Why are Sky players off limits in WNBA expansion draft? Explaining deals that kept Chicago's players safe

The WNBA will welcome two new franchises for the 2026 season. The league will expand to 15 teams with the addition of the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo.

It is ironic that the league is expanding by two teams because it was already at an odd number with 13 teams and remains odd with 15. The Fire will be joining the Western Conference, while the Tempo will be added to the Eastern Conference. 

To populate the rosters of the new teams, the WNBA will conduct an expansion draft on Friday, April 3. The Fire and Tempo will be able to select among players from the current WNBA franchises that didn't get protected, and then will participate in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13. 

The Chicago Sky made two moves on Wednesday, April 1. The Sky made a deal with both the Fire and the Tempo, with the return coming to Chicago because Portland and Toronto would not draft any of the Sky's unprotected players. This feels like Chicago could be playing chess while other franchises are playing checkers, but it also marked the first trades for each of the new franchises.  

Here is more on the Sky's pre-draft trade with each of the new expansion teams. 

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Why are Chicago Sky players off limits in the WNBA expansion draft?

The Sky players, both protected and unprotected, are expected to be safe during the upcoming WNBA expansion draft. Chicago made deals with both Portland and Toronto, with the main stipulation that neither team would select Sky players in the expansion draft. 

There isn't an easily found precedent for this. It remains to be seen if Portland and Toronto will hold up their end of the bargain, and any potential fallout if they opt to select a Chicago player anyway. It makes sense that the trade would be reversed if that happens, but with no precedent, it isn't confirmed. 

Chicago Sky deal with Portland Fire

Portland receives

• 2026 2nd round pick (No. 17)

Chicago receives

• 2026 2nd round pick (No. 21)
• Portland will not select a Sky player in expansion draft

The first of the two trades has the Sky performing a pick swap. Chicago sent the No. 17 pick in the WNBA Draft, which will be the second pick in the second round, to Portland in exchange for the No. 21 pick, sixth in the second round, and the assurance that the Fire won't select any Sky players in the expansion draft. 

Portland also has the No. 7 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. 

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Chicago Sky deal with Toronto Tempo

Toronto receives

• 2026 2nd round pick (No. 26)

Chicago receives

• Toronto will not select a Sky player in expansion draft

This deal is honestly more head-scratching than the first. Yes, the second round in basketball drafts isn't like the second round in an NFL draft, but this deal seems super one-sided. Toronto receives the 26th overall pick in the draft. Chicago doesn't receive any player or draft capital back in the deal, only the assurance that the Tempo won't select one of their players. 

Toronto also has the No. 6 overall pick in the WNBA Draft. 

How does the WNBA expansion draft work?

The 2026 Expansion Draft will be separate from the 2026 WNBA Draft. The Expansion Draft will feature the Fire and Tempo conducting a 13-round snake draft just the two of them. This means that they will alternate picks until each team has a roster of 13 players. Portland will be picking first because the Fire won a coin toss between the two teams. 

So, how is the player pool determined?

Each team submitted a list to the league office by March 29 of all players they have the rights to, and marked up to five of them as "protected." The Fire and Tempo will only be able to be select from unprotected players. 

The Sky's trade to both the Fire and Tempo is expected to keep the new franchises from selecting any of Chicago's players, whether or not they are protected. 

After the rosters were submitted by March 29, Portland and Toronto were allowed to make two types of trades. From the WNBA website, "Between the time that the Roster Lists are submitted and a designated time on the day before the Expansion Draft, Portland and Toronto will be permitted to make the following trades with existing teams: (i) an agreement to select a particular player from an Unprotected List and trade that player to a team other than her existing team; and (ii) an agreement to select (or not select) a particular player from such trading team’s Unprotected List." 

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