Wimmera basketballers Chloe Bibby and Shaun Bruce each had plenty to celebrate at the weekend.

Bibby was selected by new team Portland Fire in a one-off expansion draft in the United States’ Women’s National Basketball Association, WNBA.

The expansion draft allowed the Fire and fellow expansion franchise Toronto Tempo to poach one unprotected player from each of the league’s existing teams, with teams able to protect a maximum of five players on their roster.

The Fire selected Bibby from the Indiana Fever with the 11th pick in the expansion draft.

Bibby made her WNBA debut last year, playing five games for the Golden State Valkyries before signing with the Fever, for whom she appeared in a further nine games before a knee injury ended her season prematurely. The Warracknabeal-born 27-year-old most recently played with Spanish team Uni Girona CB during the WNBA off-season.

Portland will play its first WNBA pre-season game on April 30.

Meanwhile, Horsham export Bruce added a third Australian NBL title to his resume, helping the Sydney Kings win a thrilling five-game championship series against the Adelaide 36ers.

The Kings required an overtime thriller to clinch the championship in Sunday’s series decider, with Bruce receiving limited court time.

Across the series the 34-year-old guard appeared in three games, making both of his three-point attempts.

He previously won two other championships as a key contributor off the bench in 2022 and 2023.

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