A bonza few days for Australian women’s basketball reached new heights on Tuesday when four rising stars were selected in the WNBA draft.
With picks 26 and 36, Newcastle’s Saffron Shiels and Charlise Dunn, currently in the US at college program Davidson Wildcats, were snapped up by Aussie Sandy Brondello who is at the helm of new franchise Toronto Tempo.
NSW Country product Amelia Hassett, fulfilling a college scholarship at Kentucky, was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with pick 35, while Victorian forward Manuela Puoch, whose older sister Nyadiew is about to begin her WNBA journey with new outfit Portland Fire, landed at New York Liberty via pick 41.
An athletic guard with length and a high IQ, Shiels has played for Townsville in the WNBL, represented Australia at junior level and made her Opals debut during a pre-Olympic tour to China in 2024.
Shiels told ESPN her girlhood dream had been realised during what’s been a challenging time where an ankle injury had sidelined her for the past 12 months. Her last game was at the Nike Hoops Summit last April.
“I was nervous and now I’m so excited, it feels like a weight off my shoulders. A relief, so much, I was holding my breath watching the first round,” Shiels said.
“Toronto was the first team I spoke with and I was really hoping they’d draft me. To have Sandy there is a bonus and it’s pretty cool she’s also the Opals coach.”
Shiels is embarking on the final stages of her rehab and aims to play NBL1 in the next few months before returning to the WNBL next season. As a draftee, she has two years to make the move to the Tempo.
“I want to be as ready and prepared as possible to go over because it’s such a hard league to make. I just want to get healthy first,” she said.
After two years in the WNBL with Southside, Puoch has been making plans to head to college in the US. She got the shock of a lifetime when she heard her name called out on ESPN’s coverage this morning as she watched the draft from her family home in Melbourne.
Just a fortnight ago, she watched the expansion draft alongside her older sister who was picked up by Portland.
“My agent had told interest was low but to watch the draft just in case. I watched to see if some of the girls I knew got drafted, then they called my name out and I cried,” Puoch said.
“Nards (Nyadiew) has just gone over to America to get ready for the WNBA, my twin sisters are currently at the under-18 nationals in QLD representing Victoria and my mum was at work. My little brother Bol was downstairs, so I ran down and told him and we were like ‘New York, here we come!”
A strong-bodied presence inside the paint, with a knack for a big three ball, Puoch suited up for the Flyers in 23 games last WNBL season where she averaged 4.4 points and 1.3 rebounds off the bench.
She was won a silver medal with the Australian Gems at last year’s FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup averaging 9.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
