Bendigo sign collegiate star Olivia Pollerd

The defending champion Bendigo Spirit has signed Australian collegiate star Olivia Pollerd for the upcoming WNBL 2025/26 season.

The 6’3” forward has spent the past four years in college, starting with the Washington Huskies, then transferring to Santa Clara Broncos for the remaining three seasons. 

In her last season with the Broncos, Pollerd averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Her stellar performance led to being named to the First Team All-WCC (West Coast Conference) and earning WCC Player of the Week honours twice throughout her collegiate career.

On the national stage, Pollerd represented Australia in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, playing alongside now-teammate Isobel Borlase in the silver medal game against the United States. 

While she’s been away from the Australian game for some time, Pollerd previously played at home as a development player with the former Melbourne Boomers in 2015. A decade later, she will make her official debut, now with the WNBL champions.

“I’m really excited to join the Spirit,” Pollerd said.

“I really enjoyed my time and the experiences I had in the US, but now I’m excited to return to my home state and apply everything I learnt there on the court in Australia’s top-tier competition. 

“Being the reigning Champs, Bendigo are obviously an amazing team, so I’m excited to hit the ground running and learn as much as I can.”

Pollerd joins Borlase and Casey Samuels on the 2025/26 roster thus far. 

Stay up-to-date with all the latest signings via the WNBL Roster Tracker here.