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The Best WNBA Team Right Now!

Entering 2026 the last two league winners still feel like the best of the best. The Liberty and Aces both seem like it would take big effort to beat them if fully healthy and with the Liberty re-tooling with Satou Sabally it only makes it tougher for the rest of the league.

But the rest of the league may have answers. The Dream look to build on their franchise best 30 wins last year by making a run to the title this year. The Fever get Caitlin Clark back after a surprise run to the semi’s last year on the backs of Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.

Then new blood like the Dallas Wings look to find themselves back into the playoffs after a few years on the outside looking in. There are a number of teams that will see their records improve and it makes for an interesting top 10 early into the season.

Here is a look at the Top 10 Best WNBA Teams 2026 Rankings:

Honorable Mention

Washington Mystics

The Mystics are the youngest team in the NBA and may have the deepest assortment of talented young bigs in the league.

Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, and top 5 pick Lauren Betts all share this front court as the headliners. Iriafen was an all-star in year 1 alongside her fellow rookie teammate Sonia Citron. Citron and Iriafen are stars, and we know what they will be going forward as cornerstones, but there are a few other players who could elevate this franchise in a big way.

Georgia Amoore returns from injury for her rookie year after tearing her ACL in what should have been her rookie year last year right before the season. Lauren Betts will have to navigate through a loaded front court to make her impact in year 1, and Shakira Austin is still uber talented and looking to build on her best season last year. Angela Dugalic and Cotie McMahon are two rookie wildcards to watch for in this front court as well.

It’s a loaded front court, and with Citron as a wing and Amoore at guard, this should be a young core that could be challenging for championships in the future.

Top 10 WNBA Teams 2026 Rankings

10. Golden State Valkyries

For an expansion team, or any team in general starting anew, finding an identity for the type of team you want to be is the first true step to success.

Having talent is one thing, but being able to apply that talent in a way that fits and wins games is what takes teams over the top. And in year 1 of the Valkyries’ existence, they did that. Defense was this team’s calling card, and the feat of making the playoffs in year 1 is one that should be applauded. Adding Gabby Williams, who should only add to this team’s elite defense while giving them another scoring punch, was one of my favorite moves. Veronica Burton is looking to cement herself as one of the league’s stars after winning MIP last season in her first year getting big minutes.

Kiah Stokes is another offseason add who should help replace the bigs the Valkyries lost, and Kayla Thornton is coming off a really good year last season. The Valkyries have a plethora of talent in their front court off the bench as well, but their back court will definitely have to answer questions if they want to make noise in the playoffs.

9. Chicago Sky

The Chicago Sky are a really interesting team to watch this season. I think direction is what this team needed the most after the disaster that was last season, and right now it feels like they have a little bit of that.

The Angel Reese saga last year dominated a lot of their headlines, and after winning only 10 games and firing their coach, it felt like the Sky were in a pretty rough spot for the foreseeable future. After trading Reese last month, it felt like the Sky were turning a new leaf and heading for a nice rebuild of sorts. I loved the Gabriela Jaquez draft pick as she seems to be a big contributor already, and adding Rickea Jackson provides another young, talented player who could blossom into a star. Adding Natasha Cloud provides them with another reliable PG behind veteran star Skyler Diggins.

I also am interested to see Kamilla Cardoso as the true starting Center with Reese gone to see if that investment finally pays off for the Sky. There are a handful of other fantastic additions the Sky have made, and I think it could boost this team to at least the middle of the pack.

8. Phoenix Mercury

The Phoenix Mercury put together an outstanding year last season, making the WNBA finals and finishing 10 games above .500.

Having Alyssa Thomas will always raise your floor high enough for you to compete for at least a playoff spot, if not a ring. But with the Mercury losing Satou Sabally and not doing anything substantial to make up for her departure, it makes me drop them down to a team that should be a fringe playoff team.

7. Minnesota Lynx

The Lynx could finish this year a lot higher than 7, and it wouldn’t be all that shocking, but with so many question marks, I have to leave them here. First, how long is Napheesa Collier out? She will for sure not be playing till mid June, and if things stretch further than that, it could be tough sledding for the Lynx.

Then how will the Lynx replace all they lost in Free Agency? They lost 2 starters and 5 players who were at least a part of the rotation. One of them will be replaced by second overall pick Olivia Miles, who, early into her career, looks the part of a future star. But at the end of the day, relying on a rookie guard as much as the Lynx will could be a lot ot ask for.

But this Lynx team won 34 games last year, best in the league, and the return of Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams should be huge in steadying the ship until Collier is back, and when she is back, I still think this team could contend if they are not too far down the standings.

6. Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks added a lot this offseason, and after missing out on the playoffs the past 5 years, this should be the year they make it back.

I love their front-court depth, especially with the acquisition of Nneka Ogwumike, who returns to LA after a short stint in Seattle. Dearica Hamby had an outstanding season last year, finishing in the top 10 for MVP. Cameron Brink is another wildcard for this team as well, who, at the very least, will provide some nice rotational minutes for the Sparks off the bench. The addition of Ariel Atkins should me helpful for a team that was horrid on defense last year. Kelsey Plum enjoyed her best season last year as well in her first year in LA, and she has been tabbed as a real MVP darkhorse this year.

This influx of talented veterans should make this Sparks team a lock for the playoffs.

5. Dallas Wings

The Dallas Wings may be high at 5, but I am really high on Paige Bueckers and some of the other pieces this team has.

The Wings have rebuilt their front court well and come into this season with a plethora of scoring options in their backcourt. Arike Ogunbowale had a down year last year, and she may need to alter her game a little bit due to the fact that she is finally playing with some talent up to her level.

I still think she will find a medium and be the elite scorer she is capable of being next to Bueckers. Azzi Fudd has not gotten off to a great start, but by year’s end, I would be seriously shocked if she does not pan out into a high-level role player at the very least. Come playoff time, the Wings should be rounding into form, and we could be looking at the Fudd and Bueckers duo as one of the most exciting young pairings in the league currently.

4. Atlanta Dream

The Atlanta Dream had one of, if not the best, seasons in franchise history in 2025 before losing to the Indiana Fever in the first round.

Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard form a pretty elite tandem, while Jordin Canada is coming off her best offensive year, to go along with her all-WNBA caliber defense. Brioanna Jones will, unfortunately, most likely miss a lot of the year following knee surgery for her meniscus in April, but the acquisition of Angel Reese should lessen the blow to their front court.

The Dream have a really good formula to succeed in big games with their ability to not turn the ball over and get on the glass. I think the Dream rounds out the teams that I could legitimately see winning a title this year.

3. Indiana Fever

The Indiana Fever have 3 legit top 10-15 players in the NBA, and I think with the return of Caitlin Clark, they can cause real damage.

They made the semifinals last year without Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell has blossomed into one of the premier guards in the sport following her huge 2025. She and Clark form the best backcourt in the league, and I think last season was somewhat of a reminder of how good Aliyah Boston is.

The Mitchell and Clark fit is one of my personal favorites, and I think they will complement each other well. Newcomer Monique Billings and returner Sophie Cunningham should both be pivotal role players for the Fever as well.

2. New York Liberty

There is no better top 4 in the NBA than the 4 stars the Liberty have, and if not for the Aces’ consistent excellence, I would have this team at 1.

The addition of Satou Sabally to a stacked front court is a scary sight for the rest of the league. Jonquel Jones is a former MVP and a massive part of this Liberty squad, and Breanna Stewart is still a top 5 player in the sport despite a down year last year. Sabrina Ionescu is still a fringe top 10 player, and this team has a handful of very serviceable role players who will contribute. Injuries stunted the Liberty’s chance at consistency last season and potentially kept them from winning a second ring in a row. I

have the utmost confidence this team will be playing in the finals come the fall, and I am interested to see how they gel when Ionescu and Sabally return from injury.

1. Las Vegas Aces

Securing the top spot early into 2026 for the Top 10 Best WNBA Teams is the Las Vegas Aces.

I contemplated putting the Liberty here because the last time their core was fully healthy all year, they won a championship, but I ultimately went with the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces.

If Aja Wilson is on the roster, the Aces will always be one of the league’s best, and last year she won another MVP. Their core of Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Lloyd all return as well, along with new acquisition Chennedy Chandler, who has gotten off to an excellent start to her Aces career.

This team has serious depth in it’s backcourt and a championship pedigree to go along with the best player in the league.