WNBA expansion draft selects three Australian players for new teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo
Consensus Summary
The WNBA’s expansion draft selected three Australian players for its two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. Nyadiew Puoch, a rising star from the UC Capitals, was chosen 16th overall by Portland after a standout WNBL season averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, including a half-court buzzer-beater against the Perth Lynx. Chloe Bibby, the 11th pick, joins Puoch in Portland, while Kristy Wallace was selected by Toronto Tempo, coached by Sandy Brondello, who also led the Opals to Olympic bronze. The expansion follows a new collective bargaining agreement finalized March 24, doubling the salary cap to $7 million and raising maximum salaries to $1.4 million. Both teams will complete their rosters at the WNBA draft on April 13, with the season starting May 8. The draft highlights Australia’s growing influence in the WNBA, with multiple players now playing in the expanded league.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Nyadiew Puoch was selected by the Portland Fire in the WNBA expansion draft as the 16th overall pick
- Chloe Bibby was selected by the Portland Fire as the 11th overall pick in the expansion draft
- Kristy Wallace was selected by the Toronto Tempo as the 21st overall pick (ABC: 23rd, but Guardian says 23rd is Brondello’s pick—corrected to 21st per ABC’s Wallace’s pick)
- Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo are the 14th and 15th WNBA teams respectively
- The WNBA season begins on May 8, 2024, after the draft on April 13
- The new collective bargaining agreement was finalized on March 24, 2024, increasing the salary cap to $7 million and max one-year salary to $1.4 million
- Nyadiew Puoch averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for UC Capitals in the 2023 WNBL season
- Nyadiew Puoch scored a half-court buzzer-beater against the Perth Lynx in January 2024
- Sandy Brondello is coaching the Toronto Tempo and was a two-time WNBA champion
- Bridget Carleton was selected first overall by the Portland Fire in the expansion draft
- Opals coach Sandy Brondello selected Kristy Wallace from the Indiana Fever for the Toronto Tempo
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Nyadiew Puoch was the No 16 overall pick in the expansion draft (ABC also states 16th but Guardian clarifies as 16th overall pick)
- Kristy Wallace was selected as the 23rd overall pick by Toronto Tempo (ABC states 21st)
- Portland selected Bridget Carleton with the first pick in the expansion draft (ABC does not mention this)
- Julie Allemand, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks, was selected by the Toronto Tempo with its first pick (ABC does not mention this)
- The salary cap increase is described as $7 million ($A10m) from $1.5m ($A2.1m) and max salary $1.4m ($A2.3m) (ABC uses $US7m/$US1.5m)
- Puoch mentioned ‘two members at the club who are Australian’ besides Bibby (unspecified names)
- Nyadiew Puoch was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 but delayed her rookie season to play in the WNBL (Guardian does not mention this)
- Kristy Wallace was selected as the 21st overall pick by Toronto Tempo (Guardian says 23rd)
- The WNBA draft (for remaining roster spots) will be held on April 13 (Guardian does not mention this)
- Existing teams were allowed to protect a maximum of five players in the expansion draft (Guardian does not mention this)
- Puoch’s quote about ‘three years ago’ is slightly expanded in ABC (Guardian’s quote is identical but ABC adds context)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian says Kristy Wallace was selected as the 23rd overall pick by Toronto Tempo, but ABC states she was the 21st overall pick
- The Guardian mentions Julie Allemand was selected by Toronto Tempo with its first pick, but ABC does not mention this selection
- The Guardian states the salary cap increase is $7 million ($A10m) from $1.5m ($A2.1m), while ABC uses $US7 million ($US1.5 million) without Australian dollar conversion
- The Guardian does not mention Nyadiew Puoch was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 and delayed her rookie season, which ABC explicitly states
- The Guardian does not mention the WNBA draft for remaining roster spots on April 13, which ABC highlights as a key upcoming event
Source Articles
‘Means a lot’: Nyadiew Puoch among three Australians picked in WNBA expansion draft
21-year-old rising star and Chloe Bibby selected to join Portland Fire Opals coach Sandy Brondello’s Toronto Tempo pick Kristy Wallace Australian rising star Nyadiew Puoch has been rewarded for her st...
Rising star among 3 Australians picked in WNBA expansion draft
WNBL rising star Nyadiew Puoch and Chloe Bibby are selected to join the Portland Fire in the WNBA, while fellow Australian Kristy Wallace is picked by Toronto Tempo....