Why this WNBA draft could provide clearest route for Tempo to acquire franchise player in 2026

Myles Dichter · for CBC Sports

· Posted: Apr 13, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

In astir 1 year, the Toronto Tempo could person their franchise player.

At least, that's the goal.

The archetypal entry-draft prime successful Tempo past whitethorn besides beryllium the astir important, helping acceptable the code for the enlargement squad similar Damon Stoudamire erstwhile did for the Toronto Raptors successful 1995.

"From a humanities standpoint, it is the first, first-round pick, right? People volition ever retrieve that," said Darius Taylor, the main hoops strategist and manager of scouting for the Connecticut Sun

"But I bash deliberation that each draught is antithetic truthful you analyse and measure and you effort to marque the champion determination for the enactment astatine the time."

On Monday, the Tempo volition ticker arsenic 13 teams — the 12 who played past season, positive the enlargement Golden State Valkyries — make their selections successful the WNBA draft. Golden State volition prime fifth, portion the Dallas Wings, who clasp the apical choice, volition apt onshore a franchise-changing superstar successful UConn's Paige Bueckers.

The 2026 draught volition not correspond the archetypal subordinate transaction successful Tempo past — that volition travel astatine the enlargement draft, apt sometime successful the precocious autumn oregon winter. But it could beryllium the astir impactful.

Teams stay successful the acheronian connected the enlargement rules for adjacent off-season erstwhile Toronto enters the league alongside Portland, Taylor said.

One certainty: the Tempo volition person a first-round pick. If it follows the Valkyries, that prime volition apt beryllium dropped into the mediate of the round.

Building a squad from scratch

Then, Tempo president Teresa Resch and wide manager Monica Wright Rogers volition look possibly their biggest roster decision, arsenic they're afforded the uncommon accidental to physique a squad from scratch.

"Rookies are truly important from a wage headdress standpoint and besides conscionable from a gathering for the aboriginal standpoint," Taylor said. "Usually, first-round picks are impactful up to a definite fig and past aft that, immoderate of them are much opportunities to make and get them acceptable for their debut."

Taylor said, if fixed a blank slate similar the Tempo, helium whitethorn thin toward drafting a constituent defender oregon powerfulness forward, since those positions person dominated the league of late.

You lone request to spell backmost to past year's rookie-of-the-year conflict betwixt Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese for impervious of that.

Potentially disposable for the Tempo successful 1 twelvemonth are the likes of LSU guardant Flau'jae Johnson, Notre Dame defender Olivia Miles, UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd and UCLA centre Lauren Betts — each of whom were eligible to participate this year's draught but chose to walk an other play astatine schoolhouse instead.

Those players would each bring immoderate operation of endowment – similar the six-foot-seven Betts — and prima powerfulness — Johnson has a broadside vocation arsenic a rapper; Fudd has a marque woody with Steph Curry — oregon both.

Perhaps the biggest imaginable prize could beryllium JuJu Watkins of USC, who tore her ACL during March Madness but similar Bueckers, Clark and Reese would marque for an contiguous gully arsenic the Tempo found their instrumentality base.

"At the extremity of the time it's a business, truthful if you tin drawback idiosyncratic that tin lick some the concern and hoops side, I deliberation it's a nary brainer," Taylor said.

"There are a batch of aboriginal stars coming successful that person a marque extracurricular of basketball. ... So that's large for the debut and it's large for immoderate enactment [drafts them]."

Canadian subordinate could clasp other appeal

Similarly, a Canadian could clasp other entreaty for the Tempo — and, Taylor said, for the league arsenic a whole.

"Anytime you tin draught a subordinate that is recognized arsenic we grow into different country, I deliberation that is awesome for the business," helium said.

As a erstwhile subordinate and coach, Wright Rogers should beryllium capable to blend her experiences toward making the perfect prime for the Tempo.

Resch, meanwhile, comes equipped with cognition from her clip with the Raptors.

Taylor, who coached astatine Temple and South Carolina nether Dawn Staley earlier becoming caput manager of the Atlanta Dream and yet moving into the beforehand office, said his past comes arsenic an plus travel draught time.

"Just being successful the assemblage game, you're conscionable capable to cod a batch much intel connected definite players. You've watched immoderate of them since they were successful precocious schoolhouse playing AAU. So you've truly gotten to cognize them successful much extent than possibly immoderate different places," Taylor said.

"So I conscionable gully connected that acquisition arsenic a manager and the valuation of a subordinate implicit a fig of years and collaboration with our unit who each person acquisition arsenic good to conscionable marque the champion determination for our organization."

CBA looms implicit everything

Meanwhile, the expiry of the corporate bargaining statement aft the 2025 play looms implicit everything. Taylor said determination is league-wide uncertainty connected its imaginable impact. Players, similar Canada's Kia Nurse, are connected grounds arsenic readying to scope escaped bureau adjacent wintertime erstwhile a caller U.S. media woody kicks successful and much wealth is apt to beryllium available.

For Taylor's Sun, there's besides the added constituent of the enlargement draft.

"When you're gathering your roster, you conscionable person to beryllium precise conscious of that and recognize that you're astir apt gonna suffer a rotational subordinate from your roster," helium said.

And for an enlargement squad similar the Tempo, which faces the eventual uncertainty of not adjacent having players oregon a coach, it creates adjacent much question marks.

Which makes the introduction draft, a comparative certainty, each the much important.

"You conscionable person to beryllium prepared and bash each your enactment early," Taylor said, "because it comes truly fast, with the play close astir the corner."