The 2026 WNBA mock draft just flipped upside down. ESPN’s latest projection has Senegal’s Awa Fam leaping over UCLA’s Lauren Betts to claim the No. 1 spot.
With the draft being relatively saturated, there would not be a lot of names to look at.
However, the EuroLeague could be one good reason for the top spot shift in the mock draft.
2026 WNBA Mock Draft Has Awa Fam Replacing Lauren Betts
While Betts had owned the top slot for months, with almost all of the top mock drafts ranking her for the top pick, it was Fam’s EuroLeague stats that might have played the thing.
However, ESPN’s newest 2026 mock draft, released this week, slots Fam at No. 1, pushing Lauren Betts to No. 2 and shaking up the projected top five.
The star Senegalese center, playing for Villeneuve-d’Ascq in France, jumps ahead after a string of standout EuroLeague games.
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In ESPN's newest WNBA mock draft:
— Maggie Vanoni (@maggie_vanoni) November 21, 2025
Azzi Fudd is projected to go No. 4 overall to Washington AND Serah Williams is expected to go No. 9 also to Washington
Sun with two expected international picks – Spain's Iyana Martin Carrion at No. 12 and France's Nell Angloma at No. 15 https://t.co/1GR76Fqx1h
Whereas Betts, the UCLA standout who had been the consensus top pick since last season, slides but stays firmly in the conversation.
Behind them, the board rounds out with USC’s Kiki Iriafen, Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson, and Miami’s Hannah Hidalgo.
Though UConn’s Azzi Fudd, still recovering and deciding on her future, looms as a wildcard if she declares.
Awa Fam Has All The Reason To Be No. 1 Pick
Even if the mock draft ranking her as the top pick sounds like a bold move, her recent EuroLeague clash against Fenerbahçe has the answer.
At 6-foot-6 with a reported 7-foot-2 wingspan, Fam moves like a wing, finishes with both hands, and protects the rim at an elite level.
Scouts now compare her upside to a taller, more athletic version of Jonquel Jones, with added perimeter touch that could stretch defenses.
If Fam keeps this trajectory, the 2026 draft could belong to the player who’s already proving she can dominate pros, not just college kids.