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—Nyadiew Puoch, Chloe Bibby, and Kristy Wallace—to join the league’s newest teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. Puoch, a rising star from the UC Capitals in the WNBL, was chosen 16th by Portland after a standout season averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, including a clutch half-court buzzer-beater. Bibby, the 11th pick, and Wallace, the 21st pick, will also represent Australia, with Sandy Brondello—two-time WNBA champion and Opals coach—leading the Toronto Tempo. The expansion follows a new collective bargaining agreement that nearly doubled the salary cap to $7 million and increased maximum salaries to $1.4 million, signaling significant growth for the league. Both teams will complete their rosters at the April 13 draft, with the season set to begin May 8. While both sources agree on the core selections and key details, discrepancies include minor roster specifics and formatting of financial figures.
✓ 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 in the expansion draft
- Sandy Brondello is coaching the Toronto Tempo and previously led the Australian Opals to Olympic bronze
- The WNBA expansion draft occurred to form the 14th (Portland Fire) and 15th (Toronto Tempo) teams
- The new WNBA season begins on May 8, 2024, after a new collective bargaining agreement was finalized on March 24, 2024
- The salary cap for the WNBA will increase to $7 million (from $1.5 million) and maximum one-year salaries will rise 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 in January 2024 to win for UC Capitals against the Perth Lynx
- Puoch was previously drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 but delayed her rookie season to play in Australia
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Portland selected Bridget Carleton with the first pick in the expansion draft
- Julie Allemand, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks, was selected by the Toronto Tempo with its first pick
- The WNBA’s new revenue-sharing system and salary cap increase were explicitly mentioned as $7m ($A10m) and $1.4m ($A2.3m) respectively
- Puoch noted there are two other Australian players on the Portland Fire roster (unspecified names)
- The WNBA draft (for college/overseas players) will be held on April 13, 2024, to round out rosters
- Existing teams were allowed to protect a maximum of five players in the expansion draft
- Puoch’s 2024 draft selection by the Atlanta Dream was emphasized as a prior event before her expansion pick
- The Toronto Tempo is the 15th team, while Portland Fire is the 14th (ABC clarifies order)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Portland selected Bridget Carleton with the first pick, but ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian lists Julie Allemand as the first pick for Toronto Tempo, while ABC does not reference her selection
- ABC specifies the WNBA draft for college/overseas players is on April 13, but the Guardian does not mention this date
- The Guardian mentions two unspecified Australian players on Portland’s roster beyond Puoch and Bibby, while ABC does not detail this
- The Guardian uses $7m ($A10m) and $1.4m ($A2.3m) for salary figures, while ABC uses only $US7 million and $US1.4 million without 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....