WNBA Draft 2026: Who is Awa Fam? Wings could choose Spanish star with No. 1 pick over Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles

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In the three-decade history of the WNBA Draft, an international player has gone No. 1 overall just three times: Margo Dydek in 1998, Ann Wauters in 2000 and Lauren Jackson in 2001. Come Monday night, Spanish center Awa Fam could end a 25-year drought and become the fourth to join that list.

At the very least, Fam is poised to be a lottery selection (UConn's Azzi Fudd is the favorite to go No. 1), and even that would put her in rarefied air. Including the three former top picks, only eight international players have been selected in the lottery without ever playing college basketball.

[2026 WNBA Mock Draft: Full three-round projection as Azzi Fudd goes No. 1 to Wings

Jack Maloney

By now, most WNBA fans know Fam's name, but few have watched her play outside of highlight clips. As we wait to see when she'll have her name called by commissioner Cathy Engelbert, here's everything you need to know about Fam.

The basics

• Position: Center
• Height: 6-foot-4
• Previous club: Valencia
• Country: Spain
• **Age:**19

Fam made her professional debut in December 2021 for Valencia, which competes in the Liga Femenina Endesa (the top professional women's basketball league in Spain), and became the youngest player to appear in a game in club history. She has been with Valencia ever since, aside from a one-season loan to Gernika for the 2024-25 campaign. Along the way, Fam has also competed in EuroCup Women and EuroLeague Women -- the top continental competitions -- with Valencia.

On the international level, Fam quickly rose through the ranks with the Spanish national team program. She has helped Spain win a silver medal at five different age levels:

• FIBA U16 European Championship
• FIBA U17 World Cup
• FIBA U19 World Cup
• FIBA U20 EuroBasket
• FIBA EuroBasket (senior national team)

Fam was named to the All-Star Five at the U16 European Championships and the All-Tournament Second Team at the U19 World Cup. At the U20 World Cup in 2024, she was named MVP, becoming the youngest player to earn that honor in the competition's history.

In the semifinals of EuroBasket 2025 last summer, Fam went off for 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in an upset win over France. She was the first teenager to score 20 points in a semifinal game at the competition since 1989.

Fam most recently competed with Spain at the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico, where she had an impressive showing against Team USA.

Strengths

• Athleticism

First and foremost, the 6-foot-4 Fam (who may be even taller than her listed height) is a terrific athlete for her size, which bodes well for her WNBA prospects. Though perhaps not the most explosive vertical athlete, Fam runs the floor extremely well and is agile with nifty footwork that is evident in the halfcourt on both sides of the ball.

• Interior scoring

Fam is a terrific interior scorer who can operate in the post and out of the pick-and-roll. She has an array of moves and counters on the block and is also comfortable facing up. As a roller, her hands, body control and athleticism are often on full display, and she has a unique ability to make tough catches and finish in traffic. Though detailed shooting numbers are not available, she's shooting 116 of 197 (58.8%) on 2-point attempts across the LFE and EuroLeague Women this season.

• Passing

Fam's feel for the game is remarkable, especially when considering her age and position, and she routinely makes high-level passes, both in and out of structure. We've seen her throw skip passes out of the low block, make quick decisions in the short roll and operate out of the high post.

Weaknesses

• Defensive consistency

Fam has all the physical tools to be a strong defender, and she does show flashes. However, she is currently inconsistent on that end of the floor -- with both positioning and aggression. Additionally, Fam's rebounding leaves something to be desired given her size and athleticism.

• Jump shot

Fam is a fairly willing shooter from both the mid-range and behind the arc, and there are signs she could grow into a solid perimeter threat. We've seen her knock down some incredible step-backs for both Valencia and Spain and she's shooting 80.4% from the free-throw line in the LFE this season. For now, though, her jumper remains a work in progress. Between the LFE and EuroLeague Women this season, she's shooting 15 of 53 (28.3%) from 3-point range.

Awa Fam ante Dearica Hamby 🎞️🍿#FIBAWWC x #WeOwnTheGame pic.twitter.com/BuXwdawKJ9

— Gigantes del Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) March 17, 2026

What about her stats?

Fam is averaging 9.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals on 50.5% shooting in the LFE and 7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals on 52.9% shooting in EuroLeague Women.

Those are not the marks of a typical lottery pick. But then, Fam is not a typical prospect.

Fam is still 19 years old and has been competing professionally against seasoned veterans. For comparison, Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles are both 23, while Lauren Betts is 22. Plus, Fam has only played 21.7 minutes per game in the LFE and 20.9 minutes in EuroLeague Women on a Valencia team with a very balanced offensive approach. Among those who have appeared in at least 10 LFE games, Valencia had nine players average between seven and 12 points per game.

Fam's stats may not jump off the page, but she was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding in the LFE as a teenager while playing just over 20 minutes a night.