Fever guard Kristy Wallace is Paris bound, named to 12-member Australian Olympic team
Fever guard Kristy Wallace is Paris bound, named to 12-member Australian Olympic team
Kristy Wallace is the only Indiana Fever player on an Olympic roster. She'll proudly represent Australian Basketball.
Indiana Fever guard Kristy Wallace wore a big smile on her face as she arrived on the court Saturday afternoon before they upset the New York Liberty in front of a sellout crowd — and millions more watching on CBS.
Wallace told teammate Lexie Hull something, then they hugged. It was very clearly big news.
And we didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was.
Later Tuesday, the Australian Women’s Basketball National Team announced the roster for the Paris Olympics and the 28-year-old guard from Brisbane, Queensland made the cut.
Sandy Brondello of the New York Liberty is the head coach of the Aussies.
Wallace is part of the 12-member roster that also includes Rebecca Allen, Ezi Magbegor, Isobel Borlase, Alanna Smith, Cayla George, Steph Talbot, Lauren Jackson, Marianna Tolo, Tess Madgen, Jade Melbourne, and Sami Whitcomb.
For Lauren Jackson, 43, it’s her fifth Olympic Games.
It is Wallace’s first Olympics. She was on the Boomer team that finished third in the 2022 FIBA World Cup. She’s been in Basketball Australia’s system since 2014.
From the Fever’s announcement:
Wallace joins Natalie Achonwa (Canada - 2016), Tully Bevilaqua (Australia - 2008), Tamika Catchings (USA - 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016) and Kara Wolters (USA - 2000) as the only Fever players selected to play in the Olympics.
From 2018-22, Wallace played with the Canberra Capitals and Southside Flyers in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) and the Melbourne Tigers in the Melbourne Basketball Association (MBA). Wallace’s extensive experience representing Australia most recently was in the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup helping the Opals take home bronze.
Wallace made her WNBA debut in 2022 after being drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the 2018 WNBA Draft with the 16th overall pick. She was traded from the Dream to the Fever ahead of the 2023 regular season. In 2024, Wallace has started 15 games and is averaging 5.2 points per game, 2.1 assists per game and 2.1 rebounds per game.
Hailing from Loganholme, Queensland, Wallace played college basketball at Baylor University from 2014-18. Wallace ended her career ranked third in all-time assists (525), fourth in three-point field goal attempts (413) and fifth in three-point field goals made (158).
