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 UC Capitals, was chosen 16th by Portland after a standout WNBL season where she averaged 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals, including a 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 new teams, with Sandy Brondello—two-time WNBA champion and Opals coach—leading the 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 a major financial overhaul for the league. Both articles highlight Puoch’s career trajectory, from her 2024 draft by the Atlanta Dream to her decision to develop further in Australia before joining Portland. While the core details align, discrepancies include Wallace’s pick number (21st vs. 23rd), additional selections by Toronto Tempo, and minor variations in financial figures and draft scheduling.
✓ 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 new WNBA season begins on May 8, 2024, after the league and players’ union completed a new collective bargaining agreement 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 salary cap increase is described as from $1.5m ($A2.1m) to $7m ($A10m)
- 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
- The WNBA draft to round out rosters will be held on April 13, 2024
- Puoch’s 2024 draft selection by the Atlanta Dream is explicitly noted as occurring before her WNBL season
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian says Kristy Wallace was selected as the 23rd overall pick, but ABC says she was the 21st overall pick
- The Guardian mentions Julie Allemand was selected by Toronto Tempo with the first pick, but ABC does not mention this selection
- The Guardian states the salary cap increase is from $1.5m ($A2.1m) to $7m ($A10m), while ABC only states the increase to $7m ($10m) without the Australian dollar equivalent
- ABC notes the WNBA draft to round out rosters will be held on April 13, but the Guardian does not mention this date
- The Guardian says the Fire and Tempo are the 14th and 15th teams in the league, but ABC does not specify the order of the teams
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....