Caitlin Clark's Rival Selected During WNBA Expansion Draft

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images.

Caitlin Clark's Rival Selected During WNBA Expansion Draft

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Apr 3, 2026 4:32 PM ET

At least one of Caitlin Clark's top rivals will be on the move this WNBA offseason.

On Friday afternoon, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo made their selections in the 2026 WNBA expansion draft. The Fire used the No. 1 overall pick on Bridget Carleton, who averaged 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Minnesota Lynx last season.

The Tempo also prioritized veteran playmakers, drafting Marina Mabrey from the Connecticut Sun. She was the team's second-highest scorer last season, averaging 14.4 points per contest.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Mabrey made headlines during the 2025 season for shoving Clark during an intense game against the Indiana Fever. The officials gave her a technical foul for her role in this altercation.

During a February appearance on the "Bird's Eye View" podcast, Mabrey admit that she made a mistake shoving Clark.

"I know when I went too far with things," Mabrey said. "It’s like shameful. It’s like, 'Really, Marina? That was ridiculous.' That was obvious that my emotions of us losing and losing and losing, and then she’s low-key punking our team on top of it... That was too far. That was too much."

Did Caitlin Clark ever respond to Mabrey's antics?

Reporters gave Clark the chance to fire back at Mabrey when this incident first occurred on June 17, 2025. She ultimately turned down the opportunity.

"At the end of the day, I'm here to play basketball and that’s what I’m going to do," Clark said. "My game’s gonna talk, and that’s all that really matters. I love this game and I’m gonna give it everything I have."

It'll be interesting to see if there's any lingering beef between Clark and Mabrey when the Fever take on the Tempo this season.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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