below.
