15
May
Aussies in the WNBA
Alex Fowler’s WNBA dream starts with 12-point debut
New York Liberty forward Alex Fowler heads back to the bench after making her WNBA debut against the Portland Fire at Moda Center in Portland on May 14, 2026. Fowler scored 12 points in 17 minutes hours after signing with New York as a developmental player. Photo: Ali Gradischer/Getty Images
Highlights
Alex Fowler impressed on Liberty debut while Alanna Smith faced former team Minnesota in WNBA action
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New York Liberty 100 def. Portland Fire 82
Australian forward Alex Fowler – and WNBL26 champion with the Townsville – was announced as a developmental player just hours before tip-off and made an immediate impact as the New York Liberty overpowered Portland Fire 100-82 on the road.
Fowler checked in for 17 minutes and delivered 12 points on 4-from-7 shooting, hitting two threes in an energetic first outing alongside fellow Australians Rebecca Allen and Han Xu, who spent WNBL26 with the Perth Lynx.
Allen was playing her first game of the season for New York and knocked down a triple in 14 minutes, while Han Xu added three points, two rebounds and two assists in seven minutes.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points, seven rebounds and a +20 plus-minus, while Marine Johannes controlled the game with 11 assists. Julie Vanloo provided a spark off the bench with nine points and four assists, and Rebekah Gardner added 14 points and five rebounds.
Portland stayed close after leading 20-14 at quarter time, but New York broke the game open with a 31-point third quarter behind its ball movement and perimeter shooting. The Liberty finished 15-from-38 from three-point range and shot 51% from the field.
Australian forward Nyadiew Puoch continued her strong start to the season for Portland with 13 points, two assists and two steals in 31 minutes. Puoch shot 5-from-9 from the field and 2-from-5 from downtown while regularly matching up against Stewart and Laney-Hamilton on the defensive end.
Megan Gustafson top-scored for Portland with 14 points off the bench, while Bridget Carleton and Emily Engstler each added 11.
Australians
- Alex Fowler (Liberty): 12 points, two rebounds, one assist, 2-from-5 3PT in 17 minutes
- Rebecca Allen (Liberty): Three points, one assist, one steal in 14 minutes
- Nyadiew Puoch (Fire): 13 points, two assists, two steals, 2-from-5 3PT in 31 minutes
- WNBL26 – Han Xu (Liberty): Three points, two rebounds, two assists in seven minutes
Minnesota Lynx 90 def. Dallas Wings 86
Australian Opals forward Alanna Smith faced her former team for the first time as the Minnesota Lynx erased an eight-point first-quarter deficit to defeat the Dallas Wings 90-86 on the road.
Smith finished with six points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 27 minutes against the Lynx franchise she helped reach the WNBA Finals last season before signing a three-year supermax deal with Dallas in free agency.
Dallas led 28-18 at quarter time behind the shot creation of rookie guard Paige Bueckers, but Minnesota gradually wore the Wings down with elite interior efficiency, shooting 60% from the field and dominating the paint through Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams.
Howard produced one of the most efficient games of her career with 26 points on 11-from-14 shooting, adding five rebounds and three blocks. Williams added 21 points on 9-from-10 shooting, while Nia Coffey knocked down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc for 13 points and eight rebounds.
Bueckers was outstanding again for Dallas with 27 points, eight assists and 10-from-11 shooting from the free throw line, continuing her fast adjustment to the WNBA level. Maddy Siegrist provided a spark off the bench with 17 points in 16 minutes.
Smith’s versatility was again evident despite limited scoring opportunities. The 28-year-old operated as a connective piece offensively, regularly initiating actions from the elbows and short roll while defending multiple frontcourt matchups.
Dallas struggled to contain Minnesota’s ball movement and half-court execution late, with the Lynx finishing with 20 assists and only 17 turnovers despite constant defensive pressure from the Wings.
Australian
- Alanna Smith (Wings): Six points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in 27 minutes
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