Three Australian WNBA players selected in WNBA expansion draft for new teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo
Consensus Summary
Three Australian basketball players—Nyadiew Puoch, Chloe Bibby, and Kristy Wallace—were selected in the WNBA’s expansion draft for the league’s newest teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. Puoch, a rising star from the UC Capitals, was chosen 16th by Portland after a standout WNBL season that included a half-court buzzer-beater against the Perth Lynx. Bibby, a former Indiana Fever player, was picked 11th by Portland, while Wallace, a two-time WNBA champion and Olympic medalist, joined the Tempo as the 21st or 23rd pick depending on the source. The expansion draft follows a new collective bargaining agreement that significantly raises the salary cap and player earnings, signaling growth for the league. Both teams are led by Australian coaches, with Sandy Brondello at the helm of the Tempo, and the WNBA’s 2024 season is set to begin on May 8 after the April 13 draft. The selections highlight Australia’s growing influence in women’s basketball, with multiple players and coaches now competing in the WNBA.
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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) or 23rd overall pick (Guardian)
- Sandy Brondello is coaching the Toronto Tempo, the 15th WNBA team
- The WNBA draft for expansion teams will occur on April 13, with the season starting on May 8
- The WNBA and players’ union reached a new collective bargaining agreement on March 24
- The salary cap will increase from $1.5 million to $7 million, with maximum one-year salaries rising to $1.4 million
- Puoch averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for the UC Capitals in the 2024 WNBL season
- Puoch scored a half-court buzzer-beater in Canberra’s 77-74 win over the Perth Lynx in January 2024
- Puoch was previously drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 but delayed her rookie season to play in the WNBL
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Atlanta Dream selected Puoch in the 2024 WNBA draft but she delayed her rookie season to continue development in Australia
- The Toronto Tempo selected Kristy Wallace as the 21st overall pick in the expansion draft
- The WNBA expansion teams were allowed to select from current rosters, with existing teams protecting up to five players
- Portland selected Bridget Carleton as the first pick in the expansion draft
- The Toronto Tempo selected Julie Allemand as its first pick in the expansion draft
- Puoch was chosen as the No 16 overall pick in the expansion draft
- Kristy Wallace was selected by the Toronto Tempo as the 23rd overall pick
- The Toronto Tempo selected Julie Allemand, who played for the Los Angeles Sparks last season, as its first pick
- The salary cap increase is described as $7 million ($A10m) and maximum salaries as $1.4 million ($A2.3m)
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports Kristy Wallace was picked 21st by Toronto Tempo, but Guardian reports she was picked 23rd
- No contradictions found regarding other factual details between sources
Source Articles
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