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 newest teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, marking a significant moment for Australian basketball. Nyadiew Puoch, a rising star from the WNBL’s UC Capitals, was chosen 16th by Portland after a standout season averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, including a clutch half-court buzzer-beater against the Perth Lynx. Chloe Bibby, the 11th pick, and Kristy Wallace, selected by Toronto Tempo, join Puoch as the first Australians to play for the league’s expansion teams. Both teams were formed under a new collective bargaining agreement finalized in March, doubling the salary cap to $7 million and raising maximum salaries to $1.4 million. The draft follows a delay in Puoch’s 2024 Atlanta Dream rookie season as she prioritized development in Australia, while Sandy Brondello, a two-time WNBA champion and Opals coach, leads the Toronto Tempo. The season begins May 8, with the Portland Fire returning to the city after a 24-year absence.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
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) in the expansion draft
- Sandy Brondello is coaching the Toronto Tempo and previously coached the Australian Opals
- The WNBA expansion draft occurred to form the 14th (Portland Fire) and 15th (Toronto Tempo) teams
- The WNBA season begins on May 8, 2024, after the draft on April 13, 2024
- The new collective bargaining agreement was finalized on March 24, 2024, increasing the salary cap to $7 million and max salaries to $1.4 million
- Puoch averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for UC Capitals in the 2023 WNBL season
- Puoch scored a half-court buzzer-beater against the Perth Lynx in January 2024 to win 77-74
- Puoch was previously drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 but stayed in Australia to develop further
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Portland selected Bridget Carleton with the first pick in the expansion draft
- Toronto Tempo selected Julie Allemand, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks, with its first pick
- The salary cap increase is described as from $1.5 million (US) to $7 million (US) and $2.1 million AUD to $10 million AUD
- The trio (Puoch, Bibby, Wallace) will join 'several other Australian stars' in the expanded competition
- Kristy Wallace was selected as the 21st overall pick (Guardian says 23rd)
- The existing teams were allowed to protect a maximum of five players in the expansion draft
- Puoch delayed her rookie season with the Atlanta Dream to continue development in the WNBL
- The WNBA draft (for remaining roster spots) will be held on April 13, 2024
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states Kristy Wallace was selected as the 21st overall pick, while the Guardian says she was the 23rd overall pick
- The Guardian mentions Julie Allemand was selected by Toronto Tempo with the first pick, but ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian states the salary cap increase is from $1.5 million (US) to $7 million (US), while ABC does not specify the US dollar amounts but uses AUD equivalents
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....