BERLIN (Germany) - Awa Fam and Iyana Martin might be two of the youngest players at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026, but they are already playing like they belong on the biggest stage.
Going up a tested team like Australia in the Quarter-Finals, Fam provided an all-around presence for Spain, resulting in a 89-66 win. The youngster produced 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists as they no prepare for an even bigger test in the USA.
Martin chipped in 14 points, which can actually be considered an "off-night" for the talented guard that came in with back-to-back 20-point games.
At just 20 years old and making her World Cup debut, Fam arrived in Berlin as the eighth-youngest player in the competition and the youngest member of Spain's roster. Martin might be older - but by only a few months.
And youth has hardly meant merely a supporting role. They are the statistical leaders of a Top 4 team in the World.
Spain's 89 points against Australia is their highest score in a knockout game at the Women's World Cup.
To play against and with these types of teams or with these types of teammates... it's just amazing.
Through the Group Phase, Fam emerged as one of Spain's most important contributors, ranking second on the team in efficiency (13.3), scoring (12.3 points per game) and rebounding (6.3 rebounds per game), while leading Spain in blocks.
And when Spain needed her most here in Berlin, the youngster delivered.
With a direct ticket to the Quarter-Finals at stake against Japan, Fam came out of the locker room after half-time and took over.
She scored seven unanswered points to begin the third quarter, providing the spark Spain needed before eventually completing the first double-double of her World Cup career with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
For someone who celebrated her 20th birthday just a couple of months ago, it was another performance that made her age increasingly easy to forget.
"It feels good because I can just be chill when I'm on court because I think that I have that experience," Fam explained ahead of the tournament.
"I just need to play my basketball. I just need to enjoy on court. I just need to help my team because I have the experience."
That experience is unusual for a player still among the youngest at the tournament.
Fam has already competed at the highest levels of the game and is now adding a senior World Cup to her rapidly growing basketball education. She was already a key part of the Women's EuroBasket 2025 Finalist squad, contributing 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She's been playing in the EuroLeague Women since 2022.
Beyond her years, without a doubt.
Yet she is not the only member of Spain's new generation making a major impact in Berlin.
Iyana Martin, born just a few months before Fam on January 18, 2006, has been another of Spain’s standout performers, leading the team with 17.3 points per game heading into the Quarter-Finals.
In just four games at the World Cup, she has already shown the efficiency of a veteran, scoring in double figures in every game. She has now scored 66 points in her first four games. Only one Spanish player has scored more in that same competition and time span - the legendary Sancho Little.
And yet, while she has to be the center of attention of the defense when she is on the court - Martin is quick to shy away from the spotlight when panned towards her off the court.
When she was asked to evaluate her own performance earlier after the game against Japan, she blushed and left an opening for coach Miguel Mendez to reply instead.
She's a special person. Not just a special person, a special player
"I don't like to talk about a single player," said Mendez. "But I can say that she's a special person. Not just a special person, a special player."
Once the pause was long enough for Martin to reply, she added an insight that shined light on the kind of mentality that probably makes her a special talent:
"I'm happy because I can be myself on this team with my teammates and the staff.
"I feel comfortable playing, I have fun. That's the most important thing about basketball," she said. "And it's not just me. All of us, we are so comfortable here."
Martin's teammates don't seem to mind either that the youngster has been taking matters more into her own hands.
"It's pretty awesome that we have her on our team," said Megan Gustafson, who scored 16 points in the win against the Opals. "She is really young but so experienced in a way. She's so calm."
"She understands the game a lot defensively and offensively. She has amazing passes and we always have to keep our heads on a swivel with her."
They were also two of only three Spanish players averaging more than 20 minutes per game at the end of the Group Phase, illustrating just how much responsibility has already been placed on their shoulders.
Martín was the MVP of the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, while Fam was named MVP of the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket. Just a few years later, they are carrying Spain’s senior national team on their shoulders.
For Fam, though, reaching this stage was once the dream itself.
"I was always thinking about my dream being in the national team," she said. "I'm just feeling great, feeling grateful.
"I'm super glad to be on the national team. For me, [it's] super special. I represent my country. So I just feel grateful. I just want to keep improving, keep [stepping up]."
Those steps have taken Fam on a remarkable journey.
Born and raised in Spain to Senegalese parents, she carries a background that stretches across continents, while her basketball career has now taken her to the USA with the Seattle Storm.
That makes representing Spain on the global stage particularly meaningful.
"I'm gonna play a World Cup at just 20 years old. I'm representing my country at just 20 years old. So [it's] just amazing," she said.
It also means Fam is quickly becoming someone young players can see themselves in.
Whether it is a young girl watching in Spain, Senegal or elsewhere around the world, Fam understands that her journey can now inspire others in the same way she once dreamed about reaching these heights herself.
"I'm glad to be here on the national team," she said. "I'm just 20 years old, you know, so I'm just thinking about it.
"I'm thankful for this, thankful [to] the fans, thankful [to] the people because it just feels amazing."
There is still plenty for Fam to experience.
Berlin is her first senior World Cup, and every game provides another opportunity to test herself against some of the best players on the planet.
For Fam, that's part of the appeal.
"To play against and with these type of teams or with these types of teammates... it's just amazing," she said.
"It's one thing that is good for improving."
The improvement will continue.
But after helping Spain secure their spot in the Semi-Finals, Fam is showing that her first World Cup isn't simply about gaining experience.
She's already making an impact.
FIBA