Aussies to watch in the WNBA play-offs

The WNBA play offs have arrived and as has become obligatory, Australians are in the thick of the action.

It’s dual Olympian Alanna Smith who looks most likely to become the 17th Aussie to be involved in a WNBL title with her Minnesota Lynx the top seed with a dominant 34-10 record.

Both player and team are chasing redemption after falling to New York Liberty in a five-game epic last year. Smith played through a gruelling back injury and in game five was called for a contentious foul which sent Breanna Stewart to the free throw line, her pair of shots sending the decider to overtime.

The Lynx now play new franchise on the block Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-three series and Smith, third in the league for blocks (1.9ppg) and in contention for Defensive Player of the Year, believes her team will better for last year’s experience.

“We just know how hard the Finals series is, that final game, we know how much work it takes and how much you have to do to get there,” Smith told ESPN last month.

“I don’t want to say it was like a practice run, because we took last year really seriously and our aim was to win it, but we’ve been through all of those things before now and we’re so close. We understand what it takes.

“There’s been so many moments in my career that I’ve been grateful for and that have ticked boxes in terms of goals and aspirations but obviously a WNBA championship is on there too and that would almost complete the set.”

The Valkyries are the story of the year achieving post-season action under Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase in their inaugural campaign and while they don’t currently have an Aussie on their line up Steph Talbot (waived and picked up by the Liberty) and Chloe Bibby (waived and picked up by the Fever but is currently nursing a knee injury) featured during the regular season.

One of their biggest play makers is a familiar name, with a familiar game, to followers of the WNBL.

Guard Veronica Burton won a championship with the Bendigo Spirit last season and that Australian experience proved pivotal with the 25-year-old going on to claim the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award for her breakout form.

Opals coach Sandy Brondello is at the helm of the defending champs New York who despite experiencing injuries to their stars still captured some of their best basketball to qualify with a 27-17 record. The addition of Belgium superstar Emma Meesseman has been a shot in the arm for the Liberty.

Another mid-season addition was triple Olympian Talbot who is averaging 2.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists off the bench.

It’s been a case of new team but same hot form for Sami Whitcomb who joined the Phoenix Mercury, from Seattle, in the off-season.

Coming off a summer where she was crowned WNBL MVP, Grand Final MVP and WNBL champion, Whitcomb has taken her sizzling form and momentum to the desert and is currently enjoying a purple patch shooting at 54.5 per cent from beyond the arc in her past four games.

She also knows what it takes to the hold the trophy having won the title with Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020.

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Whitcomb’s 2020 championship teammate Ezi Magbegor has long been a defensive powerhouse for Seattle and will form a critical match up’s in a fascinating series against Los Vegas Aces who are on a quest for a third title in four years.

No player has swatted the ball more than Magbegor (96 blocks) in 2025 and she will need to be at her defensive best to curb the impact of Aces legend and three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson who leads the league in scoring with 23.4 per game.

While fellow Aussies Jade Melbourne and Bec Allen didn’t reach the post-season they enjoyed career-best WNBA campaigns in Washington and Chicago respectively.

In season three, and her second with the Mystics, Melbourne produced her best numbers (5.9 points, 2.9 assists, 1.9 rebounds) while clocking career-high minutes (23.4) while Allen, who has been cruelled by injuries in recent years was fit and healthy at new team Sky playing a career-best 44 games.