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 newest teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. 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. Chloe Bibby, the 11th pick, joins Puoch in Portland, while Kristy Wallace, an Olympic bronze medalist, was selected by Toronto Tempo. Sandy Brondello, the Australian Opals’ coach, leads the Tempo. The draft follows a new collective bargaining agreement that nearly doubled the salary cap to $7 million and raised maximum salaries to $1.4 million. The season begins May 8, with the Portland Fire returning to the city after a 24-year absence. Both articles highlight Puoch’s career trajectory and the significance of the expansion for Australian basketball, though minor discrepancies exist in pick numbers and additional selections.
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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) 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 collective bargaining agreement was finalized on March 24, 2024
- The salary cap increased 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 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
- Toronto Tempo selected Julie Allemand (Los Angeles Sparks) with its first pick
- The WNBA’s new revenue-sharing system and salary cap details were explicitly mentioned as $7m (A$10m) and $1.4m (A$2.3m) max salary
- Puoch noted there are two other Australian players on the Portland Fire roster (unspecified names)
- Kristy Wallace was selected as the 21st overall pick (Guardian says 23rd)
- The WNBA draft to complete rosters will occur on April 13, 2024
- Existing teams were allowed to protect a maximum of five players in the expansion draft
- Puoch’s quote about not believing her trajectory three years ago was included in full
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports Kristy Wallace was selected as the 23rd overall pick, but ABC states she was the 21st overall pick
- The Guardian mentions Portland selected Bridget Carleton with the first pick, but ABC does not mention this detail
- The Guardian notes Toronto Tempo selected Julie Allemand with its first pick, but ABC omits this information entirely
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....