like Pau Gasol in his day, has taken the second great leap of his life. The first, at the age of 13, was to take the sneakers that the Senegalese community of Santa Pola had bought her and go live in Valencia to become a professional basketball player, something she achieved when she was only 15 years old. Now, at 19, less than a month away from turning 20, perceiving signs that make her feel like an adult, she has taken the second. From Valencia, where they said goodbye with the League title, to Seattle, where they were presented on Friday afternoon, before the Storm defeated Connecticut Sun (77-59) at the Climate Pledge Arena. “The WNBA is a dream come true for me,” Fam said in a brief press conference.
Then, dressed simply, with sneakers, jeans and a strapless top, with a bright yellow Storm cap with which she seems to want to convey her commitment to the franchise, the video of her arrival at the club appeared on the screens, the day before, after traveling to Seattle with her brother Karim. Her colleagues were waiting for her, who welcomed her with hugs at the door, and other employees who were wearing a curious t-shirt with the legend ‘Everyone watches women’s sports’ written in Spanish. The Seattle fans, excited about the debut of their new star, which could take place this Sunday, again at home, against the Washington Mystics, began to applaud spontaneously and gave him their first ovation.
Now, after the phase of the excitement that has been generated, with a secured contract of $436,000, the time has come to start winning games for a team that is rebuilding. Seattle Storm is a franchise with four rings (2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020) that has retired the jerseys of its two great legends: Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. Now he is trying to recover past glory by betting on young people like the Americans Zia Cooke (25 years old), who received his new teammate with 25 points against the Sun, and Flau’jae Johnson (22), number eight of the draftor the French Dominique Malonga (20), who missed her third consecutive game due to concussion protocol and the Spanish Awa Fam, who is expected to defend, lead in attack and, in addition, charisma in front of the public – last season the average attendance at the pavilion was around 8,000 spectators – at a time in which women’s basketball has reached unimaginable levels of popularity before the emergence of Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, who have revolutionized the panorama and triggered interest. .
But Fam, of black race and Senegalese roots, like her parents, has another reference other than these two white players. “A’ja Wilson is my idol and my model,” he made clear in his presentation, confirming his well-known admiration for the league’s latest MVP. Fam lands near the Pacific, where she seems to breathe a sigh of relief to see the sun shining in a city famous for rain, determined to make her way in such a competitive league. “I need to focus on what my team needs from me. I want to enjoy time with my teammates and just bring my energy to the court.”
Sonia Raman, her coach, a woman of Indian descent who came to work as an assistant in the NBA, on the Grizzlies bench, a girl who stopped playing because she suffered a serious accident during her third year at Tufts University, said she is clear about what her new addition can contribute, for whom she has made room by terminating Grace VanSlooten’s contract. The Storm coach knows that Fam is a player who likes to defend hard, who is generous in attack – “I like to pass the ball,” the player wanted to make clear in her presentation – and who has the potential to become a leader. “She is self-critical and great players have this quality,” Raman said about the center, who boasted in her appearance about the extensive Spanish representation in the WNBA, with five other players trying to earn their place: Raquel Carrera, (New York Liberty), Marta Suárez (relocated to the Phoenix Mercury), María Conde (Toronto Tempo), Megan Gustafson (Portland Fire) and Alicia Flórez (Washington Mystics, upcoming rival of the Storm, although she is considered a developing player and, at the moment, does not count). “Spanish players are super competitive,” Awa Fam added proudly.
