The Portland Fire will begin building its inaugural roster tomorrow 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 tomorrow with coverage on ESPN.

Tell a Fire fan

April packs a little bit of everything in Portland — big crowds, colorful blooms and plenty of ways to get out and enjoy what the start of spring has to offer.

Here are some of the things we're most looking forward to.

💐 Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Through April 26

One of the most Instagram-famous events of the year is here: Rows and rows of bright, colorful bulbs burst through the cold ground and give Oregonians their first look at spring.

🎤 FKA Twigs Body High Tour

April 4

Ethereal avant-garde pop meets choreography that feels like performance art from this cult-favorite musician. See her live in all her shapeshifter glory at Moda Center and try to keep your jaw off the floor.

🎥 Pee-wee's Most Favoritest Films

April 5-19

Before Paul Reubens died in 2023, he gave a list of his favorite films to documentary filmmaker Matt Wolf. You can catch a few of them, like "Female Trouble," "A Face in the Crowd" and "Some Like it Hot," screening at Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium.

🏀 Nike Hoop Summit

April 11

The most up-and-coming talent you'll see in one gym all year. Check out future NBA stars IRL at Moda Center before the rest of the world knows their names. Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Derrick Rose all once participated, in case you need some nudging.

🚴 The Ladds 500

April 11

What started off as a way to "do something stupid" 10 years ago turned into a beloved citywide tradition in which cyclists of all kinds come out to relay around Ladd's Circle Park for what feels like infinity.

Two more

"The Constitution is clear: states run elections. Oregon's gold standard vote-by-mail elections are secure, fair, and accurate. My message to the President: We'll see you in court."

— Secretary of State Tobias Read in a statement after President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday listing out new mandates for states to follow to allow mail-in voting or risk the loss of federal funds.

⛺ Mayor Wilson rejected county data that shows homelessness increasing in Portland, saying the numbers don't match "with what we're seeing anecdotally." (OPB)

❤️‍🩹 Oregon Health & Science University opened a new $600 million cancer treatment center — the hospital's first major inpatient expansion in 20 years — which aims to deliver faster and more advanced care. (KATU)

📉 Nike stock fell by roughly 14% to an 11-year low yesterday as CEO Elliot Hill said the company's turnaround was going slower than expected. (Portland Business Journal)

🏥 Gov. Kotek signed a law that restricts the activities of federal immigration agents in hospitals and protects private patient information. (Portland Business Journal)

⚖️ Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is considering prosecution of federal agents who violated state law, though local district attorneys have questioned whether that's possible. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Spring is here! The sun is shining, and as temperatures rise, so do uninvited houseguests — ants patrolling the countertops, spiders setting up shop in forgotten corners and mystery flies emerging from the drains.

We want to hear from you: Which springtime bug do you hate the most, and why?

• Have you ever had a weird encounter with a boxelder bug? Surrendered to an ant invasion? Woken up with mysterious bites?

Tell us what pest bugs you the most in this short poll and hit reply with your most squeamish stories.

• Your response could be featured in an upcoming story.