The shot heard around the league

The UC Caps game against the Perth Lynx on Sunday undoubtedly produced the moment of the season, with Nyadiew Puoch’s halfcourt Hail Mary stunning the Lynx, who were unbeaten since Han Xu joined the team.

We asked some of the players and coaches to give us their version of The Shot as it happened.

With 8 seconds left, Ally Wilson had the ball up top, and Perth ran one of their go-to actions – Amy Atwell coming off a Han Xu screen and straight into a ghost screen for Wilson that flows into a high pick and roll action between Wilson and Han. It’s a great play design, one that resulted in a Han Xu putback just a minute earlier, off an Amy Atwell missed 3.

Han’s screen on Wilson forced Zitina Aokuso to show and switch to prevent a Wilson jumpshot, which led to Nards switched onto a rolling Han who had an open lane.

UC Caps forward Nards Puoch: “I’m in trouble…but I made it work.”

UC Caps head coach Paul Goriss: “Obviously it was a must stop to get the game to overtime, and I think in that moment Z and Nards had to switch the pick and roll, but Nards effort to get around and deflect that ball – she’d been doing a great job with her off ball defense all game getting deflections and being in the right spot.”

After getting the deflection and securing the loose ball near the sideline, there were 3 seconds left on the game clock. Nards took off and surveyed the floor.  

UC Capitals guard Jade Melbourne: “She got the steal and I just saw her put the jets on.”

Paul Goriss: “She took off down the court but I wasn’t sure she knew how much time was left on the clock to get the shot away.”

As she approached halfcourt, Nards cut back to the middle of the floor and with 0.7 seconds left she launched a shot just out of the reach of Han Xu, who was trailing the play.

Paul Goriss: "Everyone was screaming ‘Shoot it! Shoot it!’…it did look good coming out of her hand with the arc she put on it."

Jade Melbourne: "When she launched it off her right foot, I knew immediately it was going in. So for me on the sideline, I was just waiting for the backboard lights to go red so I could just sprint."

UC Capitals guard Isa Brancatisano: "Sometimes you just get the feeling that a shot’s going in, and I felt that ‘Yeah, that’s going in.’"

The buzzer sounded as the ball was in mid-flight, over 3000 people at the AIS Arena held their breath, and the ball swished through the net – pandemonium ensued. The crowd erupted and the entire Caps bench sprinted onto the floor as the Lynx players stood deflated in disbelief.

Jade Melbourne: "I just remember just sprinting to her as quickly as possible. So because I knew it was going in, I was like ‘I need to get out there’. And Munger was in the corner closer to Nards, but I think I beat her. But I think I was just awkwardly tapping her on the back because I knew the rest of the team was coming and I had to protect my [injured] hand at all costs."

Paul Goriss: "I was in disbelief. I think it took me a minute or two for it to actually sink in that it actually happened. It was such a crazy finish and I was just thankful we didn’t have to go to overtime. I think a big part of it too was the crowd and the noise. It created such a huge atmosphere and that shot just blew the roof off the building."

Nards: "I can’t really remember what was going on in my head, it happened really quick. I remember hearing Munger telling me to shoot it, so I just let the ball go. Threw it up and it went in."

UC Caps centre Zitina Aokuso: "[smiling] I just had a feeling that I was going to get a pass. Like an alley oop or a chest pass. I was open, I used everything left in my tank…but she’s lucky she got it in!"

UC Caps forward Kadi Sissoko: "It was amazing. I was looking at the refs making sure that they were not going to call the shot off, and as soon as they called it a three, I just ran up to her [Nards], I was just so happy."

Nards: "Nope – I had never hit a buzzer beater or game winner before."

Jade Melbourne: "It was just wild. It put the icing on the cake for her for an unbelievable performance and I don’t think that’s a shot anyone will forget anytime soon."