Paige Bueckers' Wings predicted to land overseas star in draft night stunner

Jeremy Beren

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Paige Bueckers' Wings predicted to land overseas star in draft night stunner image

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Wings have a better chance to pick #1 overall in 2026 than any other team.

And the next draft is absolutely loaded with players who can complement budding superstar Paige Bueckers.

Though the 2026 WNBA Draft is roughly five months away, and the draft board can change significantly in that time, the Wings can pick no worse than third in a stacked draft class. Barring a shocking trade, general manager Curt Miller is going to add an elite prospect next to Bueckers, who was the WNBA's Rookie of the Year in 2025 and is projected to be a league MVP candidate in the near future.

Awa Fam surpasses Lauren Betts

ESPN's latest first-round mock for the 2026 WNBA Draft predicts that the Wings will take Valencia Basket phenom Awa Fam with the first overall pick. 

Assuming for a moment that the lottery balls will bounce Dallas' way on Sunday, the Wings would be selecting a player whom many regard as the top prospect available -- a player who is grading out higher than UCLA center Lauren Betts, UConn guard Azzi Fudd or TCU guard Olivia Miles.

And unlike the situation surrounding the Wings and Awak Kuier, their top pick from 2021, Fam's agent has told ESPN that competing in the WNBA is the player's "top priority" in 2026. Signing Fam to a rookie contract, it seems, would be no issue.

Fam, a native of Alicante, is a 6'4'' center who has been playing professionally in her native Spain since she was 15 years old. Now 19, Fam is a versatile player who can operate inside and outside of the restricted area. She has been lauded for her passing and her shooting ability, both of which are uncommon traits for a player of her build.

In addition, new Wings head coach Jose Fernandez has long prioritized scouting internationally; it defined his quarter-century tenure at the University of South Florida. His overseas ties could play a factor in bringing Fam to Dallas -- where she would form a terrific young tandem with Bueckers.

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News Correspondent