Three Australian WNBA players selected in WNBA expansion draft for new teams
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 14th and 15th teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. 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, including a clutch half-court buzzer-beater. Bibby, an Opals player, was picked 11th by Portland, while Wallace, a two-time WNBA champion, joined the Tempo as the 21st or 23rd pick depending on the source. The expansion draft follows a new collective bargaining agreement that significantly increased the salary cap and player earnings. Both articles highlight the historic return of WNBA teams to Portland and Toronto, with Sandy Brondello leading the Tempo. Minor discrepancies exist in the exact draft positions of Wallace and additional picks by the new teams.
✓ 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) or 23rd overall pick (Guardian)
- The WNBA expansion draft occurred ahead of the 2025 season opener on May 8
- The WNBA draft to complete rosters will be held on April 13
- Sandy Brondello is coaching the Toronto Tempo, the 15th WNBA team
- 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 against the Perth Lynx in January 2025
- The WNBA and players’ union agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement on March 24, 2025
- The salary cap increased from $1.5 million to $7 million, with maximum one-year salaries rising to $1.4 million
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Nyadiew Puoch was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in 2024 but delayed her rookie season to continue in the WNBL
- The Toronto Tempo selected Kristy Wallace as the 21st overall pick in the expansion draft
- The existing WNBA teams were allowed to protect a maximum of five players in the expansion draft
- Portland is welcoming a WNBA team back to the city after 24 years
- The WNBA draft to complete rosters will allow teams to select from players on current rosters
- Kristy Wallace was selected by the Toronto Tempo as the 23rd overall pick in the expansion draft
- Bridget Carleton was selected by the Portland Fire as 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
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC reports Kristy Wallace was picked 21st by Toronto Tempo, but The Guardian reports she was picked 23rd
- ABC does not mention Bridget Carleton being selected by Portland Fire, while The Guardian states she was the first pick
- ABC does not mention Julie Allemand being selected by Toronto Tempo, while The Guardian states she was the first pick
Source Articles
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....
‘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...