The Pau Gasol Parallel Nobody's Talking About — Awa Fam, Seattle, and the WNBA's Most Complicated Top-Three Pick
Awa Fam was just drafted #3 overall by the Seattle Storm. She is 19 years old. She is 6'6". She is the first Spanish basketball player picked in the top three of any major draft since Pau Gasol in 2001. A 25-YEAR GAP.
So why isn't she on a flight to Seattle right now?
Because she's still under contract with Valencia Basket. Because that contract reportedly carries a €500,000 release clause. Because she ALSO signed with Project B — the brand-new rival women's league — before the WNBA Draft happened. Because Spain plays in EuroBasket 2026 qualifiers this summer. Because the Spanish league season runs through May.
She may not play a single Storm minute until 2027.
This is what international WNBA basketball actually looks like in 2026. Not headlines. Logistics. Buyouts. Three-way contracts. National team duty. And a Storm front office betting that 2027 is going to be worth the wait.
Read the long-form essay on Medium ↓