Australian Nyadiew Puoch was selected twelfth in this morning’s WNBA draft in New York. The 19-year-old centre will play for Atlanta Dream in the upcoming 2024 season.

Puoch won the 2023/24 WNBL championship with the Southside Flyers who she has played for the last two seasons.

As widely predicted, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was named as the first draft pick and will go to Indiana Fever. The 22-year-old played for University of Iowa where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history for both mens and women and has already accelerated ticket sales for her new team. Clark has 1,144 career assists and 990 rebounds across 139 games played.

Clark’s jersey and shirts bearing her name have become the top-selling college apparel from retailer Fanatics. The University of Iowa also announced they would be retiring Clark’s number 22 jersey.

Puoch will eventually play alongside fellow Australian Isobel Borlase, who was pick 20 in the 2024 draft. Borlase is expected to head to the WNBA in 2025 as she hopes to play for the Opals in the Paris Olympics. Victorian-born Jaz Shelley was selected at number 29 and will join Phoenix Mercury. The 23-year-old made her way through the college system, having played the last three years for the University of Nebraska.

Puoch has said she looks up to players like her countrywoman, Ezi Magbegor, who was also a 12th draft pick in 2019 and currently plays for Seattle Storm.

“When I was at the AIS and looking at the pathways, seeing Australians like Ezi Magbegor get drafted inspired me so to be here now it’s very surreal, all the emotions,” Puoch told ESPN.

The regular season opener will be showcased on ESPN on May 13th.