Awa Fam’s delayed WNBA debut for the Seattle Storm showed why she was a top pick in the 2026 draft

For most top WNBA draft selections, fans have plenty of information on the player. They’ve seen years of college basketball and countless interviews, giving them a sense of familiarity with them.

That isn’t the case for Awa Fam.

She’s a 19-year-old from Spain who played for Valencia Basket and has some international experience with her home country. Her upside as a dominant big is obvious, and it’s why the Seattle Storm were ecstatic to select her with the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft.

Fam’s debut was delayed due to her overseas commitments, but with those completed, she was able to debut for the Storm on Sunday in their 97-85 win over the Washington Mystics. She became only the 14th teenager to play in the WNBA and had a productive night, playing 20 minutes while scoring 10 points.

Here’s what Storm head coach Sonia Raman said about her top rookie:

 Awa was great. She’s still learning obviously. Just kind of joined us yesterday on the court. Saw a lot of really good out there. You can see what’s there, The way she moves, her ability in pick and rolls. Her court sense in terms of finding her teammates. I think we’re just going to see her grow in those areas as she gets more comfortable.

Fam first walked onto the court with 4:16 left in the first quarter to thunderous applause. She immediately made an impact, grabbing a defensive rebound on her first possession.

Fam’s pick-and-roll ability, which Raman mentioned, was evident in her first WNBA basket. She passed the ball to fellow rookie Flau’jae Johnson and then got the pick-and-roll action going and finished at the rim.

On her other three makes, Fam kept it simple. She scored off another pick-and-roll play, but instead of getting to the rim, she stayed near the free-throw line and drilled a 15-footer. Her other two conversions were at the rim as a cutter. Fam was able to take advantage from the weakside and got into the restricted area, and once she’s that close to the basket, it’s hard for her to miss.

Fam looked much more polished than other rookies in their debuts. Her shot selection was good and nothing felt forced. She did have four fouls, which is rather high, but the Mystics weren’t able to pick on her.

Fam remained calm and poised and was a solid communicator. She indicated when to set screens and motioned for players to stay in their spots to optimize spacing on offense. Fam was almost as good at guarding the pick-and-roll as she was attacking in it. She showed great instincts and had some good possessions in drop coverage where she was able to hold her own and buy her guards time to recover.

Despite just arriving in Seattle, Fam still played a team-high 20 minutes off the bench—an encouraging sign for those who want to see her become a franchise player for this organization.

If she can land in the Pacific Northwest and play this well with little prep, how good will she be in a couple of weeks, later in this season, and for her entire career?

Fam herself expressed optimism about the beginning of her WNBA experience:

I just arrived yesterday. So this is like my first game here. I know that it’s going to be better. I know that my teammates they are going to help me, Sonia too. So I feel really good today. It was like the first first step.

The best is yet to come for the Spaniard, but this debut certainly won’t simmer down the hype for Fam.

While a victory on Sunday was sweet for the Storm, their success this season will be based on the growth of Fam, Dominque Malonga and Johnson. If this debut is any indication, then Fam will be just fine, and once Malonga, who is still in concussion protocol, returns, this franchise can really see what their international bigs can do when they take center stage in Seattle.