An exciting pack of young stars from Australia were selected in the WNBA Draft with Saffron Shiels (Toronto Tempo), Amelia Hassett (LA Sparks), Charlise Dunn (Toronto Tempo) and Manuela Puoch (NY Liberty) added to rosters.
Shiels starred for the U18 Gems at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in 2024 and has been selected 26th overall by expansion franchise Toronto. There will be a familiarity for Saffron with the Tempo being guided by Opals and WNBA Championship winning coach Sandy Brondello.
Amelia Hassett was rewarded for her impressive season for Kentucky in the SEC and was drafted 35th overall by Los Angeles in the third round. Charlise Dunn, a star for Davidson, went the very next pick at 36th, joining Shiels on the Toronto roster.
The WNBA took note of the impact and performances of Manuela Puoch at the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup with the NY Liberty taking the Victorian with the 41st overall pick.
Puoch is the younger sister of Nyadiew who was acquired by the Portland Fire from Atlanta earlier in the week. Similarly to Saffron Shiels, Manuela is a 2006 born development prospect.
Hassett and Dunn graduated as seniors from college basketball and will compete for a roster spot as teams head into camps.
Training camps for WNBA Clubs starts from 19 April with teams permitted to carry 18 into the window, before selecting a final 12 ahead of the Season Opener on 8 May.
WNBA | ROSTER MOVEMENTS
One of the biggest moves came with Alanna Smith signing a three-year supermax deal with the Dallas wings after a standout 2025 season and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honours with the Minnesota Lynx.
The Australian-to-Seattle Storm pipeline will strike once again, with Jade Melbourne departing the Washington Mystics and returning to the Pacific Northwest in a full-circle moment after originally being drafted by Seattle in 2022. She will reunite with Ezi Magbegor, who has also re-signed to the Storm on a supermax contract for her seventh season.
Opals skipper Sami Whitcomb will once again call Phoenix home after re-signing with the Mercury on a fully guaranteed two-year contract, following an impressive 2025 campaign with the team.
Bec Allen is headed back to New York, returning to the franchise where she spent her first seven seasons in the league after signing a one-year deal. Allen most recently played with the Chicago Sky followng previous stints with the Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury.
From ADL to ATL, Isobel Borlase’s WNBA dream is finally set to become reality, with the young gun officially making the move to Atlanta after being drafted by the Dream in 2024.
Las Vegas will be home to Steph Talbot in 2026, with the Opals veteran entering her eighth WNBA season.
There will be no shortage of Aussies fighting for final roster spots during training camp, with several earning opportunities across the league.
Ally Wilson is headed to the nation’s capital to prove her case with the Washington Mystics, while fellow 2024 Paris Olympian and Gangurru teammate Anneli Maley is bound for the Big Apple after securing a training camp contract with the New York Liberty, capping off a huge weekend after casually dropping a record 65 points in NBL1 on Saturday.
Miela Sowah’s golden run rolls on, with the Townsville Fire championship winner headed to California, where she’ll join the Golden State Valkyries on a training contract.
Australian Opals and Toronto Tempo Head Coach will welcome two Aussies to camp with Maddison Rocci and Kristy Wallace both signing on.
Wallace was selected from Indiana Fever in last week’s Expansion Draft, while Chloe Bibby was also picked up from Fever’s roster in the draft and will head West to Portland Fire, where she’ll join rookie Nyadiew Puoch who was originally drafted to Atlanta alongside Borlase in 2024.
