The Chicago Sky struck deals with both the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo ahead of Friday's WNBA Expansion Draft, trading future picks to ensure neither expansion team selects off Chicago's Unprotected List.
The Chicago Sky are safe from losing any players during Friday's WNBA Expansion Draft to the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo.
Chicago reached trade agreements with Portland and Toronto on Wednesday, with both expansion teams agreeing to pass on the Sky's Unprotected List in full.
In the agreement with Portland, Chicago is sending pick No. 17 in the 2026 WNBA Draft to the Fire in exchange for pick No. 21, with Portland committing to leave every Sky player alone. The Toronto side works differently — Chicago is sending pick No. 26, which came over from New York, to the Tempo for the same commitment.
Come Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, Chicago won't be holding its breath.
The Expansion Draft gives Chicago plenty of reason to act proactively. Each of the league's 13 existing franchises submitted a full Roster List by Sunday's deadline, designating up to five protected players. Anyone left off that protected list lands on the Unprotected List and is fair game for either expansion team to select. That includes players who are unsigned for the 2026 season.
Portland and Toronto inherit whatever rights the existing team would have held. The only limit on each expansion team is that no more than one of their selections can be a Potential Unrestricted Free Agent, meaning a player with five or more years of service coming off an expiring deal.
Portland won a coin toss against Toronto last Friday, landing the first overall selection. The two expansion clubs snake through 24 total picks, giving both Portland and Toronto a shot at every existing roster if no prior agreement blocks them. That structure puts real pressure on existing teams to act before the draft rather than hope their unprotected players go unnoticed.
Chicago made sure that wasn't going to happen on their end. Two picks out the door — one to Portland, one to Toronto — and the Sky don't have to sweat a single selection Friday.
The Sky has the No. 5 and No. 21 overall selections in the upcoming collegiate draft as the team continues to build around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
The Expansion Draft will take place on Friday (ESPN) at 3:30 p.m. ET, with the collegiate draft scheduled for Monday, April 13.