Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The WNBA's two newest teams — the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo take to the court this season with contrasting strategies for immediate success.
- Toronto has prioritized veteran experience at every turn, from the expansion draft to high-profile free agency signings, setting them up with a win-now roster.
- The decision to hire a two-time championship coach gives Toronto a cultural edge that could pay immediate dividends in 2026.
The moment Toronto and Portland have been waiting for has finally arrived. The Portland Fire originally played in the WNBA from 2000 to 2002 before folding. Now, they're back for the 2026 season. They're joined by the Toronto Tempo, the first non-US located WNBA team.
Last year, the league welcomed the Golden State Valkyries, after not having expanded since the addition of the Atlanta Dream in 2008. The Valkyries had an admirable year. They smashed all kinds of attendance records, became the first WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season and their star even won the 2025 Most Improved Player award. Some could look at the Valkyries' first season as the blueprint of this new era of expansion in the WNBA.
The Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire have taken different approaches to just about everything from the expansion draft, selecting a coach, the collegiate draft and free agency. With a more immediate winning mindset, I believe the Toronto Tempo is better set up for success. Let's dive deeper, starting with the expansion draft.
Expansion draft strategies
With each team's picks during the expansion draft, it was apparent what they were focused on. For Portland, they were looking for future development. They selected several young players, including Haley Jones, Emily Engstler, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Carla Leite and Nika Mühl, who won't play this year due to a torn ACL. There's a lot of potential on this roster that we haven't necessarily gotten to see in the league yet.
On the other hand, the Tempo selected players such as Maria Conde, Nyara Sabally, Marina Mabrey, Maria Kliundikova and Julie Allemand. There's more experience there. Marina Mabrey is the obvious pick of this draft, as the best shooter. It's too early to say one specific team "won" the expansion draft, but if we're talking who set themselves up better to win games this season, it the Tempo.
WNBA free agency
If it wasn't apparent after the expansion draft that Toronto was looking to have a winning season, it was after free agency. They signed nine-year vet and All-Star Brittney Sykes to join Marina Mabrey in the backcourt. Automatically, this makes Toronto a better team. Both Mabrey and Sykes have the grit and fiery mentality it takes to build a team culture from the ground up.
Next, the Tempo picked up Isabelle Harrison, Kia Nurse and Temi Fagbenle in free agency. All of them come with a wealth of experience. Harrison is a nine-year veteran who has been deserving of a steady starting spot on a team. Kia Nurse, the only Canadian joining the Tempo this year, is known for her ability to adapt, whether she's playing off the bench or starting. Temi Fagbenle just spent the offseason playing at Unrivaled with Marina Mabrey. She's also coming off her best year playing in the WNBA.
Portland was able to sign veterans Karlie Samuelson and Megan Gustafson, who both bring experience to their squad. But I'll say it, of the two expansion teams, Toronto won free agency.
2026 WNBA Draft picks
The same 'win now vs develop' strategic patterns were followed in each team's collegiate draft picks. With the No. 7 overall pick, Portland selected Iyana MartÃn from Spain. She won't be joining the WNBA till 2027. Another example of the Fire really leaning into the future of their squad. MartÃn is an incredible guard and will, without a doubt, contribute to wins for Portland down the road.
The Tempo chose a different route. At No. 6, they selected Kiki Rice, a player fresh off a national championship. Over two preseason games, Rice averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Toronto. Don't expect her to start right off the bat for the Tempo, especially with all this veteran talent, but she definitely adds depth right now.
Coaching and culture
The Portland Fire hired Alex Sarama as their inaugural head coach. Sarama was previously an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Having never worked in the WNBA before, you can imagine there might be a bit of time needed to get acclimated. But, at the end of the day, he's a great coach. He's emphasized his desire for a "player-led" culture. He referred to himself as a huge believer in "creating a culture that fosters a strong sense of belonging."
When it comes to Toronto, they once again leaned heavily on experience. They hired 2-time WNBA champion Sandy Brondello. She most recently led the New York Liberty to a title in 2024. This will be the fourth team she's coached since 2010. The experience she brings is unmatched. She knows what it takes to build a winning culture in the WNBA. She said, "My narrative hasn't changed. I like winning, it's fun. But I also know it's hard. We'll go to work starting from the ground up, building the right culture, adding the right players, and making sure we continue to work together so we can put the best product on the floor."
Brondello at the helm, mixed with a group of experienced players helping build the inaugural culture of the Toronto Tempo, there's no question to me. They've set themselves up better for success in 2026. The biggest factor I see when comparing these two squads is reliability. Expect to see the Tempo's production run through Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes, as they'll hold the reliability factor. While I believe, and hope, we'll see some new stars emerge out of Portland as the season continues, it might take them a bit longer to get there.
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