Tip the Cap: Star chalks up century milestone

From a Year 6 dream to the WNBA, Nyadiew Puoch’s rise has been rapid, and this weekend she will chalk up another milestone.

The UC Capitals star will play her 100th WNBL game on Saturday, when Canberra travels to take on the Bendigo Spirit.

“That (100) is a lot of games, but it means a lot and is really special,” Puoch said.

“I remember when I graduated in Year 6, I walked up and got my certificate and said I wanna be a professional basketball player.

“I just wanted to do this because I had so much fun with it, and now it’s something I do for a living.

“Achieving what I have so far has been really cool to look back on.”

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Born in Tasmania and raised in Melbourne, the 22-year-old came through the junior ranks at Dandenong and Victoria Metro.

With Vic Metro, she won national gold in 2019 and 2021 and silver in 2022, collecting tournament MVP honours along the way.

She then spent 2021-22 at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence and won silver with Australia at the FIBA Under 19 World Cup, before signing her first professional contract with the Southside Flyers.

Her rookie season brought nominations for the WNBL’s Sixth Woman of the Year and Breakout Player of the Year awards. Between her first and second seasons, she played in the prestigious Nike Hoop Summit and was named 2023 NBL1 South Youth Player of the Year with Dandenong.

In her second campaign, she helped the Flyers win their fifth WNBL championship.

After two seasons at Southside, Puoch was selected by Atlanta with the 12th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and signed with the UC Capitals.

Two strong seasons in the nation’s capital followed, before the Portland Fire chose her 16th overall in the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.

In her first WNBA season, Puoch started 28 of a possible 42 games and established herself as a genuine two-way threat.

“They (Portland) wanted me to go up against the best players and make it difficult for them [defensively],” she said.

“I thrive off the defensive end. They knew I could do it, so it was just up to me to believe that I can do it as well.

“They wanted me to be me, and I just had to go out there and continue to do that.

“Whatever comes offensively comes, because I start by playing defence and get my energy from there.

“It helps a lot that you’ve got a coach that backs you up, assistant coaches that back you up and a team that backs you up as well.”

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She has found that same support in Canberra, where she lines up alongside her sister, Manny.

“It is honestly amazing to be able to still play with my sister, see her every day and hit the floor with her,” she said.

“It means a lot to my family as well, and for my mum, who’s come a long way for us and done so much for us, to see us together on the floor wearing the same coloured jersey is honestly amazing.”

Puoch is also relishing playing alongside the red-hot Amy Atwell, who is averaging a career-best 23 points per game.

“Playing against her the last five seasons has been a pain in my butt, because she’s a great shooter and I’ve always had to close her out. Being on the same side as her has been amazing,” Puoch said.

“If we get a defensive stop, get out and run, you look up and pass it down the court [to Amy], and we already know it’s going to go in.

“There’s so much more to her as well. She can rebound the ball, she can get to the rim, she can play really good defence.”

And she believes the whole group shares that drive.

“[Honestly] we’ve just got a bunch of players that work really hard, have something to prove and just wanna go out there and be competitive.”

Puoch is averaging career highs across the board, with 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2 three-pointers and 1 block per game, and she’s determined to keep climbing.

“[My main focus is to] just keep prepping myself for the WNBA, and hopefully the Opals opportunity comes for me too,” she said.

Saturday’s Round 8 clash against Bendigo at Red Energy Arena tips off at 7pm AEDT, live on 9Now and ESPN via Disney+.