WNBA · 18 hours ago

Ranking the Top 15 WNBA Players Ahead of the 2026 Season

Paul Connor

Host · Writer

1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
There is no serious argument against Wilson at No. 1. The superstar center is coming off a season in which she won a record fourth WNBA MVP, shared Defensive Player of the Year honors, captured Finals MVP, and led Las Vegas to its third championship in four seasons. Wilson's 2025 line of 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game was not merely elite; it was league-defining. Until someone knocks her off the throne, Wilson remains the standard for two-way dominance in the WNBA.
Introduction
The 2026 WNBA season officially tips off tonight, and the league enters its 30th anniversary with no shortage of star power.

To that end, here is my ranking of the top 15 players in what shapes up to be one of the most exciting campaigns in recent memory.
15. Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
A fierce competitor, Copper averaged 15.6 points per game last season, then raised that to 17.8 PPG during Phoenix's Finals run. Her downhill pressure, transition scoring, and ability to create her own shot out of nothing make Copper an incredibly difficult matchup, especially when paired with Alyssa Thomas's playmaking. The Mercury lost Satou Sabally to free agency, but Copper still gives them a proven perimeter scorer with a championship-level edge.
14. Satou Sabally, New York Liberty
Sabally's move to New York is one of the offseason's biggest swing factors. The 28-year-old averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals last season with Phoenix, then became the Mercury's leading postseason scorer (19.0 PPG) before a concussion late in the Finals changed the complexion of that series. Now she joins Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones on a Liberty team viewed as title favorites. If healthy and fully integrated, Sabally could outperform this ranking.
13. Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Start with the defense, because that part of Howard's game took a major step forward last season. The former No. 1 overall pick earned All-Defensive recognition for the first time, led Atlanta in steals, and added a career-high 27 blocks, showing she is no longer just a high-volume perimeter scorer. Offensively, Howard averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while leading the league in made threes per game (3.1). On a bigger, tougher Dream team, her two-way growth is one of the biggest reasons Atlanta looks like a real threat.
12. Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Departing the Las Vegas dynasty last offseason, Plum proved she could be the face of the franchise in Los Angeles. Her first year with the Sparks produced 19.5 PPG, along with career-best marks in both assists (5.7 APG) and rebounds (3.1 RPG). LA will try to end a five-year playoff drought, and Plum’s ability to balance scoring with table-setting gives them a legitimate offensive identity. Her ranking could climb if the Sparks' revamped roster converts talent into wins.
11. Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
Mitchell delivered the best season of her career in 2025, averaging 20.2 points and finishing fifth in MVP voting. She was the league's third-leading scorer behind only A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier, and her shot creation kept Indiana alive through a brutal run of injuries. Mitchell's speed, off-ball movement, and pull-up shooting make her more than Caitlin Clark's backcourt partner; she's a star scorer in her own right.
10. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Boston's growth as a passer and defensive anchor makes her one of the most valuable bigs in the league. The three-time All-Star averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 2025, finished tied for sixth in MVP voting, and earned her first All-WNBA selection. For Indiana’s championship ceiling to become real, Boston has to remain a steady force in the middle.
9. Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
It took Bueckers just one season to prove she belonged among the WNBA's best. The former UConn standout didn't just win Rookie of the Year; she put on an absolute clinic, averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals while playing with the poise of a 10-year veteran. Bueckers really doesn't have a glaring weakness on offense and shoots the ball incredibly efficiently. It speaks volumes that a third of the league's general managers would pick her right now to start a brand new franchise.
8. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
A nine-year veteran, Gray averaged career-highs in points (18.4), rebounds (5.6), and assists (3.5) last season en route to earning her first All-WNBA selection. Atlanta won a franchise-record 30 games, and Gray's scoring consistency, including 15 games with at least 20 points, was a major reason why. With Rhyne Howard beside her and Angel Reese now in the frontcourt, Gray enters 2026 as the lead guard on a team built to contend.
7. Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Ionescu’s ranking comes with an early-season health caveat, as she rolled her ankle in preseason and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Still, her full-season profile remains elite. Last season, Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while remaining automatic at the free-throw line (93.3%). Natasha Cloud is gone, and New York is shifting systems under new head coach Chris DeMarco, so Ionescu's on-ball responsibilities should only grow when she returns.
6. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Young has evolved from an excellent complementary guard to one of the league’s most complete perimeter players. She averaged 16.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 2025, then elevated her production to 20.4 PPG during the playoffs while helping the Aces win another title. WNBA general managers also voted Young the league’s best shooting guard entering 2026. The 28-year-old is steady, efficient, battle-tested, and still ascending.
5. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Had health not intervened, Collier would have a strong argument to be even higher. The veteran was an absolute force last season, averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting a career-best 53.1 percent from the floor and earning first-team All-Defensive honors for the second straight year. The ankle injury that ended Minnesota's playoff run is the only reason for caution, as Collier is not expected to return to on-court activity until early June. Once she is back, Collier should remain one of the league's brightest stars.
4. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
This ranking is partly about projection, but Clark has already shown enough to justify it. Injuries limited the star guard to 13 games in 2025, yet she still averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. Clark's 2024 debut season already included Rookie of the Year, first-team All-WNBA honors, and the fourth-most MVP votes. If she stays healthy, Indiana’s ceiling changes immediately.
3. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Few players control a game the way Thomas does. In her first season with Phoenix, the veteran finished third in MVP voting after setting a WNBA regular-season record with eight triple-doubles, as well as breaking the single-season assists record (357). Even without a traditional jumper, Thomas's sheer willpower, playmaking from the forward position, and defensive tenacity make her a one-of-a-kind matchup nightmare.
2. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Stewart’s 2025 season was interrupted by injury, but her place among the league’s best remains secure. She still averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 31 games, earned All-Star and All-Defensive recognition, and remains the rare forward who can anchor a defense, initiate offense, and stretch the floor. With New York adding Satou Sabally to a core featuring Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, "Stewie" has a legitimate path back into the MVP conversation.
1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
There is no serious argument against Wilson at No. 1. The superstar center is coming off a season in which she won a record fourth WNBA MVP, shared Defensive Player of the Year honors, captured Finals MVP, and led Las Vegas to its third championship in four seasons. Wilson's 2025 line of 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game was not merely elite; it was league-defining. Until someone knocks her off the throne, Wilson remains the standard for two-way dominance in the WNBA.
Introduction
The 2026 WNBA season officially tips off tonight, and the league enters its 30th anniversary with no shortage of star power.

To that end, here is my ranking of the top 15 players in what shapes up to be one of the most exciting campaigns in recent memory.

Ranking the Top 15 WNBA Players Ahead of the 2026 Season

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