There is a huge debate brewing on who should the Dallas Wings pick No. 1, whether it be Spanish center Awa Fam Thiam or UConn guard Azzi Fudd. On one hand, the Wings could make their star player, Paige Bueckers, very happy by drafting her girlfriend at No. 1 and get one of the greatest backcourt duos is college basketball back together, and on the other, the Wings get what they need, and that is a dominant center.
Fam, who is of Senegalese descent, is a 6-foot-6 Spanish center who has proven to be a force in the paint in not just international basketball, but also in the Euroleague. She plays in the Liga Femenina de Baloncesto for Valencia Basket, the local team for where she was born. While she made a name for herself in Europe, her recent forays into international competitions has many teams salivating and wanting to draft her.
She represented Spain during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, and this performance has certainly gotten the attention of many teams.
Heading into the 2025-26 college basketball season, many saw UCLA center Lauren Betts as the possible No. 1 pick, but Awa Fan Thiam has now gotten the spotlight as the Wings need a center. This has also sparked a debate on whether she or Lauren Betts would be the top center, though analysts often see her being picked before the newly minted NCAA national champion.
Awa Fam has been named into the All-Star Five of the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and was also the MVP of the FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket. She helped lead Spain to second place in the 2025 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket and third in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
Awa Fam Thiam Officially Invited to WNBA Draft 2026
The WNBA has now sent invitations for 15 teams to attend the WNBA Draft 2026 in New York City on April 13. She, along with France’s Nell Angloma, are the only players not from the US NCAA to be invited to attend the ceremony. Others include UCLA center Lauren Betts, Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd, guard Flau’jae Johnson (LSU), guard Raven Johnson (South Carolina) and TCU guard Olivia Miles.
Awa Fam Thiam’s Spain NT teammate Marta Suarez of TCU was also invited, along with Madina Okot (South Carolina / Kenya).
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