One Priority Should Define Portland Fire, Toronto Tempo in Debut WNBA Season

The Golden State Valkyries set a new standard for expansion teams when they made the playoffs in their first season. Trying to live up to that standard is an enticing idea for new expansion teams, especially a Toronto Tempo team led by championship coach Sandy Brondello. 

But being competitive right away shouldn’t be a priority for the Tempo or the Portland Fire this season. Both organizations should have their eyes on the 2027 WNBA Draft and the influx of incredible new talent from the college ranks. 

The 2027 draft will be stacked—more so than the hyped 2024 draft—even if JuJu Watkins doesn’t leave college until 2028. Watkins may be the biggest superstar the Tempo and Fire could land in the 2027 draft, but she’s not the only player worth tanking for. Next year’s draft will also feature Madison Booker, Mikayla Blakes, Mikaylah Williams, Hannah Hidalgo, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Audi Crooks, and 7’4” Chinese teenager Zhang Ziyu. 

Getting a high pick in that draft and landing a young franchise player would be well worth one season of losses—or two, if one young star isn’t enough and either franchise also wants to chase UConn star Sarah Strong. 

Free agency may force the Tempo’s and Fire’s hand

If the Tempo and/or Fire decide to tank, it may not be entirely by choice. Building a roster from the ground up is difficult, especially if the expansion draft won’t yield a ton of high-end talent. 

The vast majority of players in the league are unrestricted free agents because everyone who had the opportunity wanted to cash in on the new CBA—an understandable choice considering how much salaries skyrocketed. For the Tempo and Fire, that is a massive problem. They can each only select one unrestricted free agent in the expansion draft. That plus the fact that teams also get to protect five players, severely limits the Tempo’s and Fire’s options. 

Most likely, both teams will end up with a collection of young players on rookie contracts, former draft-and-stash picks, a few veteran role players, and at most one star-level player. Arike Ogunbowale, for example, could be available if the Wings choose to focus on Paige Bueckers and a young roster around her.

On top of that, many of the most impactful free agents will be wary of joining a completely new franchise in free agency. The Valkyries had the same problem last year. They signed Tiffany Hayes and Janelle Salaün, which worked out pretty well, but not a franchise player or All-Star. The Tempo and Fire can offer free agents a chance to become the face of a franchise and big contracts, but that may not be enough to attract the biggest stars in the game, who want to compete for a championship. 

So, the tough reality is: even if the Tempo and Fire want to be competitive right away, they may not be able to get the right players to accomplish that goal.