Portland Fire start roster build in expansion draft
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The Portland Fire will begin building its inaugural roster Friday in the WNBA's expansion draft.
Why it matters: After a labor dispute threatened to delay the season, Rip City will finally learn who we'll be rooting for.
How it works: The Fire will be joined in the draft by the league's other new team, the Toronto Tempo.
- Portland won a coin toss last week and will select first, with the teams alternating picks through two rounds.
- Each of the 13 existing WNBA teams can protect five of their players, with the rest available in the draft, though Portland and Toronto can only pick one player from each team.
- The Fire and the Tempo can also each select one unrestricted free agent.
What we're watching: The list of protected players hasn't been made public, but the Oregonian had some guesses about who might be available.
- That includes: Iliana Rupert, a Golden State Valkyries center; Haley Jones, a guard/forward for the Dallas Wings; and Kierstan Bell, a Las Vegas Aces guard who had a strong showing last season.
- Unrestricted free agents Marina Mabrey, Arike Ogunbowale, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones could all provide a veteran foundation for the Fire as they build their identity.
- Sadly for Oregon hoops fans, hometown hero and superstar Sabrina Ionescu, with the New York Liberty, is unlikely to be available.
The latest: On Wednesday, the Fire acquired the No. 17 pick in the WNBA draft, scheduled for April 13, from the Chicago Sky.
- In exchange for the pick, the Fire agreed not to select any of the Sky's unprotected players in the expansion draft.
Between the lines: The nature of an expansion draft, where existing teams can be sure to keep their best players, has meant limited success for new teams in their inaugural seasons.
- Yes, but: See San Francisco last year, where the Valkyries sold out all their games and became the only WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in their first season.
What's next: The expansion draft will be at 12:30pm Friday with coverage on ESPN.