The WNBA revealed its 2026 All-Rookie team this past Wednesday, and let me tell you, there’s a serious head-scratcher that’s got Seattle fans talking: Awa Fam, our own Storm phenom and the third overall pick in the draft, got flat-out snubbed. It’s more than a little surprising, it’s straight-up inexplicable given what she put on the court all season.
Fam’s Numbers Scream All-Rookie, So What Happened?
Look, it’s tough when you’ve got so much young talent across the league, and only five (or six, as it turned out) spots on an All-Rookie squad. Some deserving players always get left out. But Awa Fam’s omission? That’s on another level. This 6’4” forward for our Storm wasn’t just good, she was statistically dominant among her rookie class. She logged more minutes than three of the players who actually made the team: Azzi Fudd, Kiki Rice, and Sydney Taylor. Want more? Fam led all rookies in total rebounds and in rebounds per game. She was third among rookies in blocks. Plus, she outscored Pauline Astier and Kiki Rice, and shot better from the floor than both Sydney Taylor and her own teammate, Flau’jae Johnson. The facts are right there! The league even acknowledged Rice and Astier “tied” for the fifth spot, which meant they both got in. How do you look at Fam’s production, her clear impact, and decide she’s not one of the top six? Especially when the team ended up being all guards, and the rules are supposed to be flexible. She has one of the highest ceilings of any rookie, second only to Olivia Miles. It just doesn’t add up.
Storm Teammate Shines, But This Still Stings For The Emerald City
It’s not all bad news on the rookie front for the Emerald City, though. Our very own Flau’jae Johnson absolutely earned her spot on the All-Rookie team. She finished second in rookie scoring, right behind the unanimous Rookie of the Year and second-place MVP voter, Olivia Miles. Johnson was a beast for the Storm, no doubt, and it’s awesome to see her get that recognition. The rest of the team was filled out by Miles, the New York Liberty’s super-efficient Pauline Astier, Azzi Fudd (the top pick), Kiki Rice, and Sydney Taylor. So yeah, we got one Storm player on there, and we’re proud of Flau’jae. But it’s impossible to celebrate fully when you know Awa Fam should be right there beside her. This isn’t just a minor oversight; it feels like a glaring miss by the league to not recognize a player who truly put in the work and delivered the stats.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for anyone who watched Awa Fam battle all season for the Storm. This snub just fuels the fire, you know? It’s going to make us even more locked in to see what Fam does next. She’s got that “highest ceiling” tag, and after this, you know she’s coming back with a vengeance. Seattle will be watching, waiting for her to prove everyone wrong.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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