Source : ABC NEWS
Rising stars Saffron Shiels and Manuela Puoch have been chosen in the WNBA draft, continuing the mass influx of Australians to the top women’s basketball league in the world.
Shiels was selected 26th overall by her Opals coach Sandy Brondello and the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday morning (AEST).
The Townsville Fire guard was not the only Australian drafted, as Southside Melbourne Flyers forward Puoch was chosen 41st overall by the New York Liberty.
Puoch had been a key contributor off the bench during her breakout campaign last season, averaging 4.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, while also helping Australia to a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.
Manuela Puoch will join the New York Liberty after being selected with the 41st pick in the WNBA draft. (Getty Images: Graham Denholm)
The 19-year-old’s selection comes after her sister, Nyadiew Puoch, was picked up by the Portland Fire in the competition’s expansion draft on April 4.
At the Liberty, she will be joined by Perth Lynx’s Anneli Maley, who signed a training camp contract, and Opal Bec Allan, who agreed to a reported deal of $US350,000 ($A494,000) in New York.
Shiels will be the third Australian on the Tempo’s roster, with Opal Kristy Wallace and Southside Melbourne’s Maddy Rocci also securing contracts with the club.
A representative of Australia on both senior and junior levels, Shiels was part of the Fire’s WNBL-winning team but did not take the court last season.
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She had played for Townsville in the two seasons prior, averaging 5.4 points, three rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the 2024/2025 campaign.
The 20-year-old is also the daughter of Peter Shiels, a former rugby league player with Penrith, Western Suburbs, Western Reds and Newcastle in the 1990s and 2000s.
The No.1 draft pick on the night went to the Dallas Wings, and they chose Azzi Fudd from the University of Connecticut after she had a stellar season, which made her the favourite for the top selection.
Guard Olivia Miles (Minnesota Lynx) was selected as pick No.2, with Awa Fam (Seattle Storm), Lauren Betts (Washington Mystics) and Gabriela Jaquez (Chicago Sky) rounding off the top five.
Elsewhere, Adelaide Lightning forward Steph Talbot inked a new deal with the competition’s reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces.
AAP
