After a long offseason full of collective bargaining negotiations and an expansion draft, the WNBA’s 30th season tips off this Friday night.
Two new teams, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will begin bouncing balls for the first time. Trades and free agency sent some players to new teams, while others remained in the same place. A freshly signed CBA paved the way for million-dollar contracts for the first time, and many of the WNBA’s top players got big paydays. College players entering the league via the draft are bringing optimistic fans new hope.
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But there’s only a handful of players in the WNBA that can truly tip the scales and change the fortunes of their teams. Their presence makes their team a contender. They elevate the play of their teammates. They will decide how the season unfolds.
Here are the 10 most impactful players to watch this WNBA season:
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
While Caitlin Clark battled injuries last season, her fellow star in Indiana seemed to level up. Boston finished sixth in MVP voting after averaging 15.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, a career-best 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.8% from the floor and 76.2% from the free throw line. The 6-foot-5 South Carolina product has established herself as one of the best young frontcourt players in the game, and when she, Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are all on the floor, the Fever are tough to beat. The Fever hope that Boston still has more room to grow after signing her to a four-year, $6.3 million deal this offseason.
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The reigning Rookie of the Year is expected to be a leader for the new-look Wings this year as they chase a playoff berth. Dallas brought in Jose Fernandez as its head coach, drafted Azzi Fudd No. 1 overall, and made key free-agent signings in Alanna Smith and Jess Shepard. But Dallas is going to be at its best when Bueckers has the ball in her hands and her play will ultimately decide how far they’ll go this season. Last year, the UConn product was the only player in the league to rank inside the top 10 in points, assists and steals — averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. She’s the face of this franchise and already becoming one of the WNBA’s signature stars.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
After finishing fourth in MVP voting as a rookie, injuries plagued Clark last season and limited her to just 13 games. Now healthy, a lot of folks expect the Fever to make a deep playoff run with Clark leading the way. In 2024, Clark led the league in 3-pointers made and assists, was seventh in scoring and fifth in free throw shooting percentage. If Clark can return to that form and maintain that production, she’s going to again be in the conversation for annual awards and the Fever are probably going to be in the postseason mix.
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One of the big questions this offseason has been centered around how much time Collier will miss this season for the Lynx. The current expectation is that she’ll be back sometime in June, but how effective will she be? After finishing second in MVP voting for the second straight season, Collier tore three ligaments in her ankle in the semifinals of the playoffs. Before the injury, Collier had been averaging a career-best 22.9 points and registered just the second 50-40-90 season in the history of the WNBA, joining Elena Delle Donne in that exclusive club. Collier is the bus driver for the Lynx and they’ll go as far as she can take them.
Entering her seventh season in the league, Ionescu is going to miss the start of the season with an apparent ankle injury she suffered during the preseason. Nagging injuries didn’t seem to slow her down last season though as she averaged 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Like Stewart, she too shot a career-worst from behind the arc last season with a 29.9% clip, but she was still an All-Star and All-WNBA selection. Ionescu remains one of the top guards in the WNBA.
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After finishing fourth in the league in scoring last year, Plum is running it back with the Sparks. She probably could have signed for a larger salary elsewhere, but signed a deal worth $999,999 to remain in LA and help the franchise keep cap room open to add other talented players — which they did, bringing in Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler. Still one of the top shooters in the WNBA, Plum shot 35.5% from 3-point land and 89.3% from the free throw line while also averaging a career-best 5.7 assists last season. If the Sparks make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, Plum will likely be a big reason why.
The former LSU star got a change of scenery this offseason when the Chicago Sky traded her to the Atlanta Dream. The two-time rebounding champ now joins a squad that is widely expected to make a deeper playoff run because — on paper — the combination of Reese, Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard looks like one of the best trios in the league. Last season with the Sky, Reese averaged 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Dream ranked second last season in 3-pointers attempted, and while Reese might not join in on taking any of those, one of the best offensive rebounders will be in the paint to collect the misses from deep.
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Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
The former two-time MVP and three-time champion is still one of the best players in the WNBA. Stewart displayed earlier this year that she’s at the top of her game, winning championships in Unrivaled and EuroBasket. Despite shooting a career-worst 24.1% from 3-point land last season, Stewart averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game and continues to be a player that impacts both ends of the floor. The Liberty went 5-8 last season while she was sidelined with a knee injury, and to reach the Finals again they’ll need Stewart healthy and at her very best.
Entering her 13th year as a professional, Thomas shows no signs of slowing down. The versatile playmaker is coming off one of the best seasons of her career and finished third in MVP voting while leading the Mercury to the Finals. Thomas nearly averaged a triple-double, posting 15.4 points, 9.2 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 53.2% from the floor. Last season, Thomas broke the single-season WNBA records for assists and triple-doubles. Phoenix lost quite a few key pieces from its team that went to the Finals, but they’ll continue to be tough to beat with Thomas on the floor.
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It’s hard to make an argument that Wilson isn’t the best player in the WNBA. She owns four MVPs, more than any other player has won. The 6-foot-4 product of South Carolina has helped the Las Vegas Aces win three championships in four years and has twice been named the MVP of the Finals. A seven-time All-Star, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time scoring champ, it’s difficult to find a player in the history of the league that’s been more accomplished than Wilson before turning 30. The Aces are title favorites as long as she’s around.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and WNBA’s most impactful players for 2026
