19-year-old Awa Fam is ready to make her move from Spain to the WNBA. She is the top international prospect in the 2026 draft class and could become the first player born outside the U.S. to be drafted first overall since Lauren Jackson went to the Storm in 2001.
Fam has been playing professionally in Spain since she was 15 years old, but is ready for the next step. Going to the WNBA and competing against the best talent in the world has been on her bucket list for years. So, naturally, Fam keeps a close eye on what is going on in the WNBA and the players she looks up to.
In a recent interview with Hunter Cruse, Fam revealed her favorite player to watch, and her choice really wasn’t surprising at all. “Of course, A’ja Wilson,” Fam said. “I love her. I love her vibe off the court…She can do all things. She can shoot, she can defend, she can do amazing blocks, she helps her teammates a lot. She takes a lot of responsibility, and when I was seeing the last playoffs and I saw her, I would love to play like her.”
A’ja Wilson should be an example for all young post players
A’ja Wilson is only 29 years old, but she has already achieved every WNBA success imaginable. Her resume boasts three WNBA championships, two Finals MVPs, a record-setting four regular-season MVPs, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Commissioner’s Cup championship, seven All-Star appearances, five All-WNBA First Team selections, and four All-Defensive First Team selections. Wilson has been in the league for eight years and was named MVP in four seasons. She is well on her way to going down as the WNBA GOAT.
After eight years, the WNBA has reached a point at which some of the incoming players are young enough to have watched Wilson play in the league growing up. Fam, for example, was born in 2006. She was around 12 when Wilson made her WNBA debut in 2018 and grew into a professional player while Wilson grew into the WNBA’s biggest star.
Fam could not have picked a better idol. Wilson is incredibly versatile and works hard on her craft. She is an unstoppable scorer in the paint, but can also step out and hit mid-range shots and threes. She is also a strong rebounder and a defensive anchor. While replicating exactly what Wilson does may be impossible, Fam shares many of Wilson’s traits when it comes to her fluidity and versatility.