DHJ Quick Take: Expansion Draft Fallout
- Maximum Exposure: The Dallas Wings were one of the primary targets in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, losing the maximum allotted two players to the Portland Fire. While the Toronto Tempo opted to look elsewhere, Portland focused on the Wings‘ frontcourt and wing depth, claiming both Luisa Geiselsöder and Haley Jones.
- Identity Shift: The loss of Geiselsöder—whom Curt Miller praised for her “stretch post” potential—removes a significant interior piece just as the team builds around Paige Bueckers. Similarly, losing Jones leaves a void at the “point forward” position, where she had recently found her stride as a facilitator, averaging a career-high 8.1 points last season.
- The Silver Lining: Despite the roster turnover, Dallas successfully protected its most critical assets. The Wings move toward the April 13 WNBA Draft still holding the No. 1 overall pick and a core that includes Arike Ogunbowale, Maddy Siegrist, and Aziaha James, providing Miller with the necessary foundation to navigate a high-stakes free agency period.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Portland Fire selected Luisa Geiselsöder and Haley Jones from the Dallas Wings in Friday’s 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, taking one player in each round. The Toronto Tempo did not select any Wings players.
Dallas exits the expansion draft having lost two players — the maximum number any team could lose across the two-round process. Geiselsöder went in the first round, Jones in the second. General manager Curt Miller acknowledged the day’s difficulty in a statement released by the organization.
“The Expansion Draft is always a tough day for organizations,” Miller said. “While planning has been in place for months, the reality of losing players that you value and believe in is always difficult. Losing Luisa and Haley is no exception. Luisa and Haley contributed on and off the court to our culture, and both have bright futures. We will miss them and wish them the best as they move onto Portland. Most importantly, we thank them for their time in Dallas.”
What Dallas Wings Lost
Geiselsöder, selected in the first round, was originally drafted by the Wings with the 21st pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft but remained in Europe before signing a training camp contract with Dallas ahead of the 2025 season. The German native made her WNBA debut last year, appearing in 28 games and averaging 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. She missed the Wings’ final five games of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury.
Miller highlighted both Geiselsöder and Li Yueru in an exclusive August interview with Dallas Hoops Journal, calling the two “talented stretch post players who are great teammates and are only going to get better.”
Jones, selected in the second round, first joined Dallas on a hardship contract in June 2025 before signing a rest-of-season contract on July 9. The six-foot-one Stanford product appeared in 24 games, started 16, and posted career bests of 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.8 steals per contest. She recorded a season-high 18 points on September 4 at the Golden State Valkyries, a career-high 10 rebounds on August 24 against the Seattle Storm, and four consecutive games with 10 or more points for the first time in her career.
Miller was direct about what Jones brought to the roster.
“Haley Jones has found a home here,” Miller told Dallas Hoops Journal in August. “I think we found a spot as a facilitating point forward. I don’t think she’s a point guard. We had to play her at point guard against New York, but I think she’s a point forward. I’ve been impressed with Haley Jones.”
Notably, Portland also selected Carla Leite from the Valkyries. Leite was the player the Wings lost to Golden State in last year’s expansion draft, meaning Dallas has now indirectly watched her move for a second consecutive offseason.
Miller had warned in November at the post-lottery press conference that losses were inevitable.
“We’re going to lose players that you don’t necessarily want to lose in an expansion draft,” Miller said at the time.
Full WNBA Expansion Draft Selections
The Fire’s full selections were Bridget Carleton from the Minnesota Lynx, Leite from the Valkyries, Geiselsöder from Dallas, Emily Engstler from the Washington Mystics, Maya Caldwell from the Atlanta Dream, Chloe Bibby from the Indiana Fever, Jones from Dallas, Nyadiew Puoch from the Dream, Sug Sutton from the Mystics, and Nika Mühl from the Storm.
The Toronto Tempo‘s full selections were Julie Allemand from the Los Angeles Sparks, Nyara Sabally from the New York Liberty, Marina Mabrey from the Connecticut Sun, Aaliyah Nye from the Las Vegas Aces, Lexi Held from the Phoenix Mercury, Maria Conde from the Valkyries, Maria Kliundikova from the Lynx, Adja Kane from the Liberty, Nikolina Milić from the Sun, Kitija Laksa from the Phoenix Mercury, and Kristy Wallace from the Fever.
Dallas still holds the No. 1 overall pick in the April 13 college draft. The Wings also retain Paige Bueckers, Maddy Siegrist, and the rest of their protected core heading into what Miller has described as an “unprecedented” free agency period.
Arike Ogunbowale, Awak Kuier, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly, and Yueru were among the names not selected by either expansion team, leaving them available for the open free agency market.
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