The WNBA will hold its Draft Lottery on Sunday evening, and the Dallas Wings hold a 42% chance of winning the top pick. They won the first pick last year, which landed them Paige Bueckers, and they’re looking to go back-to-back, as Maddy Siegrist will be representing them once again at the lottery.
ESPN has released its final mock draft ahead of the lottery, and ESPN’s Michael Voepel has the Wings taking center Awa Fam out of Spain with the first overall pick, partially because of the hiring of Jose Fernandez as head coach, who recruited heavily internationally at USF.
“[Fernandez’s] USF program had extensive recruiting contacts in Europe — 12 of the 14 players on the Bulls roster for 2024-25 hailed from outside of the United States — and we’ve tilted our projected top pick in ESPN’s latest WNBA mock draft in that direction, too. Center Awa Fam of Spain moves up to No. 1 in this edition,” Voepel wrote.
“…Fam’s agent told ESPN that competing in the WNBA is her “top priority” for 2026. She currently plays for Valencia in Spain and will turn 20 in June. Her potential seems very high, and she could be another key building block for the Wings to add after 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers was WNBA Rookie of the Year last season.”
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Apr 3, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) during practice at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Assuming the Wings land the top pick, who would be the better pick between Awa Fam and UCLA’s Lauren Betts? Some people will want the Wings to take UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who is also Paige Bueckers’ girlfriend, but Betts and Fam seem like the two favorites to go first.
Betts was a First-Team All-American last year after averaging 20.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and leading the country in blocks at 2.9 per game. She’s off to a little bit of a slower start this season, averaging 15.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG.
Meanwhile, Fam signed a deal with Valencia Basket earlier this year that takes her through 2029, so there will need to be a buyout for her contract, but she is oozing with potential because of her athleticism.
It’s no secret that the Dallas Wings desperately need a center. Li Yueru and Luisa Geiselsoder are both set to be free agents, and the Wings needed to improve upon them anyway. They could bring Yueru back since they gave up two draft picks in a trade for her this year, but they need to bring in a new starter.
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