The words "expansion draft" might send chills up and down the spines of WNBA fans everywhere, but some teams will head into the upcoming Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire drafts with more advantages than others. Case in point: due to rules that make a few key players ineligible for the expansion draft, the Atlanta Dream are likely to come out of the experience relatively unscathed.
The dates for the expansion draft have not been set, largely because the rules of expansion drafts are part of what is collectively bargained between the league and the players. As it stands, it certainly doesn't seem like those rules are going to be determined anytime soon (on Tuesday The Athletic offered the latest update on CBA negotiations, and it certainly sounds like the gulf between both parties is still mighty wide).
But: we can likely assume that at some point the WNBA and the WNBPA will come to an agreement that everyone feels mostly good about, and the 2026 WNBA season will proceed. Once it does, the expansion draft should precede free agency (which is also set to begin in January 2026).
Who the Atlanta Dream will protect in the expansion draft
The Dream have three players who are ineligible for the expansion draft: Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones, and Jordin Canada. That's great news for fans, as all three made a huge impact during the 2025 season and, should they remain with the team after free agency, are likely to do even more damage in 2026.
Atlanta will also probably opt to core Allisha Gray, who was another key player in what was largely a very successful season for the Dream and Karl Smesko. Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard will enter free agency was restricted free agents, which means a) the Dream will have the opportunity to negotiate with them both and meet any offers they receive from other teams, and b) Atlanta will protect them in the expansion draft.
So this leaves two more slots, one of which will very likely be filled by Maya Caldwell (who, as a reserved free agent, can only negotiate with the Dream during free agency).
When it comes to the final protected player, the Dream have two likely candidates: Isobel Borlase, who is having a very strong season in Australia's WNBL, and Te-Hina Paopao, who the team drafted this year. Though Borlase is a strong player, it feels like the Dream are more likely to protect Paopao, who has proven to be enormously popular with the Atlanta fanbase.