Three Aussies move as expansion draft flips landscape

• Sandy Brondello: "Why I became the head coach of the Toronto Tempo"‍
• Exclusive: Opals star Alanna Smith on her WNBA rise‍
• Full history of every Australian WNBA Draft pick

Three Australians have been selected in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft today (Saturday, April 4, 2026) in New York.

Australian Opals and Toronto Tempo's head coach Sandy Brondello took Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace in the second round while Portland's head coach Alex Sarama drafted Fever wing Chloe Bibby in the first round and Nyadiew Puoch in the second round.

Toronto Tempo

First Round

• Julie Allemand
• Nyara Sabally
• Marina Mabrey
• Aaliyah Nye
• Lexi Held
• Maria Conde

Second Round

• Maria Kliundikova
• Adja Kane
• Nikolina Milic
• Kitija Laksa
• Kristy Wallace

Portland Fire

First Round

• Bridget Carleton
• Carla Leite
• Luisa Geiselsoder
• Emily Engstler
• Maya Caldwell
• Chloe Bibby

Second Round

• Haley Jones
• Nyadiew Puoch
• Sarah Ashlee Barker
• Sug Sutton
• Nika Mühl

Toronto Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers said appointing two-time WNBA championship coach Sandy Brondello was the first step in competing immediately in 2026.

"The goal is to do that right away," Wright Rogers said today.

"That’s the purpose of bringing in someone like Sandy — to attract the right free agents and build something competitive immediately.

"This city and this country are very hungry for this team.

"They’re going to have a team that plays hard, plays the right way, and competes fiercely.

"We’re excited to tip off on May 8.

Australians in the 2026 Expansion Draft

Kristy Wallace – Toronto Tempo

At 30, Wallace remains a valuable depth guard with elite catch-and-shoot capability and system fit. Her pathway to increased minutes is tied to shooting consistency and defensive reliability in rotation roles. She sat out the 2025 WNBA season.

Team: WNBA (Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Toronto Tempo)
Position: Guard
Height / Weight: 1.80m / 71kg
Born: January 3, 1996 – Loganholme, Australia
College: Baylor Bears
Draft: 2018 – Round 2, Pick 16 (Atlanta Dream)

Career Stats (Per Game)

Games: 92 │ Points: 6.1 │ Rebounds: 2.2 │ Assists: 1.9
FG: 40.3% │ 3PT: 37.4% │ FT: 75.0% │ eFG: 48.0%
PER: 10.4 │ Win Shares: 1.7

Career Totals Snapshot

Points: 557 │ Rebounds: 198 │ Assists: 179 │ Steals: 58

Performance Trends

• 2022 (Atlanta): 6.6 ppg, 36.8% from three – established as a rotation guard
• 2023 (Indiana): 6.6 ppg, 43.5% from three – peak shooting season
• 2024 (Indiana): 4.7 ppg in reduced minutes – role contraction but improved defensive activity

Per-36 Production

Points: 11.3 │ Rebounds: 4.0 │ Assists: 3.6 │ Steals: 1.2

Impact & Role

Wallace profiles as a low-usage, high-IQ guard who spaces the floor (37.4% career from three) and keeps the ball moving within structured offences. Her assist rate (~16%) and controlled turnover profile fit secondary ball-handler duties.

Defensively, she provides positional versatility across guard matchups, with steady steal rates and improved activity in 2024.

Career Context

• Missed multiple early WNBA seasons (2018–2021) due to injury and roster circumstances
• Returned in 2022 to establish herself as a consistent rotation piece
• Traded from Atlanta to Indiana in 2023, where she logged her most efficient shooting season

Chloe Bibby – Portland Fire

Bibby entered the league as a stretch forward, logging 14 games across two teams in her rookie WNBA season, operating primarily as a perimeter floor spacer.

Bibby’s pathway is clear: shooting keeps her in the league. At 40%+ from three on high volume, she fits modern WNBA spacing demands. The next step is expanding defensive versatility and rebounding impact to secure a consistent rotation role.

Team: WNBA (Golden State Valkyries, Indiana Fever, Portland Fire)
Position: Forward
Height / Weight: 1.88m / 87kg
Born: June 15, 1998 – Horsham, Australia
College: Mississippi State Bulldogs, Maryland Terrapins

Career Stats (Per Game)

Games: 14 │ Points: 4.8 │ Rebounds: 1.8 │ Assists: 0.5
FG: 38.2% │ 3PT: 40.5% │ FT: 88.9% │ eFG: 53.6%
PER: 15.0 │ Win Shares: 0.5

Career Totals Snapshot

Points: 67 │ Rebounds: 25 │ Assists: 7 │ Steals: 8

Performance Trends

• Golden State (5 games): 6.4 ppg, 42.1% from three – higher usage, strong spacing impact
• Indiana (9 games): 3.9 ppg, 39.1% from three – reduced role, maintained shooting volume
• Shot Profile: 76.4% of attempts from three-point range – clear stretch-four identity

Per-36 Production

Points: 15.7 │ Rebounds: 5.8 │ Assists: 1.6 │ Steals: 1.9

Impact & Role

Bibby profiles as a pure floor-spacing forward, with elite three-point volume and efficiency (40.5%). Her offensive value is tied to:

• Catch-and-shoot spacing
• Quick-release perimeter shooting
• Ability to stretch defensive coverages

With a usage rate near 20%, she showed willingness to shoot when on the floor, particularly in Golden State lineups.

Advanced Indicators

• True Shooting: 56.8%
• On/Off Impact: +4.8 per 100 possessions (team better with her on floor)
• Offensive Rating: 109

Career Role

• Developed as a scoring forward across two NCAA programs
• Earned WNBA opportunity in 2025 through training camp and short-term contracts
• Split season between expansion Golden State and Indiana, navigating roster churn

Nyadiew Puoch – Portland Fire

One of Australia’s fastest-rising forwards, Puoch has progressed from the BA Centre of Excellence to WNBL champion and first-round WNBA draft pick by age 21.

Team: University of Canberra Capitals
Position: Forward
Height: 1.91m
Born: June 23, 2004 – Tasmania, Australia
WNBA Draft: 2024 – Round 1, Pick 12 (Atlanta Dream)

WNBL (Southside Flyers / UC Capitals)

• 2022–23: 5.8 points, 1.4 rebounds (25 games)
• 2023–24: 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists (27 games) – WNBL Champion (2024)

NBL1 South (Dandenong Rangers)

• 2023: 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.1 blocks (17 games)
• 2025: All Second Team

BA Centre of Excellence

• 2021: 8.6 points (Waratah League)
• 2022: 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds (NBL1)

Performance Trends

• Rapid jump from role player (WNBL) to primary scorer (NBL1)
• Expanding two-way profile – scoring, rebounding and rim protection
• Proven ability to scale production with increased usage

Impact & Role

Puoch profiles as a modern two-way forward with:

• Length and mobility at 1.91m
• Shot creation upside (shown in NBL1 high-usage role)
• Defensive versatility (steals + blocks production)

International Career

• 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup (Silver) – 11.3 pts, 5.4 reb
• 2022 FIBA U18 Asia Cup (Gold) – 13.0 pts, 5.8 reb, 2.8 ast
• 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup – 14.7 pts, 5.4 reb

Career Highlights

• WNBL Champion (2024)
• NBL1 South Youth Player of the Year (2023)
• NBL1 South All Second Team (2025)
• Nike Hoop Summit (2023 – 16 pts, 4 blk)

Outlook

Puoch is tracking as a long-term Opals-calibre forward.
Her next phase is translating NBL1-level dominance into consistent WNBL impact and WNBA readiness, particularly in:

• Perimeter shooting consistency
• Defensive discipline at higher levels
• Half-court decision-making

WNBA Expansion Draft — How It Works (2026)

With Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo entering the league, the WNBA expands to 15 teams, triggering an expansion draft to build both rosters.

Protection Rules

• Existing teams can protect five players each (down from six in 2025).
• All other players become eligible to be selected.
• Minnesota Lynx are the only team that can lose up to two players.

Draft Format

• The expansion draft is split into two rounds.
• Each new team can select six players per round (up to 12 total).

Selection Order

• Round 1: Portland selects first
• Round 2: Toronto selects first

Key Selection Rules

• Only one player per existing team per round can be selected.
• Teams don’t have to use all 12 picks (can save spots for free agency or college draft).
• Rosters include players on:
  • Active list
  • Suspended list
  • Draft rights/reserve list
  • Core list
  • Retired list

Free Agent Twist

• Expansion teams can select one unrestricted free agent (UFA) with:
  • 5+ years experience
• This can only be done once per team

This is significant for teams like Minnesota, where multiple veterans entered free agency.

WNBA Draft Impact

• Toronto Tempo won the coin toss:
  • Picks No. 6 in the WNBA Draft (April 13)
  • Chooses to draft second in expansion draft
• Portland Fire:
  • Picks No. 7 in the WNBA Draft
  • Drafts first in expansion draft

What’s Really at Stake

• Core rotations across the league will be broken up
• Veteran groups — especially Minnesota’s — could be split
• Chemistry vs exposure becomes the key decision for teams

Timeline

• Expansion Draft: Friday, April 3 — 2:30PM
• WNBA Draft: Monday, April 13

Bottom Line

This isn’t just a roster exercise — it’s a league reset moment.

• Two new teams build identity overnight
• Contenders lose depth (and possibly starters)
• Free agency + draft strategy becomes critical