The 2026 WNBA draft is already taking shape around one question: whether Dallas will use the No. 1 pick on Awa Fam or make room for another name in the mix. The 19-year-old Spanish center has become the clearest early favorite, even as Azzi Fudd remains in the conversation.
Fam’s rise has been built on more than upside. She has professional experience with Valencia, moved fluidly for her 6ft 4in frame, and showed she could hold her own against some of the WNBA’s best in a Fiba World Cup qualifying tournament defeat to the United States last month. She shoots with touch, reads the game well and, for Dallas, her ability to stretch the floor alongside Paige Bueckers fits a long-term build that is increasingly shaping the No. 1 discussion.
That discussion matters because the 2026 draft looks less settled than the past three years, when the top pick felt like a formality. Aliyah Boston went No. 1 in 2023, Caitlin Clark followed in 2024 and Paige Bueckers went first in 2025. This year, the consensus appears to be consolidating around Fam, who could become the first foreign player to go No. 1 since treble league MVP Lauren Jackson.
Toronto is part of the same wider draft picture. The expansion team is being measured against the Golden State Valkyries, but its front office says it wants to win immediately. That makes the roster more than a novelty. Julie Allemand should slot in as a starting point guard, Marina Mabrey has already competed at an All-Star level, and the team is trying to build something competitive from the start rather than spend years waiting for it to arrive.
Lauren Betts adds another layer to the draft board after leading UCLA to the national title and earning Most Outstanding Player honors. But the center of gravity remains the same. Dallas has the lead position, Fam has the profile, and the race for the No. 1 pick is finally starting to look like a real contest rather than a placeholder.
