WNBA training camps are underway and everything seems rosy. Players are all smiles, every new acquisition seems to be a perfect fit and everyone is ready for the best year ever.
However, that’s not going to happen.
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Some teams will overperform, others will underwhelm and only one will be crowned champion.
Before preseason action even takes place, let’s take a look around the league at the current state of each team to determine who are the contenders, the wannabe contenders and the pretenders who are just playing so they don’t get fined. In the comments, be sure to share your agreements and disagreements, as well as your ranking of all 15 teams.
The true contenders
These are the teams that can win it all. They enter the season a step above the rest of the league. Not only is a championship a possibility, but competing for one is the expectation. If they don’t end up having a long postseason, this year will be looked at as a disappointment.
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Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are the cream of the crop in the WNBA, so obviously, they are at the top of this tier and any rankings one can concoct. Las Vegas won it all last year and is in the middle of a dynasty, having won three of the last four championships.
They’ve run it back, securing A’ja Wilson, signing Jackie Young to a new contract and bringing in new talent to their roster with guard Chennedy Carter. With head coach Becky Hammon in charge, the Aces will be primed to go back-to-back yet again and add some more hardware to their trophy room.
Indiana Fever
Last year, the Fever were a tough team to beat in the playoffs. This season, they will be an absolute nightmare. They’ve automatically gotten better just by getting a healthy Caitlin Clark back into the fold.
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Indiana also added new talent like Monique Billings, so expect them to be a title favorite for many WNBA fans.
Atlanta Dream
A franchise doesn’t add Angel Reese unless they are serious about winning games. Reese is a double-double machine and one of the best rebounders in the WNBA. Her in the frontcourt and Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray in the backcourt give the Dream an incredibly balanced roster. Don’t expect them to lose again in the first round.
New York Liberty
The Liberty have all the star power one could ask for with Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Satou Sabally. They won it all back in 2024 and have remained a title-contending team over the past two seasons. The only question is the new head coach. Can Chris DeMarco lead them back to glory?
Playoff-bound squads
While not yet title contenders, these teams will be playing in the postseason. If things break right, they might even be a top-four team. However, they have some things to prove before they reach that level of expectation.
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Dallas Wings
Paige Bueckers put up a generational rookie season. Another season as a WNBA player means she will only get better. That should frighten the league, as they already had so much trouble guarding her last year. The Wings also added Azzi Fudd to the backcourt, reuniting the UConn Huskies at the professional level.
They still have some defensive challenges, and it’s tough to be led by younger players, but Dallas will be a fun team to watch and a tough team to beat.
Golden State Valkyries
The Valkyries raised the standard of what expansion teams can accomplish. They reached the playoffs in their first year of operation and will aim to do so again in 2026. Gabby Williams has joined Golden State to help them accomplish that goal, and under head coach Natalie Nakase’s system, don’t be surprised if the forward has a career year.
Los Angeles Sparks
LA made a ton of win-now moves this offseason. They brought back Kelsey Plum for less than the supermax, which allowed the organization to re-sign Dearica Hamby and welcome the return of Nneka Ogwumike.
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The Sparks also traded away Rickea Jackson and brought in veteran player Ariel Atkins. They wouldn’t have made these moves if they didn’t think they had a playoff-bound team. While it might’ve been better in the long term to lean into a youth movement, for this season, these decisions will pay off, and Los Angeles will be playing playoff basketball for the first time since 2020.
On the postseason bubble
Only one of these teams will make the postseason, with the others just missing out on the playoffs. They aren’t bad, but they are also not good enough to win consistently.
Minnesota Lynx
With Napheesa Collier recovering from double-ankle surgeries, she is expected to be out to start the season. That’s going to have the Lynx behind to start the year. She should be back in time to make them a potentially dangerous playoff team, but they’ll likely lose games and be a road team in the postseason due to her missing games early on.
Seattle Storm
Seattle lost most of their starting lineup in free agency and is leaning into their youth with Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam and Flau’Jae Johnson. That makes them a fun League Pass team, but not a roster that will win enough games.
Washington Mystics
Washington drafted Lauren Betts and will begin developing around their new big. However, this projects to be the fourth-consecutive season where DC will be a sub-.500 team.
Pretenders (or lottery contenders)
It’s in the name; there should be no faith in these teams winning much, if anything, in 2026.
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Chicago Sky
Trading for Rickea Jackson was great, and so was drafting Gabriela Jaquez. But you don’t trade Reese and get better. Kamilla Cardoso will likely dominate and even make an All-Star team, but Chicago will not be good.
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is a lame-duck team waiting for a relocation to Houston next year. Fans should expect them to play like it.
Phoenix Mercury
Kahleah Copper can score, but is that enough for Phoenix to compete in the WNBA? I’m going to say no and expect them to take a step back.
Portland Fire
The Valkyries made joining the WNBA and winning right away look easy. The Fire will remind us that it is actually hard.
Toronto Tempo
Of the two expansion teams, Toronto is the most likely to make some noise. Still, until I see it, I’m going to assume they struggle a bit and lose games as they figure out their roster and build the identity of Canada’s lone WNBA team.
