UC Capitals land major signing in Nyadiew Puoch
The UC Capitals are delighted to announce the signing of championship-winning WNBL player and 2024 WNBA draftee, Nyadiew Puoch.
The 190cm forward joins the Caps after two seasons with the Southside Flyers, where she helped the team claim the 2023/24 WNBL Championship with 166 points, 96 rebounds, 28 assists, 22 steals and 11 blocks. In her debut season with the Flyers, Puoch was named Breakout Player of the Year and nominated for 6th Player of the Year.
Her hard work was noticed, with the 20-year-old the 12th pick for Atlanta Dream in the 2024 Draft. Opting to delay her WNBA dream for 12 months, Puoch is currently in her second season with the Dandenong Rangers in NBL1 South, where she maintains impressive averages of 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block per game.
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Born 23 June 2004, Puoch grew up in Melbourne and moved to Canberra in 2021 to play for the Centre of Excellence. In August 2023, the 20-year-old was selected for the Opals tour of China, after representing Australia at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2021 and 2023.
“I am so excited to be joining the Caps,” said Nyadiew.
“It will be great to be in a new environment with different faces, learning from new people and coaches.
“I am also super excited to be playing under Paul, and him being an Assistant Coach for Atlanta is a huge bonus for me, as he will be able to help me work on the things I need, to be ready for when my WNBA opportunity comes.
“Canberra is a really nice place with a really good fan base, so that’s exciting! I loved my time living there at the Centre of Excellence and can’t wait to get back to Canberra and represent the UC Capitals.”
UC Head Coach Paul Goriss echoed those sentiments, saying Puoch is an exciting addition to the team.
“In free agency I short listed a few players who I knew I wanted from the very start and targeted Nyadiew from day one as soon as I knew I was coming back to coach,” Goriss said.
“Not only because of my links to Atlanta and Nyadiew being drafted to Atlanta but she is a young player with so much growth to her game with supreme athletic ability and talent.
“She is a very good defender with great length and instincts but she has untapped potential in regards to what she can become and grow into at the offensive end of the floor. I am excited to coach her hard and work with her to expand her game, knowledge and also her transition into the WNBA.
“She suits the style we want to play, she has played with Jade so there already is great chemistry there. I know our loyal Caps fans will love how she plays.”
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