Awa Fam is very much in the conversation for the number-one pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. She swiftly toppled Lauren Betts as the best frontcourt prospect in the draft in most mock drafts and evaluations.
And yet, she didn’t make the cut for Sophie Cunningham. For her, the top choice comes down between Azzi Fudd and Lauren Betts.
“I think Azzi would be good,” Cunningham said on her podcast Show Me Something. “She’s dynamic. She can shoot. She’s a smart player. She’s a team player. But I also think if I were on a team that needs a big, I would get the UCLA girl; Betts. She’s big. She has a lot of potential. She needs some work, but great body, great feel for the game. She’d be good.”
There’s still no clear number-one pick
The Wings have all the options they could possibly ask for. If they want a big to pair with Paige Bueckers—which has been a recipe for success for teams like the Aces and Fever—they can pick Fam or Betts.
The latter is closing out an excellent season with the UCLA Bruins, but there are concerns. Betts comes with a mix of size and defense that not many prospects can boast of. At the same time, however, traditional bigs are a dying breed in the modern game. Versatility matters more and more, and Fam promises more of that than Betts. Fam has also been playing against older pros for years now.
The Wings may not even take a big, though. They could choose to go against the grain and reunite Bueckers with Fudd. They won a national championship together at UConn and have great chemistry. Fudd also provides the kind of shooting the Wings so desperately need. Moreover, she is a UConn product, and Geno Auriemma’s reputation for developing some of the brightest stars in the game goes a long way.
The CBA negotiations still hang over the draft like a dark cloud
The excitement about this draft class is high. It features a lot of talent and high-profile names fans want to see compete at the next level. The only problem is that no one knows when the draft will be or if there will even be one.
The WNBA and WNBPA still haven’t agreed to a new CBA. Even a 12-hour meeting couldn’t get a deal done. But, at least, there’s movement. At least they are exchanging proposals while everything else stands still, waiting for a new deal to show the way forward.