The WNBA will maintain an enlargement draft for its new franchises in Portland and Toronto on April 3, the league introduced Wednesday.
A coin toss will likely be held Friday, with the successful franchise getting to decide on both the primary decide within the enlargement draft or the No. 6 decide within the school draft on April 13. Whichever crew does not get the sixth decide within the school draft will select seventh.
The principles for the enlargement draft had been introduced a day after the league’s board of governors ratified the brand new collective bargaining settlement that was reached final week.
The enlargement draft can have two rounds, with as much as six picks for every crew in every spherical. The groups will alternate picks, with the crew that picks second within the first spherical going first within the subsequent spherical.
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The brand new groups will decide amongst gamers left unprotected by their present WNBA golf equipment, with no a couple of participant per present crew getting chosen. Groups have till Sunday to submit a listing of 5 protected gamers.
Groups can defend gamers that they had rights to on the ultimate day of the 2025 common season.
Any participant who has 5 or extra years of service after the 2025 season have to be placed on the roster checklist as an unrestricted free agent or included on the unprotected checklist. Solely two veteran gamers — Lexie Brown and Kalani Brown — had contracts that did not expire final season.
Toronto and Portland every might choose just one participant who’s a possible unrestricted free agent. The Tempo and Hearth would then be allowed to barter a supermax contract with these gamers, which may very well be value as much as $1.4 million yearly underneath the brand new CBA.
It is the second consecutive yr that the league has held an enlargement draft. Golden State entered the league final yr and have become the primary enlargement crew to make the playoffs.