Awa Fam is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2026 WNBA Draft. She is still a teenager but has already found success playing against older professionals and still has plenty of room to grow. Fam could end up being a franchise-altering player for whichever team lands her in the draft. She may even go first to the Dallas Wings and pair up with Paige Bueckers to form one of the most interesting young duos in the WNBA. Wings GM Curt Miller already went to Spain to watch Fam play for Valencia.
This isn’t the first time, Fam has drawn interest from teams in the U.S., though. Some college programs were also eager to get her before she signed a long-term contract with Valencia to stay in Spain and continue playing professional basketball.
Fam revealed in an interview with Hunter Cruse that Ole Miss, Duke, LSU, UConn, and TCU were interested in her, but she ultimately chose not to go to college.
Staying in Spain was the right choice for Fam at the time
Fam also stated her reasons for picking Valencia over playing college basketball in the U.S.
“Before signing with Valencia, several universities contacted me, and I was very interested because I know the USA has the most advantages there. You can study, and you can practice, and play in games, and it’s very interesting to me, and I was very confused because I didn’t know what I wanted,” Fam said about her decision to forego college. “But, for me, Valencia has always been like my second home. They treat me so well. I have my fans here. I have my family only two hours from here. So, I was thinking, and I was talking with my agent, I was talking with my family, with my friends, and in that moment, I preferred staying in Spain, staying in Valencia, with a long contract.”
While Fam decided to stay in Spain instead of going to the U.S. for college, she is ready to make the move now and come to the WNBA. Fam reiterated several times in the interview that playing in the W was one of her main goals, and ESPN recently reported that her agent told the outlet that coming to the WNBA in 2026 was a priority for her.
Fam is the only projected lottery pick who didn’t go to college in the U.S., and while she is younger than the other top prospects, she still has one major advantage. Fam already has experience playing with and against professionals. She competes in EuroLeague, regularly facing WNBA players, and made her debut with the Spanish senior national team. She was a key player on the team’s path to a third-place finish, facing off with WNBA players Emma Meesseman, Julie Vanloo, Julie Allemand, Iliana Rupert, Janelle Salaün, Leila Lacan, Leonie Fiebich, Temi Fagbenle, and Luisa Geiselsöder.