Learn a little about his journey, though, and you’ll see a player that’s been underestimated for years. He grew up with dreams of playing professionally, and the pathway to get there is well established – star for your club, represent your state, and put yourself on the radar early. Instead, he was overlooked often, first missing selection for his club’s top-grade side as a youngster, then missing out on state team honours every year up until this past April.

Why was that the case? Looking back now, there’s an obvious reason that Davis is honest in recognising.

“Other guys were definitely better than me.”

Now, the 18-year-old is proof of just how quickly things can change. After finally breaking through and starring at this year’s Under-20 National Championships, a whirlwind recruitment has seen him commit to play for the Davidson Wildcats in the NCAA. In a matter of weeks he’ll be in North Carolina, playing at a high-profile school, following in the footsteps of his basketball idol, and on the path towards his ultimate goal of going pro.

It’s been a rapid rise, but it’s also deserved reward for a player that has been willing to outwork everyone along the way. “Being overlooked was probably just because of that lack of skill at that time compared to everyone else my age,” he said, “and that was ok, because it was something I could fix and get better at.”

Davis’ climb through the ranks, from fringe junior to DI commit, might seem sudden; in reality, it’s the result of a mountain of hard work over the years. That started with his junior club Geelong United, where he once missed selection in their top Under-14 side but continued to grow, even as he was overlooked for Victoria’s Under-16 and Under-18 state teams.

Credit: Lawrence Surgers | @pics.by.tre

It continued at Western Heights College, a government school in Geelong with a dedicated basketball program, designed to support talented athletes while they study. It’s that school environment that Davis credits with taking his game to the next level in recent years. Playing under Ash Arnott, the head coach of the Keilor Thunder men’s side and previously with Australia’s junior national teams, the daily training sessions and high-level competition fed his desire to improve. “That sort of group around me really supported me and helped me, and that was pretty big for my development and getting better,” he said.

“Yes, I was overlooked, but there were definitely people that saw that I could be great and took me in to build me up.”

Even with their support, there were challenges along the way. Most notable was a horror year in 2020, where the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was added to a foot injury that kept him sidelined for six months. Those already in the state pathways held their place among the chaos; those stuck on the outside had less and less opportunities to break in, with Davis’ injury pushing him even further back in the pecking order.

“It was definitely hard, mentally frustrating, seeing everyone else up above,” he said of that time. “A lot of people at that age would give up and quit… I thought, no, I’m going to stay true to it and not give up, play basketball and stick to it and just try to get better.”

That dedication has paid off in spades in the years since, with Davis going from strength to strength on the court. He led Western Heights to victory in the 2023 Basketball Victoria Champions Cup, breaking traditional power Rowville Secondary College’s stranglehold on the event in the process; he made his NBL1 debut for Geelong earlier this year, marking his first step into the semi-professional ranks; and he moved closer to a state team breakthrough, named as a National Championships emergency as a top-age Under-18 and a bottom-age Under-20 player.

That breakthrough finally came this year when he earned a call-up for Victoria Navy at January’s Under-20 National Championships. One year after watching the same tournament from afar, as an emergency for the Navy side that shocked the country to win a national title, he got his shot in Ballarat. “It was so fun, playing in a tournament that so many of my friends have played in before, and being able to be a part of it and playing on a team with probably my closest friends,” Davis said.

Given all of the work that it took him to get there, Davis was never going to let the opportunity slip. He dominated the tournament from start to finish, averaging 16.8 points to finish as a top-ten scorer, along with 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and one steal per game. In a win over the ACT, he exploded with one of the standout performances of the tournament, finishing with 34 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. After years spent watching from the sidelines, it was a release of all of his pent-up energy across one incredible week.

The eyes of the Aussie basketball world are always on the National Championships, and Davis certainly got their attention. News Corp ranked him eighth in their top players at the championships, and he was one of Michael Houben’s 14 standouts from the event. The timing couldn’t have been better, with his college recruitment ramping up and schools looking for more evidence that he could be their guy.

None of that crossed his mind, though; instead, it was all about that sense of fun, being on the court with his mates and doing what they love. “We thought back to why we actually play basketball, and it was for the love and the fun of the game, and that joy definitely is why I performed well,” he said of the tournament.

“I try to play with joy and fun whenever I play and that’s a mentality that not everyone has, everyone takes things really serious and overthinks things.”

“Our team mentality was thinking back to ourselves as kids and how proud we’d be of our accomplishments so far, and just play for them.”

Some colleges would have already had Davis on their radar, but the National Championships kicked his recruitment into overdrive. One of the many schools lighting up his phone was Davidson, with a catch – they wanted him to be a Wildcat but redshirt for a year, and sit out an entire season in the process. “I was completely honest with them and said I didn’t want to go somewhere where I was going to redshirt,” he said of that first call.

They stayed in contact, but when the time came to make a decision, Davis had settled on Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. At 9PM in Melbourne, he made the call and verbally committed to the Hatters; 12 hours later, though, things drastically changed. “The next morning at about 9AM I got a call from the Davidson coach again, and they said that they had a few guys transfer out and they wanted me,” Davis said.

It was a big call to wake up to, and with a tournament to play in Geelong that same day, it left him with plenty to think about. “Mum said ‘just don’t think about it, focus on playing, and then afterwards see what your heart says’,” Davis said, “and afterwards I just thought, yeah, I want to go to Davidson.”

It makes sense that his heart landed there, and not just because he’d be joining one of the top mid-majors in the country. After all, he has long idolised the most famous alumni in Wildcats history, who also happens to be one of the greatest hoopers of all time. As a kid, Davis would watch Steph Curry’s highlights from his time as a Wildcat, and then followed along as he lit up the NBA and won four titles with Golden State. He remembers being on the couch watching the famous “double bang” game winner against the Thunder in 2016 – “as soon as he made it I got up and started running around the room” – and he even wore Curry’s number 30 as a junior in Geelong.

All of a sudden, he’ll be side by side with his hero in less than a week, with the Wildcats heading to San Francisco for a training camp with the Warriors superstar. “Like, I get to train with Steph for four days – I think that’s going to be so surreal,” Davis said. “Even just being able to wear the Davidson jersey will just be surreal, thinking back to when I was a kid watching his highlights.”

Strangely enough, hitting the court with one of his hoops heroes won’t be a totally new experience. Growing up as a basketball-mad kid in Geelong, DeMarcus Gatlin was an ever-present figure, first starring with the Supercats in the SEABL, and now with United in the NBL1. Davis was eight years old when the star guard first came to town; now, they’ve shared the court together as equals. “Playing NBL1 here, I grew up idolising [Gatlin] and now he’s just another teammate… he used to coach me when I was younger, and now being on the same team is pretty cool,” he said.

Even still, Davis is allowing himself a little leeway once he gets to the Bay Area and meets Curry. “Off the court, I’ll definitely be like a fanboy a little bit,” he said with a laugh, “but as soon as we step between those lines, it’s straight to business mode.”

He knows he’ll need to be on his game from the moment he lands, with every second of training camp and the preseason a chance to impress a new group of coaches and teammates. Transfers might have opened up an active roster spot for him, but beyond that, there are no guarantees. “Every team with a sense of professionalism like Davidson, a team’s not going to promise you X amount of minutes or promise you a start, and that’s what I really like about it – everyone has an opportunity to show what you have,” he said.

As he has through his whole career, though, he’s staying grounded and ready for whatever comes his way. “If I get over there and for us to be a winning team I have to play two minutes a game, I’ll be ok with that because we’re a winning team, and if they need me to play 20 minutes a game, I can do that,” he said.

“I’ll make whatever sacrifices I need to and do what I have to to make sure we’re a winning team, and hopefully that’s one where I have a big impact on it and can play a bit.”

It’ll be a familiar feeling for Davis as he’s once again forced to earn his spot, but everything else will be brand new. It’s basketball on a different level – the fervour of college fans, crowds of over 5,000 at home and as many as 13,000 on the road in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and a murderer’s row of players chasing the same professional dream that he is.

It would be easy to get lost in the pressure of it all, but after years spent grinding just to get to this point, he knows that it all comes back to that one special thing. “I’m definitely not someone that’s going to change up who I am because of the people that I’m around, I’m still going to try and make training fun and have that joy,” he said.

“It’ll be really cool to just think back on that and remember that that’s why I play basketball, that joy.”

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The Crocs were knocked out in the round of sixteen in 2024, and haven’t featured in a medal game since 2014, so the 2026 edition looms as an opportunity to return to the podium. Head coach Greg Vanderjagt has selected his final 12-man roster to travel to Turkey, and here’s a breakdown of some of Australia’s most promising basketball talents.

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Adam and Lukas discuss the signings of Saffron Shiels, Sami Whitcomb, Gemma Potter and Darcee Garbin to WNBL clubs - and discuss the first fortnight of the WNBA.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

The operative word in that sentence is BACK.

In 2006 an 18-year-old Ingles took the league by storm, announcing himself in a big way on the Aussie hoops scene.

He may have only spent three seasons in the NBL, but his impact was felt, especially in an era of the competition where audience wasn’t always easy to find.

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Photo credit: Mark Filpo/@codexdesignstudio

When Jonah Antonio talks to The Pick and Roll, he’s just returned to Perth from a national 3x3 camp in Melbourne, satisfied with the hit-out and crossing his fingers for a spot in this year’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup.

Shortly after, the Perth-born sharp-shooter was named in the team, alongside Jarred Bairstow, Lachlan Barker and Alex Higgins-Titsha. The group is currently in Serbia for a pre-tournament camp before the main event in Warsaw, Poland, from June 1 to 7.

The 29-year-old has previously represented Australia in the format at last year’s FIBA 3x3 World Cup, the FIBA Champions Cup and Asia Cups in 2026 and 2025 (which the team won) and says playing 3x3 has been enjoyable and has added new dimensions to his 5x5 game.

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Credit: May Bailey Photography

The 24-year-old oozes talent, with playmaking flair, good size, plenty of upside, and Tasmanian roots that will have the crowds even more invested than ever before.

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Photo credit: Purdue Athletics

Entering the 2025-26 college basketball season, Hannah Wickstrom probably wasn’t the first name that came to mind. Exiting it, she became undeniable.

“As the season went on we had injuries with seniors as well that were going to be a big part of our program,” she told The Pick and Roll. “That also allowed me to step up even more than what I was gonna have to in my second year.”

It wasn’t just a step up, Wickstrom led the Big West in scoring at 23.4 points per game, good for fifth in the entirety of the NCAAW. The uptick in volume and production was kindly met with efficiency, shooting 48.5% on all field goals, 34.0% from deep and 83.0% at the line on 6.1 free throws a night.

“My goal for the season was to be consistent and I think I was as soon as I got those first few games away, I was very consistent in my scoring and what I could do on the court. I think my teammates would always put me in really good positions to score. My coaches would always put me in good positions where I wanted to be, like driving, getting downhill, coming off on ball screens.”

She’s a pure scorer that strives to be multi-dimensional.

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Adam and Jacob discuss the key signings and coaching moves of NBL Free Agency so far.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Photo credit: Dan Cowley / Images by Dan

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tayla Brazel?

For those familiar with the ascending Adelaide Lightning guard, it’s usually the knees. More specifically, the two surgically repaired knees that robbed her of two full seasons in the formative stages of her career.

Since then, those knees have been both the context commentators used to fill dead air during broadcasts, and the subtext GMs would keep in mind during recruitment conversations. They’ve been both a blessing and a burden, a key part of Brazel’s personal growth as a pro, and a constant shadow still lingering over the player she’s turning into. Frustratingly, they’ve also been the only thing that people seem to be able to associate with one of the WNBL’s elite young talents.

“I feel like people don’t know the full Tayla Brazel as a basketball player yet.”

Brazel tells me this over a coffee at the South Australian Institute of Sport, the Lightning’s training base just outside of Adelaide’s CBD. Because like most players who’ve been through the throes of rehab, she’s sick to death of the baggage that accompanies two major injuries.

It’s not that she isn’t open to sharing the journey that’s shaped her, or unwilling to impart her own experiences for anyone going through something similar. But at what stage does she become defined by something other than a (tired) narrative that overlooks the infinite hours spent rebuilding her body, the measurable output she’s produced the court, the respect she commands from team-mates, as well as the integral role she played in literally saving her team from extinction?

Let’s unpack what you should really know about the full Tayla Brazel as a basketball player.

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With one of the more impressive national champions in recent memory and star power from every state, there’s plenty to unpack from another massive tournament. We’re barely scratching the surface, looking at just a few of the stars that stood out across the week.

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Adam chats to new Southside Flyers coach Sam Mackinnon about their recent signings, and his goals for the team this season.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

The league gives them the opportunity to show off just how good they are, and potentially catch the eye of WNBL or NBL clubs.

So who are the next batch of stars to elevate to the next level of the back of elite NBL1 seasons?

Here are some players to keep your eye on…

ELLIOTT BROWN (Sandringham Sabres | SOUTH)

2026 so far: 9gms, 14.2ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.3apg, 43% FG

I’ve long been in the Elliott Brown fan club, and it should only be a matter of time before he gets some sort of a sniff at NBL level.

He was excellent at the NBL National Finals last year, and he has started 2026 well for the Sabres, averaging 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

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Image credit: NBA Asia / Eric Teo

Last year, some of the best young basketball talent across Asia-Pacific competed at the inaugural NBA Rising Stars International in Singapore.

This year, the event expanded, with Melbourne, Bangkok, Taipei and Tokyo all hosting qualifying tournaments for the Singapore tournament.

Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson was on hand to watch the Melbourne leg, which took place at the State Basketball Centre from May 8 to 10. Eight boys’ school teams and five girls’ teams competed.

“Having the NBA brand out here and being exposed to the way that the NBA does things, that’s a really exciting thing, and something the kids won’t ever forget,” Jackson told The Pick and Roll from courtside.

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The Wings picked Azzi Fudd first overall in the 2026 WNBA draft, a year after they selected Paige Bueckers with the same pick. Bueckers has already proven herself at the next level and answered any questions about how her game would translate within the first month. This was so much so that she has been named the player most general manager's would want to start a franchise with, edging out Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson who were equal second. Bueckers has a 33% approval rating from GMs for this criteria which is no small feat considering the play, age and popularity of the players in second.

In the same GM survey, Dallas also received 47% of the vote for the question which team made the best overall moves this offseason?, which Smith is at the front of. They’ve hit the ground running, gaining respect amongst their peers before opening night. Dallas might still be rising for one more year but they have all of the right pieces in place. It could already be safe to say they’ve built a sustainable contender to see out the 2020’s. Perhaps, they’ve laid out the blueprint to build a sustainable contender if they retain a core that is already there. That sounds a bit more fair to a team that picked first overall in the past two drafts, which could also be a sign of a championship to come.

In 2001 and 2002, the Seattle Storm drafted Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird and the two won rings together in Seattle. The Storm, again, drafted Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart back-to-back, and the two won rings together in Seattle. The Las Vegas Aces, with Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, are well chronicled with their postseason success and continue to be the strongest team in the WNBA. All three of those players were drafted in connecting years, with Plum technically being selected by the San Antonio Stars before they relocated. The Indiana Fever picked Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston in the two drafts preceding Bueckers and Fudd. While these two franchises are pending championship, the Fever’s championship window is wide open and the Wings could be in close pursuit.

Dallas have rerouted with supreme agility and Alanna Smith will be holding things down in the middle as they continue to build their roster. Her co-anchor for the Australian Opals, Ezi Magbegor, is in a similar situation. Magbegor hasn’t jumped ship, however, as she’s docked in the Storm.

Seattle finally took a pulse check and ended one of the worst experiments in the modern WNBA; what happens if you add Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike to a team one year into a rebuild after it lost one of the league’s most historic players (Sue Bird) and a 28-year-old MVP (Breanna Stewart). The answer to that question is the same in 2026 as it was before Diggins and Ogwumike signed in Seattle in 2024; bad things happen.

Diggins and Ogwumike are stalwarts of the WNBA, but they joined the Storm when they were each aged 33 and definitely over the hump. They’re still great contributors, but add them both to a team’s starting lineup and the cracks will start to show, and they did, immediately. It was also a peculiar signal from the franchise to its existing roster that they were going to compete, disrupting the development of their prospects.

Now in 2026 they have a new youth cohort, headlined by 6’6 French phenom Dominique Malonga. Fellow 6’6 European Awa Fam was the second overall pick behind Fudd this year and the Spaniard is one of three first round picks in Seattle this season. Flau’jae Johnson and Taina Mair bolster the prospect pool with WNBL26 import Mackenzie Holmes entering her second stanza in the WNBA. Stefanie Dolson and Natisha Heideman are the type of vet signings you want to make to usher a young team forward.

Jordan Horston provides a connective thread to the team pre-Diggins and Ogwumike, as well as Magbegor. Melbourne’s return to the franchise coincides with Katie Lou Samuelson, with the pair playing in Seattle in 2023. After all the dust has settled, they’re in a very good position, much like Smith’s Wings. At 26 and 23, Magbegor and Melbourne are nowhere near the halfway mark of their professional careers. A mass exodus was threatening in Seattle and losing a core piece like Gabby Williams is a mistake they won’t want to be repeating any time soon. Now, they can plan for the now and the future. It seems like it would be fun to be a part of the Storm locker room right now.

Williams has moved to the Golden State Valkyries with recent fan favourite WNBL imports in Veronica Burton, Laeticia Amihere and Kayla Thornton. They might have taken a step back from their debut season last year, but could have a long term vision in mind. They also had homegrown hero Miela Sowah on a training camp contract, waived her and then picked her up as a development player. The fit for her all the way through the organisation and to the fanbase is undeniable. She could turn some heads with her dynamism at the guard position and realistically establish herself within the rotation as the Valkyries become more familiar with her ability to fill holes and fit alongside any lineup.

Townsville Fire teammate Alex Fowler also found herself at the New York Liberty training camp with Perth Lynx duo Anneli Maley and Han Xu. Heading in to the season, only Xu remains from that trio, yet Bec Allen was an early signing to a guaranteed contract in the big apple. New York took an immediate liking to Maley but the Liberty decided against her.

All of the top comments on the Liberty’s Instagram post for their roster heading into season 2026, barring none, make mention of one player missing; Maley. Some fans are missing “Malley,” but we’ll let that slide.

It’s more of the same excellence in New York with their core of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu. Emma Meesseman departed but there’s an upgrade in Satou Sabally. Steph Talbot moves to the rival Las Vegas Aces and Bec Allen comes in. The team parted ways with Sandy Brondello who moved to a new franchise and rookie head coach Chris DeMarco enters. Sure, these are the sliding doors all sports teams are faced with, but the Liberty take everything in stride.

Allen could be a huge contributor in the postseason for New York. She is a natural fit next to Ionescu, Stewart and Jones and can share the court with Sabally. Aussies are well familiar with her game and her optionality and variability, while also being an elite shooter and defender will enamour her to Liberty fans throughout the season. This could very well be the 2026 WNBA champions.

As for Maley, she was picked up on the waiver wire by the Phoenix Mercury, joining Sami Whitcomb. The Mercury made it to the WNBA Finals last season but the absence of Satou Sabally will be felt. She’s a dynamic player with a skillset that will need to be replaced by the team as a whole. The Mercury bring back Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas who carry an underdog status with them wherever they go. Maley’s grit will fit that well and make her a natural culture piece in the desert.

Whitcomb seems to be getting better. Actually, a lot of Aussies seem to be finding a second wind in their late 30’s which is great for an Opals team that has players in their prime and early 20’s. We’ll chat about that a bit more in Berlin this September.

It’s her second season in Phoenix with the franchise investing a sizeable chunk of their 2027 payroll into her as well. She shot 36% from deep on two makes a night in 2025 after a dismal start to the season by anyone’s standards, let alone one of the greatest shooters of all time. She was a starter in the first 11 games of last season, making 13 total three’s on 53 attempts, a 24.5% hit rate. In a move to the bench, she shone, shooting a 39.5% clip from then on. Like a corny movie, this Australian odd couple is so crazy it just might work, landing the Mercury another Finals berth and shot at a championship.

In the driver’s seat for that conversation is Steph Talbot’s Las Vegas Aces. Talbot enters a franchise that’s perennially the team to beat. She’ll slide right in to a role that head coach Becky Hammon has placed a lot of value in. In the past, Alysha Clark has filled this role as the 6’0 wing that’s required to play the four next to A’ja Wilson when called upon. Talbot has a propensity to get the job done, is a perfect fit for the roster and the way Hammon likes to coach. It might not always look nice on the stat sheet, but Talbot will be someone Hammon can trust and rely on to do the dirty work while Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and NaLyssa Smith provide the offence. Recent WNBL imports Brianna Turner and Kierstan Bell provide depth, further illustrating the talent on this team.

Wilson might not just be putting together a GOAT career, but the GOAT career. At 29, she’s a three-time champion, four-time MVP and three-time DPOY. The fact that her All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Star selections don’t even make the top line for her tell you all you need to know. Basketball careers are going into players 40s with some regularity now, meaning we could have another decade of Wilson, who knows what’s going to be added to her resume. With Talbot’s move, hopefully it’s another championship this year.

That’s plenty of time at the top of the mountain, lets move towards a more future looking team who is becoming a bit of an Australian hub to contend with Seattle. The Washington Mystics are finally debuting Georgia Amoore, as well as rookie Ally Wilson. They have Lucy Olsen who was a rotation piece last year and looking like she’ll add more consistency to her game in year two after a championship with the Townsville Fire. That makes up the bulk of their guard contingent with a strong influence from down under. Add in that their head coach is named Sydney Johnson for that extra Aussie flavour.

The Mystics are a wait and see team with a very promising proof of concept. With the top of the league as strong as it is, having the ability to see the field will pay off long term. All three of their top six picks from the 2025 draft are looking like they will be strong starters in a few years time in Amoore, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. While they’re on rookie deals, it’s the time to throw money at Shakira Austin.

Now in year five and aged just 25, Austin brings a unique bag of skills and experiences. At 6’5, she moves like a guard even after a few years disrupted by injury. She started her career playing with Washington’s championship core including Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins and 2023 WNBL champion Tianna Hawkins. Austin is still entering her prime, is a connective culture piece for the franchise and has had enough experiences in different scenarios while being a steady figure both on the court as a defensive anchor and in the locker room. As much as she’s just getting started, she also provides the qualities of a vet. The word intersectional gets tossed around a lot these days, Austin is the intersection.

She can match with any guard’s play style, whether that’s in the ilk of Amoore or Wilson. With Melbourne playing in the US capital over the last two years, there seems to be a substantial trend that multiple Aussies and WNBL imports will make up Washington’s core through the rest of the decade, even if that does end up being their draftees in Amoore and Olsen. Wilson could well be a veteran and depth piece on the roster now and in the future, which would work well for all parties. She might also be one and done with the Mystics if they go in a different direction. The takeaway on her season more broadly will likely be that she belongs in the WNBA and she’ll have a gig there for the foreseeable future.

That just leaves the Atlanta Dream’s 2024 draftees in Isobel Borlase and Nyadiew Puoch. Borlase remains with the team that drafted the two, while Puoch was selected by the Portland Fire in the expansion draft and swiftly signed. It’s time to pick a team to start with here so lets go with the Fire. No! The Dream, the Dream.

Atlanta finished the 2025 season with the second best record, tied with Las Vegas at 30-14. They built a team around new additions in the middle with Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner joining in the last offseason. The guards very quickly commandeered the offence and the cards seemed to deal themselves. There were questions to be answered for Atlanta, but while a team’s performance usually dips figuring this out, Atlanta was winning.

This might be the case for a team that has had success atop the standings and with continuity, but the Dream had neither. Heck, they even had a rookie head coach in Karl Smesko. The franchise has now established itself and brought back their core, including WNBL imports Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon, as well as Izzy. Canada and Borlase make up two of the last three WNBL MVP’s, while Hillmon made the All-WNBL First Team in their off year. Hillmon won Sixth Player of the Year honours in the WNBA last year as she was eligible before eventually making her way into the starting lineup.

Potential Brisbane WNBL team owner Angel Reese bolsters the Aussie connection, having been traded from the Chicago Sky. Reese provides a very interesting wrinkle to the team as she can share the front court with Hillmon or Jones and provide the team with extra possessions on the glass. Her offence won’t be as relied upon in Atlanta and she could have a serious uptick in efficiency. 45.8% from the field last year isn’t a great result from a big who doesn’t shoot threes, but that number could easily jump up 10 percentage points.

The Dream played team ball last year, third in the league for assists at 21.4 with Canada leading the charge dishing out 5.7. This lends itself to Reese and Borlase with the former as a finisher and the latter as a playmaker and finisher. Although Borlase is on a three year deal with Atlanta, and was the MVP of the WNBL last year, her role in the upcoming WNBA season is unknown. She could be a rotation piece, but Smesko might start the season with her getting spot minutes here and there. A back court with Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Canada is excellent, it’s unbelievable.

Te-Hina PaoPao was a reliable shooter in her rookie season and fit into this teams egalitarian offence with 2.4 assists a night, playing all games but one. With her play and development last year, she’s the heir apparent to their three-headed guard monster. As the season progresses Smesko could start to call on Borlase more. Right now, PaoPao is a more proven commodity, but the minutes could be there to take for the young Aussie. That’s something Smesko proved in his rookie year - he’ll go with whatever’s working.

Entering the year, this might look all over the place in the first 10 games, and Borlase might not play, or she might even find herself in the starting lineup for a game or two. The view on her WNBA career isn’t the first 10 games of this season, or even the year more broadly, it’s a lot longer than that. Her play internationally and in the WNBL has shown enough that a WNBA team wants to invest in her long term. The Atlanta Dream are one of the best environments to enter if you’re a player that’s developing.

Puoch’s opportunity is a different side of the same coin. She might not have as much talent at Portland’s practices, but it looks like she’ll be getting her reps in-game. She started both of the Fire’s preseason games yet could move to the bench as their star player in Bridget Carleton has joined the team after finishing her season in Europe. Puoch should be seeing consistent play around the 20 minute mark. As has been the case in her young career, she continues to amass experiences. Aged 21, she’s gone through all of the ups and downs of a professional basketball career, still younger than most players who enter the WNBA.

At some point, Puoch is going to put it all together and make sense of everything. In the meantime, all these notches on her belt are a good thing. Her last two seasons with the Canberra Capitals have shown the start of this journey and the maturation of her game. If this is the launching pad, she could be a future MVP in the WNBL and a starter in the WNBA. She’s accompanied by a long list of former WNBL imports including Carleton, Karlie Samuelson, Haley Jones and Sug Sutton. Portland selected Chloe Bibby in the expansion draft before trading her to Phoenix where she was waived.

Sandy Brondello made a foray outside of the United States to be the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Tempo. They signed Maddy Rocci and Kristy Wallace to training camp contracts, yet both players were waived. The Australian flavour in Canada is somewhat present, not only in the coaching staff but on the court with former WNBL imports Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes and Kia Nurse.

Aussie will leave their mark all over this season, and they already have. With the amount of them in the league and on the periphery, there’s every chance players who were cut during training camp find their way on to a roster as teams are faced with injury issues. There are 12 currently in the league, by season’s end that number will likely grow. Nine of the league’s 15 teams, or 60%, are home to Australians. They’re star players, starters, solid rotation pieces, prospects and development players. If you made up a roster of all of the Aussies in the WNBA you’d probably make the playoffs.

The regular season will now run until late September with a break for the World Cup. With the postseason slated for October and Australians scattered throughout the contenders, could we see someone come home with a medal and a ring?

Adam and Lukas discuss WNBL Free Agency so far, and look at the contenders in the upcoming WNBA season.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Before that, though, there was a national title to be won. All 13 teams would have landed in Moreton Bay with championship dreams, and while one squad ultimately stood head and shoulders above the rest, players from right across the country made their mark. With a bumper week of high-level basketball now in the books, we’re looking at just a few of the stars that stood out.

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Title favourites through the first half of last season, United’s offence spluttered once the calendar ticked into December. Over their first 15 games, their offensive rating was six points per 100 possessions better than league-average, before it slipped to five points below league-average efficiency for the remainder of the regular season. Defensively, they still stayed better than league-average during that tough stretch, but there was a meaningful decline compared to early on.

With Chris Goulding turning 38-years-old during NBL27 and coming off just 13.4 points per game, as well as Shea Ili turning 34 in October and struggling with availability, there’s a need for additional shot creation. Whilst there will be another key cog still to sign, acquiring both Waardenburg and Ingles, who bring clear above-average passing for their position, will add more balance and depth to Melbourne’s offence.

Waardenburg signing

Of the free agents who played in the league last season, Waardenburg was the number one most intriguing target for me. There just aren’t many bigs in our league that can pass, dribble, shoot, and defend at a high level like he can, something that has been looked past by some, given his injuries last season.

After an encouraging rookie campaign, Waardenburg’s outside shot deserted him in NBL24, but his improvement on defence during that season was noteworthy and impactful enough to earn an honourable mention in my defensive player of the year rankings. In NBL25, he rediscovered his jump shot (36% on threes, including some impressive shot-type versatility) and showed off more passing than ever (3.4 assists). He has all the makings of a top ten player in the league next season.

Dean Vickerman on signing Waardenburg:

“One of our goals this offseason was to add more size per position and being 6’10 at the four spot certainly does that. He has the ability to shift to five and add shooting to that area which is something that we’ve enjoyed in the past. His athleticism and quickness are both massive strengths, and then he has the ability to go get 20 on any given night. He can be your leading guy when you need it. We’ve had that position as a four-man be a real connector in our offence. We saw it with Finn Delany last year where we can put him in the middle on-ball and just let him create: he can pop, he can roll, he can be a facilitator and decision maker for us”

Waardenburg will either be a significant upgrade in positional size on Finn Delany, or a do-it-all big who can play both front court spots, with the ability to close games at center when more nimbler feet and ball-skills are required.

Ingles’ addition

The addition of Ingles does little to suppress any concern around United’s aging core of Goulding and Ili, but given his quality it’s a signing you can’t pass up. Ingles will turn 39 in October and it remains to be seen whether he will start or play a sixth man role, and where his positional split of minutes will come.

Initial thoughts, albeit with a far from finished roster, might have him in that sixth man role, coming on as that secondary playmaker and using his elite vision and shooting to juice Melbourne’s offence. In total across the past two regular seasons, Ingles has played only 267 minutes in the NBA, so he’ll be keen to get back on the floor regularly in a more friendly NBL schedule. Last season we saw 38-year-old JaVale McGee log 25-minutes per game for comparison.

Both Ingles and Waardenburg can fill multiple roles on offence with their ball-skill and ability to shoot threes both off the catch and bounce. The question surrounds defence where Ingles’ lack of speed will likely see him needing to guard the big rather than wing in a lot of matchups. Athleticism and defence will be a target point in free agency to balance out the Ingles and Goulding pairing.

Vickerman’s departure

Vickerman’s departure is a mighty loss, bringing an end to an incredible run that saw him play a major role in turning an underachieving club into a perennial contender. Melbourne’s culture and standards are undeniable. From my piece on the team in NBL24:

“The challenge for me to the group is, regardless of who’s playing for us, can you keep the identity of the club. Can these guys who’ve been with us for a short period of time play defence the way we want to and just live our trademark”

Vickerman has been a defensive taskmaster, getting accountability on that end year in and year out. Melbourne have rated above-average defensively in all nine seasons of his tenure, giving them a tremendously high floor and building block to success.

Simon Mitchell summed up Vickerman’s strengths when interviewed for that same piece:

“He’s built a culture of what’s expected — This is what we do, and the kids coming in, you just see tremendous growth, and it’s quick. They want court time and they’re not going to get it unless they provide [defensive effort]. I think it’s talent identification, but there’s also an element of, you’re not going to get to play unless you’re digging in at that end”

Trevor Gleeson was reportedly keeping a close eye on any potential opening in Adelaide, but with that position not available, he is now being mooted for the United job. This would be a dream pivot for Melbourne, with Gleeson one of the only local coaches who you would draw as much confidence from given his resume.

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Gleeson’s flex offence, his desire for his players to cut, screen, and crash the offensive glass, as well as focus on the defensive details brings with it high standards, and would surely thrust the team straight back into the title mix.

(Photo credit: Damian Clark)

Basketball has always found its way to Abi Curtin. Having grown up playing, her joy for the game has never come into question, as she tells The Pick and Roll.

“When I was a kid, I wasn't particularly good. I loved it, I played rep, but I wasn't like a superstar as a kid, but I really, really enjoyed the sport.”

She was faced with an adversity that isn’t for the faint of heart. “I broke my femur, so I didn’t play a lot of under 16 or under 18. So I feel like I missed also that space of development. I didn’t even consider coming back at that point because you haven’t played basketball for almost three years at a competitive level. But I got really lucky, someone brought me into an NBL1 team and I realised how much I loved it.”

A broken femur at such an early age could discourage a budding athlete off the path, but it continued to forge it for Curtin.

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Olympic Bronze Medalist Nick Kay joins the show to discuss his time in Japan, his ability to influence a game in multiple ways, and his aspirations for more Boomers medals.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

It’s an exciting time, especially considering the lucrative leap the league recently took. The new collective bargaining agreement is a transformational move for the sport, with minimum salaries jumping from USD$66,000 to USD$270,000.

However, being selected in the WNBA Draft does not guarantee a roster spot or a contract. Draft data from the last decade actually paints an incredibly cutthroat picture, with more than a third of selections never actually seeing a WNBA floor.

In the 10 iterations prior to the 2026 draft, a total of 362 players were picked. That’s 36 per year aside from 2025, which featured 38 selections. Of those players, a remarkable 125 have never featured in a WNBA regular season game. That is 34.5%, which averages out to 12.5 players per draft or simply put, a whole round!

The startling numbers continue with 40.3% of draft picks (146) having played five games or less, and 155 (42.8%) selections featuring in 10 or fewer games. To simplify the brutality of that data, on average two out of every five players selected won’t ever truly establish themselves in the world’s best competition.

Naturally there will be questions and doubts over the validity and circumstances behind these numbers. In collecting the data, my first assumption would be that earlier in the 10 year span, the numbers would be far improved as time would allow players to develop and come to the league as better players at a later age. Especially considering the draft and stash element we often see.

That wasn’t the case. The three oldest draft classes all had at least a third of their players never take the WNBA floor.

There has also been suggestions in other leagues and sports around the world that the ‘Covid Drafts’ were heavily impacted by the inability to scout or see players actually play, thus they aren’t a great representation of the incoming class. That logic would imply that we should see a spike in the numbers across 2020, 2021, and potentially 2022. However, that was not the case, with that three-year stretch being the second best in regards to fewest non-playing selections.

As for how our Australians fare, well the numbers align closely with the averages. Across the decade, 10 locals have been selected, and even discounting Georgia Amoore, who missed the entirety of last season due to injury but was likely to feature on court, three have never played, and four have played 10 games or less. Of course these numbers could drop moving forward, with draft and stash players like Izzy Borlase on track to make their WNBA debut this season.

The hope is that with the expansion of the league these overall numbers improve, with more young players getting opportunity as the spread of talent is greater. Last year the Golden State Valkyries joined the competition and according to the metrics we’ve used it was the best draft in three years.

A further two franchises are set to debut this season and the league will grow by another three teams in the following three years. It hopefully means not just more Aussies drafted in the WNBA, but more of them establishing themselves in the league.