When the Golden State Valkyries joined the WNBA ahead of the 2025 season, each existing team was allowed to protect six players, not counting those who were ineligible for the draft because they had already been cored twice. The expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo might be quite different. ESPN reported that teams are expected to only get to protect five players, but we will have to wait for a new CBA to be signed to know the finalized rules.
The expansion draft for the Tempo and Fire will be difficult because of the sheer number of free agents. The two teams will likely only be able to pick one unrestricted free agent each and then core them. So, players on rookie contracts and reserved or restricted free agents will be a hot commodity in the expansion draft.
Limiting the list of protected players to only five will lead to some tough decisions for most teams. For the Minnesota Lynx, it could also lead to a significant roster shakeup with veteran Bridget Carleton headed somewhere else.
The Lynx will have to choose between Bridget Carleton and Dorka Juhasz
Some of the Lynx’s protected players are very easy to predict. There is no way they will leave Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, or Alanna Smith unprotected. Collier is the team’s biggest star and MVP candidate. Smith is the perfect frontcourt partner for Collier with her ability to space the floor and rim protection. McBride is one of the best 3-point shooters in the game and provides important defensive versatility.
Courtney Williams makes sense as the fourth player on the list. She will be an unrestricted free agent, but will likely want to return to Minnesota for another shot at a deep playoff run with Collier, McBride, and Smith. Williams has fit in well as the team’s starting point guard since coming to Minnesota in 2024. She was the Lynx’s leading playmaker and one of the team’s leading scorers during the run to the 2024 WNBA Finals.
That only leaves one spot on the Lynx’s list of protected players and a bunch of important contributors. Bridget Carleton is the team’s fifth starter, Natisha Hiedeman is the Lynx’s backup point guard, Jessica Shepard was huge off the bench all season long, Maria Kliundikova offered surprising contributions off the bench in the playoffs, DiJonai Carrington came over in an expensive trade, and Dorka Juhasz and Anastasiia Kosu are the Lynx’s primary young players. The Lynx also own the rights to Maïa Hirsch, who made The Athletic’s list of protected players in their mock expansion draft.
There is an argument to be made for every single one of those players, but ultimately the decision should come down to Carleton or Juhasz. Carleton has proven to be a solid 3-and-D contributor, and Juhasz is the one young players on the roster ready to contribute now. She was a key player for the Lynx in 2024 and is currently in the middle of a strong season in Europe.
Juhasz is still under contract for the 2026 season. Carleton, meanwhile, is an unrestricted free agent, and the Lynx may not be able to afford to re-sign all of their veteran free agents. If that is the case, Carleton will likely be the odd one out. Plus, she may get an offer the Lynx aren’t willing to match in free agency, and that offer may very well come from the Toronto Tempo.
Bridget Carleton is not a max player in the traditional sense. But she likely is worth a max contract to the first Canadian WNBA team hoping to rally an entire country behind it. Carleton is one of the most successful Canadian players currently in the WNBA. So, if the Lynx expect the Tempo to chase her with a big offer in free agency anyway, they may as well risk leaving her unprotected in the expansion draft and instead protect an important reserve with some untapped potential. Juhasz has taken her 3-point shot to a new level while playing in Turkey. Plus, a small shakeup in the starting lineup may not be the worst thing after the Lynx flamed out in the semifinals this year.
Projected protected players: Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams, Dorka Juhasz