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The WNBA's future is global. Seattle Storm rookie Awa Fam is what it looks like
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- The WNBA's future is global. Seattle Storm rookie Awa Fam is what it looks like
Awa Fam is the future.
Just ask the Seattle Storm , which selected her with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Or ask the FIBA, which tabbed the 6-foot-4 forward as Spain's "rising star" for the upcoming Women's Basketball World Cup.
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Fam, 20, will be in good company when the global women's basketball competition tips off in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 4. Only three — Czechia, Nigeria and Puerto Rico — of the 16 participating teams won't feature an active WNBA player.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Fam beamed at the idea of both her worlds colliding on the global stage.
"I'm excited to speak Spanish with my teammates. I'll see my (Storm) teammates, too," Fam said with a laugh as she looked ahead to the tournament.
Three other Seattle players will compete in the World Cup. Ezi Magbegor and Jade Melbourne will play for Australia and Dominique Malonga for France. The New York Liberty will send a league-high seven players to the tournament.
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It's all evidence of the WNBA becoming more international, which commissioner Cathy Engelbert described as "what's next," for the 30-year-old league. Engelbert made that declaration at the 2026 WNBA Draft, the same night Fam realized an aspiration she said she's held since she was 3 years old — being drafted in the league along with 17 other players born outside of the USA.
Now, a difficult rookie season winds down with the last-place Storm (8-31) sitting three losses from tying the league record for most in a season. Fam is a bright spot, along with a young core which features 2025 No. 2 overall pick Dominique Malonga and fellow rookie Fla'Jae Johnson.
"I love Awa," Johnson told USA TODAY. "Even though I'm a little older than her, I feel like we're on the same vibe. She's so mature.
"But we're really just learning how to play together and it's so cool. It's like we're trying to read each others minds. We be messing up and then we'll get it."
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Fam's transition to the WNBA
Fam has lived a double life since she was 15 years old.
That's when she joined Spain's Valencia basket, becoming the youngest to play for the top-tier club. Fam would get out of school at 2 p.m. and travel for a game — Turkey one day, Italy or Berlin the next. All while learning to be a "normal girl" and a professional on the court.
"I was 15 years old playing against 30-year-old girls," Fam said. "I remember it was a really crazy life."
The lead up to her delayed WNBA debut was no different. As she opted to rejoin Valencia for the Liga Feminina playoffs after she was drafted, the Storm arranged Zoom calls with assistant coaches to accelerate her acclimation to the WNBA.
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Days after Fam aided her longtime club to a fourth consecutive LF championship win, she made an instant impact for the Storm, coming off the bench in her first contest to record 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two rebounds in a 97-85 win over the Washington Mystics on May 24.
On June 3, 14 days short of her 20th birthday, she earned her first WNBA start — the youngest Storm player to start a game in franchise history.
Storm building on Big 3
The Storm is swimming in young talent, with Malonga boasting the title of the WNBA's youngest player last season at 19.
The French phenom, who made the jump from standout rookie to All-Star reserve this season, is currently leading the Storm in scoring (17 ppg) , rebounding (8.8 rpg) and (1.5) blocks.
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On paper, Malonga and Fam make a formidable frontcourt duo. Fam leads all rookies in rebounding (5.8 per game) and offensive boards (1.9 per game). She also ranks first among rookies in total blocks with 26 on the season and is second among centers in 3-pointers made with 1.4 per game.
But the Storm's wealth of bigs doesn't stop there, with 27-year-old Australian veteran Ezi Magbegor also on the roster. Fam, Magbegor and Malonga have only made one start together this season with a lackluster result, combining for 14 points on 4-for-19 shooting in a blowout loss to the Dallas Wings on Sunday, Aug. 23.
"It takes time for them to play together and see how that looks," first-year coach Sonia Raman said. "It's just a work in progress."
Maybe the roster will look different next year. Fam hopes she, Johnson and Malonga are given a chance to keep working at it long-term.
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"We are a really good three," Fam said. "We really connect on and off the court ... Just let us cook. That's the one thing that I want. I really think that it's going to be super, super great."
What to expect in the FIBA World Cup
Malonga couldn't hide her smile when she told reporters there's already been "a little" trash talk between the Storm's World Cup-bound players.
"I'm not going out there to make any friends. I want to win, and so that's the mindset I'm going with," Malonga added.
She has that chance representing France, which has a whopping eight WNBA players and a chip on their shoulder from narrowly losing Olympic gold to Team USA at the 2024 Paris games. Les Bleues are widely viewed as the biggest threat to the United States' squad continuing its streak of four consecutive World Cup titles.
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Spain has a difficult path ahead against Japan, Mali and Germany but is the slight favorite to come out of Group A – especially since they beat Germany en route to taking silver at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket champions last year.
With Fam and Portland Fire draft-and-stash selection Iyana Martin, Spain will pair a new genertion of talent with veterans like Mariona Ortiz, Alba Torrens and Maria Conde.
"These are really good basketball players," Fam said of the level of World Cup play. "It's more tactical, more physical ... I really trust in Spain. So we'll see what's going to happen."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The WNBA's future is global. Seattle Storm rookie Awa Fam is what it looks like
