Aussie hoops prodigy joins Flyers

The Southside Melbourne Flyers have made a Free Agency statement by getting exciting young talent Saffron Shiels to commit to the club for the WNBL27 season, pending League review and approval.

The 20-year-old guard joins the Flyers after an impressive rise through the Australian basketball pathway, including standout performances with the junior national teams, representing Team World at last year’s Nike Hoop Summit, and being selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft by Toronto.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Flyers and starting this next chapter in my career and my life,” Shiels said.

“After speaking with Sam [Mackinnon], in particular the commitment to developing players and building a strong team-first culture, I knew this was the right place for me.”

“I am looking forward to getting to Melbourne following the NBL1 season, working hard with the group and playing in front of the Flyers fans.”

Flyers Head Coach Sam Mackinnon has spoken strongly about building a high-performance culture and developing elite talent, and Shiels' commitment is another important step in that vision.

“Saffron is an outstanding young player with enormous upside and a tremendous work ethic,” Mackinnon said.

“She’s already shown she can perform on big stages and overcome adversity, but what excites us most is her hunger to improve and compete every single day.

“We believe our environment is the perfect place for her to continue developing her game to be an elite Australian player and become a WNBA player.

“The Flyers fans will love the energy and excitement she brings to the game.”

Shiels was part of the Townsville Fire Championship squad in 2026, gaining valuable experience within a title-winning environment despite cruelly missing the season following ankle surgery prior to the opening round.

The Newcastle talent joins Lara Edmanson, Hannah Hank and Haylee Andrews on the Flyers roster for next season.