WNBA draft 2024: Caitlin Clark is selected first overallThe Atlanta Dream selected Australian Nyadiew Puoch with the 12th pick, partnering him with his lifelong friend Izzy Borlase.
In the second round, the Indiana Fever selected Borlase with the 20th overall pick, eight selections ahead of Puoch, who had already selected Caitlin Clark with their first pick.
The fever has tightened grip over Clark ever since she declared in February that she was going professional. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers and Fever, hosted the WNBA draft 2024, selling nearly 17,000 tickets.
“I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in,” she said.
To break a seven-year streak without making the playoffs, her teammates on the Fever, which also features top pick Aaliyah Boston from the previous season, aim to match the top scorer in college basketball (2023) with the rookie of the year.
Point guard Borlase and power forward Puoch, meanwhile, have joined the Dream team. The Dream squad finished last season with a four-year losing record after selecting Rhyne Howard as the number one pick in 2022.
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When Puoch found out she would be playing with her friend and fellow countrywoman, she was pleased with her choice.
“Oh my god, that’s amazing. Are you serious?” She cried out to ESPN reporter Kane Pitman.
“Me and Izzy are like best friends.”
Playing together at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, Borlase and Puoch represented their country in the 2021 and 2023 Under-19 World Cups.
Puoch guided the Southside Flyers to three straight finals and this year’s triumph, while Borlase played for the struggling Adelaide Lightning.
The extended roster for the Paris Games now includes Borlase, bringing the total number of players down from 27 to 12. He also assisted the Opals in qualifying for the Olympics.
The Phoenix Mercury picked Nebraska graduate Jaz Shelley 29th overall, matching Amy Atwell and Bec Allen.
She will play with Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, two WNBA players.
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