Seattle Storm introduce Awa Fam, don't provide timeline for rookie's WNBA debut

When she was 12, Awa Fam convinced her parents to let her leave their home in Alicante, Spain, and live 100 miles away to play basketball in Valencia.

"I was thinking Valencia is a big city with a big club," she said. "They were talking to my family and said, ‘We're going to take care of her.' They said she's going to live with another player and have a tutor. It was a great experience.

Seven years later, the 19-year-old Fam retells that story to let everyone know her move from Spain to Seattle isn't overwhelming.

"Alicante to Valencia is like a two-hour difference and of course, Spain is super far from here, but it's not a difficult challenge," she said. "My family is everything and being away from them is difficult, but I've done that before and it is something that I'm used to."

Admittedly, the Storm's first-round WNBA draft pick, who was taken No. 3 overall, has a lot to learn about her new team and new league, but she's not intimidated by the move halfway across the globe.

Sitting next to her brother Kalim on a couple of flights from Madrid, Spain to London and Seattle, she envisioned her new life in the Pacific Northwest.

"I was thinking, I need to focus," said Fam, who signed a four-year rookie contract that pays her a guaranteed $436,016 this season. "This is a new challenge. It's a new life for me. It was thinking about this is the challenge that I really want."

And what was her first impression of Seattle after landing Thursday?

"My first impression is it's a big city," she said. "The weather is amazing, really. I was thinking, it's going to be rain or cold, but it's sun and for me this is super special and nice. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about the city."

On Friday, Fam arrived at the Storm practice facility for the first time and was greeted by teammates, coach Sonia Raman and staff members.

"It's been great having her here, very celebratory right now," Raman said. "The welcome at the practice facility. We'll have the welcome (at Climate Pledge Arena), and just her teammates getting to be around her and getting to know her.

"She got to watch us today as we went through shoot-around. So, just getting her acclimated and that's basically what we'll be doing. Just getting her ramped up."

Raman didn't give a specific timetable on when Fam would make her WNBA debut, but the short-handed Storm, who started the season 1-4 heading into Friday night's game against the Connecticut Sun, could benefit from the 6-foot-4 center, who averaged 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds while helping Valencia Basket to a Liga Femenina Endesa championship.

"She brings size. She brings shooting, playmaking, an ability to defend and protect the rim," Raman said. "She's a really high-level basketball player. The biggest thing is just kind of getting her acclimated and getting her the full download on what we do and how we do it. And then tapping into what Awa's superpowers are and finding those little wrinkles in the playbook that we can use for her."

Wearing a bright yellow Storm baseball cap at her first Storm news conference, Fam said she's looking forward to playing with second-year center Dominique Malonga and rookie guard Flau'jae Johnson.

"I need to be focused on what my team needs and what Sonia needs from me," Fam said. "I am looking forward to keep improving and to know more about this league. It's the best league for me right now. So, I want to know more about the players. I want to enjoy the time with my teammates and just bring my energy in the court."

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