Puoch sisters take centre stage again in opener

• Nyadiew (Canberra) and Manuela Puoch (Southside) will go head-to-head in the WNBL season opener at John Cain Arena
• Nyadiew was selected with the 12th pick by the Atlanta Dream in the 2024 WNBA Draft
• Both sisters have represented Australia throughout juniors with Nyadiew also recently playing for the Opals

It will be a full circle moment for sisters Nyadiew and Manuela Puoch when they go head-to-head as the WNBL season tips-off at John Cain Arena on Saturday after growing up in a basketball-crazy household.

They are two of seven siblings, and whether it was a game of basketball or a game on the PlayStation, there was always a healthy competition between all of them.

Fast forward to today and Nyadiew, 21, is going to be a vital piece of the Canberra Capitals’ drive for the postseason, while 19-year-old Manuela will be looking to build on last season’s rookie WNBL campaign with the Southside Melbourne Flyers.

“We laugh about it because we think it's crazy; we just started playing basketball and this is what it is now,” Nyadiew told basketball.com.au.

“We're both just really happy for each other and I know I'm really proud of what she's done.

“All of us grew up doing stuff together, whether it was playing basketball, running around or even playing the PlayStation, we were all competitive. It’s unreal that this is what we do right now - we play professional basketball.”

For both sisters, basketball has taken them to all corners of the globe representing Australia throughout their junior careers, and most recently Manuela was a huge piece of the Gems’ run to a gutsy silver medal at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup.

Nyadiew was in New York last year for the 2024 WNBA Draft, and hearing her name called after she was selected 12th overall by the Atlanta Dream, was a moment she’ll never forget.

“It was insane,” she said.

“I was fortunate enough to take my mum and it was her first time flying to New York as well. Having my mum with me for the whole thing - honestly, it was a big three days – I wouldn't change it for anything.

“Not many people get to go to the draft green room - that's a memory I’ll have for my whole life, and I can't wait to tell my kids one day that I was there. It was cool to do that and to have my family watching back home and see them proud of me.”

Representing Australia, being drafted to the WNBA and playing against each other in the WNBL is a far cry from their humble beginnings, but when they play together for the Dandenong Rangers – their junior club – in the NBL1 South, it’s a reminder of where they’ve come from and how they’ve got to where they are today.

“I love playing with Manny, it's so much fun,” she said.

“It's just good to be in that environment because she's really smart, she’s so switched on, you wouldn't think she's the age she is with the way she can communicate and the way she goes about it.

“It's good to see her building up and getting stronger, and she’s just always improving and willing to get better.”

Come Saturday afternoon, a winning start to season 2025-26 as well as bragging rights will be on the line, and with both team’s having recruited superstar talent, it promises to be a spectacle.

Canberra and Southside Melbourne both signed a pair of Opal squad members each, with the Capitals adding Sara Blicavs and Zitina Aokuso, who will miss the first few rounds of the season due to a knee injury, while the Flyers also reshaped their frontcourt with Cayla George and Issie Bourne.

“I'm honestly stoked [to play at John Cain Arena],” she said.

“I remember going to NBL games, seeing how cool it was and thinking, ‘I wish I could do this’, and here we are preparing for that first game to open the WNBL season, so it's sick.

“We've been training hard all preseason, and this is what it's all about. You train hard, you do everything you can to go out there and show everyone what you can do.”

What Nyadiew can do is otherworldly. Her defensive instincts are second to none and when she’s out and running in transition, she’s near impossible to slow down. Opponents may think they’ve gone by a defender for an easy lay-up, but Nyadiew can swoop in from the weak side and block the shot with callous disregard.

Nyadiew is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league, and paired alongside superstar Jade Melbourne, they form a duo that is box office basketball.

“We've got this connection now where I can give her an eyebrow lift and she knows where to cut, where to dive, or start sprinting and get on her horse,” Jade Melbourne told basketball.com.au recently.

Nyadiew echoed those sentiments.

“We've only been playing together for a couple of seasons, but I honestly feel like I've been playing with Jade forever,” she said.

“I know how she is, I know her vibe, I know this and that, and she just gives me the look and it's like, ‘yeah, game on’. We’re both on the same page.

“I just love playing with her and one of the reasons why I moved to Canberra was to play with her and I know Jade's got my back. She's just always good to be around, and other people feed off that energy, so it's great to have someone like that on your team.”

Nyadiew credits coach Paul Goriss for instilling a newfound belief in herself, and she said the second half of last season was when it started to really click.

“Another reason why I came to Canberra was to be coached by Paul Goriss, he's honestly an unreal coach and he's definitely helped me a lot,” she said.

“Towards the end of last season I was like, ‘well, my coach really does believe me, I should start believing in myself’.

“Honestly, he's helped me develop from zero to 100. He's always investing in helping me and you want that from your coach, and you want to know that your coach believes in you as well as your teammates.

“When that happens, it makes you want to work hard for them, for your teammates, and the club.”

While her sights are firmly set on the WNBL season, her long-term goal of heading to the WNBA remains. Again, it’s all about belief and knowing she can compete against the best players in the world.

“I believe that I can go out there and do really big things, be on a [WNBA] roster and get that experience,” she said.

“Honestly, it just takes belief in yourself, you’ve just got to believe that you belong there, and I know I got drafted for a reason.

“I'm a big believer in things happening for a reason and whatever happens happens. It's just about me putting in the work and mentally believing in myself that I can be the best I can be.”

A confident Nyadiew Puoch isn’t just going to make the Capitals a better team, it will make the WNBL a better league, because you just know the highlight reel plays are going to be coming in thick and fast.

And that all begins on Saturday, with Southside Melbourne taking on Canberra at John Cain Arena from 2pm.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.