"Bridget Carleton was targeted by Portland early, a source told ESPN, and the Fire didn't want to give Toronto a chance to select the Ontario, Canada native."
"Both the Fire and Toronto Tempo placed an emphasis on veteran role players in the draft, laying a more experienced foundation in the first steps each franchise took in building their inaugural rosters."
"Carleton, who has played with the Minnesota Lynx since she was drafted by the team in 2019, was a rotation player for the franchise on its way to the league's best record last season."
"Toronto drafted six-year veteran Marina Mabrey from the Connecticut Sun. Last season, she was the team's second-highest scorer with 14.4 points, and also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a team-high 31.5 minutes per game."
Bridget Carleton was chosen first overall by the Portland Fire in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft. The Fire aimed to secure Carleton to prevent the Toronto Tempo from selecting her. Both teams focused on acquiring veteran players to build their inaugural rosters. Carleton, previously with the Minnesota Lynx, averaged 6.5 points and contributed to the team's success. Other notable selections included Maya Caldwell and Emily Engstler for Portland, while Toronto picked Marina Mabrey and Nyara Sabally among others.
Read at ESPN.com
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