The 2026 WNBA season is still young, much like the rookies who are already bolstering some of the league’s top teams.
Through two weeks of action, there have been plenty of reminders that new talent is nothing to underestimate.
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No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd reached her career high as a pro in a blowout win on Monday, and she’s not the only newcomer to watch. This week, The New York Liberty rebounded from an unexpected loss with help from two of their own rookies.
Meanwhile, some teams don’t need any rookie assistance at all.
Where does Dallas stand? Is New York still on top?
Keep reading to find out where every team landed in comparison to Week 1 of the league’s 30th anniversary season (see the arrows), and come back next week, as USA TODAY Sports provides power rankings every Tuesday this season.
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Note: All records and stats are through games played on Monday, May 18.
Record: 4-1
Rookie contributor: N/A
The reigning champs look dominant with a group so stacked that it’s hard to imagine a rookie finding minutes. Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson made history with her 45-point showing in a 101-94 win over the Sun on Friday. Chelsea Gray is also in postseason form, having put the team on her back to seal an 85-84 win at the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. It was the Aces’ third-straight win after turning in a no-show for their season-opener against the Phoenix Mercury. In addition to all of the Aces’ star power, Chennedy Carter has already scored a combined 97 points, the most by a player coming off the bench through the first five games of a WNBA season. Carter is brand new to the Aces and wasn’t in the league last season, but second-round pick Janiah Barker is the only rookie on the Aces’ roster. She’s been in concussion protocol since the team’s preseason opener and has yet to make her regular-season debut.
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Up next: vs. Los Angeles (5/23), @ Dallas (5/28), @ Golden State (5/31
2. New York Liberty (⬇1)
Record: 3-1
Rookie contributor: Pauline Astier
As New York spends another season battling injury, a rookie whose name wasn’t called in the draft is coming up big. The Portland Fire beat the Liberty 98-96 on Tuesday. New York responded with a 100-82 win two days later, which they couldn’t have pulled off without Pauline Astier. The free agent rookie signee from France scored 20 points off the bench as Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points on Thursday. Starters Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally were out for a fourth straight game, and the performance brought Astier up to 67 total points across four games for the Liberty as Ionescu’s replacement. The undrafted rookie riches don’t end there for New York. Australian forward Alex Fowler (University of Portland) signed a developmental contract on Thursday, then scored 12 points in her debut to help the Liberty that same day.
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Up next: vs. Golden State (5/21), vs. Dallas (5/24), vs. Portland (5/25)
3. Atlanta Dream (⬆2)
Record: 2-1
Rookie contributor: Madina Okot
Atlanta took a loss to the Aces but still moved up this week because of how formidable they looked as they pushed the defending champion to the brink in their home opener after a 77-72 road win over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. Without Rhyne Howard (concussion protocol) and Brionna Jones (knee), the Dream got A=plus performances from Allisha Gray (25 points) and Te-Hina Paopao (19 points) and Jordin Canada (11 points, seven steals). 2026 second-round pick Madina Okot, one of the many South Carolina Gamecocks on the court that day, also turned in the first regular-season double-double of her career with 14 points and 11 rebounds. In the close loss to Las Vegas, blockbuster trade acquisition Angel Reese had 8 points on 1-of-8 shooting from the floor and eight turnovers. With more from Reese, the Dream will be a hard team to beat.
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Up next: vs. Dallas (5/22), vs. Phoenix (5/24)
4. Phoenix Mercury (⬆2)
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: Jovana Nogic
Jovana Nogic, another undrafted international rookie, is making history for Phoenix. The 28-year-old Serbian scored 27 points as the Mercury beat the Chicago Sky 91-83 on Friday night after blowing a 17-point lead in the second half. Prior to that game, the Mercury took an 88-84 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. Nogic has scored 64 points through her first four games with Phoenix, the third-most for any rookie in franchise history. Diana Taurasi (83) and Cappie Pondexter (85) are the only Mercury rookies with more points to start their WNBA careers. Kahleah Copper still leads the team in scoring and steals (17.8 ppg, 1.5 spg), while Alyssa Thomas averages a team-high 8.5 assists.
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Up next: vs. Toronto (5/19), vs. Los Angeles (5/21), @ Atlanta (5/24)
5. Chicago Sky (⬆3)
Record: 3-1
Rookie contributor: Gabriela Jaquez
Aside from a 91-83 loss to Phoenix on Friday, Chicago closed out an otherwise strong week with a win on Sunday night. Rookie Gabriela Jaquez set career highs of 20 points and eight rebounds as the Sky beat the Lynx 86-79. In addition to the breakout performance from the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 draft out of UCLA, the Sky was aided by Kamilla Cardoso’s 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rickea Jackson, who went down with a non-contact injury midway through the second quarter against the Lynx and did not return, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Skylar Diggins (eye) was also sidelined for that game.
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Up next: vs. Dallas (5/20), vs. Minnesota (5/23)
Record: 2-1
Rookie contributor: N/A
The Valkyries only had one game since our last rankings and lost it 69-63 to the Sky on Wednesday. Forward Gabby Williams had 18 points and five rebounds for Golden State in the defeat. They led by 12 early, but struggled offensively, shooting 22 for 75 from the field (29.3%). Janelle Salaun is the Valkyries’ leading scorer with 15.7 points per game. Rookies Miela Sowah and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda haven’t logged enough minutes to make an impact.
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Up next: @ New York (5/21), @ Indiana (5/22), vs Connecticut (5/25)
7. Dallas Wings (⬇3)
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: Azzi Fudd
The Wings ended a rough week on a high-note by dominating the Washington Mystics 92-69 on Monday night after taking close losses to Atlanta and the Minnesota Lynx. There was a lot to like about Dallas’ victory, which was its first home win in three tries. The win served as a response to coach Jose Fernandez calling his players out publicly for “selfishness.” He didn’t have to make any such comments on Monday, as the team had a season-high 30 assists. No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd scored a season-high 12 points in 24 minutes off the bench, which Fernandez said will help her earn a larger role eventually. Fudd’s former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers added 18 points and seven assists against the Mystics, making four of her five 3-point attempts. Arike Ogunbowale scored 16 points, and Jessica Shepard added 16 rebounds to tie the league’s single-game high for this season.
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Up next: @ Chicago (5/20), @ Atlanta (5/22), @ New York (5/24)
8. Washington Mystics (⬆3)
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: Cotie McMahon
The Mystics are a young team. All of their major stat leaders — other than Shakira Austin (1.7 blocks per game) — boast two or fewer years of experience. Sonia Citron continues to shine with 24.3 points per game, while Kiki Iriafen dominates with a league-high 12.8 rebounds per game. The team’s youth was on display in their loss to the Wings on Monday night. That said, rookie forward Cotie McMahon, selected 11th overall out of Ohio State, had a promising debut for the team a few days later: She scored 13 points in the team’s 104-102 overtime win over the Fever on Friday. It was her first game playing for the team after recovering from a partially torn UCL in her elbow. She made an immediate impact, as five of those points came in overtime. Rookie Rori Harmon, selected 34th overall out of Texas, is an honorable mention. She leads the team with 1.7 steals per game this season.
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Up next: @ Seattle (5/24), @ Seattle 5/27, vs. Los Angeles (5/29)
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: N/A
Indiana hasn’t been pitted against any contenders yet this season. They beat the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday and rolled past the Seattle Storm on Sunday but fell to the Mystics in overtime despite Caitlin Clark’s 32 points. Clark has been setting records this season for the Fever, which hasn’t seen any key rookie performances so far this year. After joining the team as the No. 10 overall pick out of South Carolina, Raven Johnson scored four points in her debut with the team and has gone scoreless since. It’s possible that coach Stephanie White is allowing Johnson plenty of time to get acclimated, but Lexie Hull and Tyasha Harris certainly seem to be well favored over her as far as backcourt rotations go.
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Up next: vs. Portland (5/20), vs. Golden State (5/22)
10. Minnesota Lynx (⬇1, 2-2)
Last seven days: @ Phoenix (5/12), @ Dallas (5/14), vs. Chicago (5/17)
Rookie contributor: Olivia Miles
Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick out of TCU, is averaging 15.5 points per game and a team-high 5.8 assists per game for Minnesota. Her seamless transition to the WNBA has earned her endorsements from Courtney Williams and coach Cheryl Reeve. Miles scored 13 points in the Lynx’s 86-79 loss to Chicago on Sunday. That was tied for her season low, but she added a season-high four steals. In the game prior, a 90-86 win over the Wings, Miles had 15 points and six assists. Williams has described Miles as the “captain of the ship.”
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Up next: vs. Toronto (5/21), @ Chicago 5/23
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: Kiki Rice
Over the last week, the Tempo beat the Seattle Storm 86-73 on Wednesday, lost to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday and then rebounded with a win over the Sparks two days later. To support Brittney Sykes’ career-high 38 points in the 106-96 victory on Sunday, rookie Kiki Rice added 19 in her first start for the team. Rice shot 5-of-8 from the field and had zero turnovers in 35 minutes, leading Tempo coach Sandy Brondello to praise her IQ and poise. In a reminder of just how quickly things move in women’s basketball, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close watched Rice courtside, only a month since Close coached Rice as part of UCLA’s first NCAA title winner.
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Up next: @ Phoenix (5/19), @ Minnesota (5/21), vs. Portland (5/23)
12. Portland Fire (⬆2)
Record: 2-2
Rookie contributor: N/A
Portland didn’t get to ride the high of its first win for long, but it was still one for the books. Bridget Carleton ‘s 26 points led the 98-96 victory over New York on Tuesday, punctuated by a walk-off game-winner from Sarah Ashlee Barker. Of course, the Liberty avenged the loss on Thursday, but the Fire got their back in win column against the Connecticut Sun Monday night. Carleton and Barker had 18 points each in the 83-82 win. Although rookies Frieda Bühner (Germany), and Serah Williams have seen limited time on the court, the Fire is still getting use of a different kind of draftee. Carleton was the No. 1 pick in April’s expansion draft and Barker was the No. 18 pick.
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Up next: @ Indiana (5/20), @ Toronto (5/23), @ New York (5/25)
13. Los Angeles Sparks (⬇1)
Record: 1-3
Rookie contributor: N/A
The arrival of guard Kelsey Plum via trade from the Aces last offseason was meant to signify a new era for the Sparks, but they’re off to a 1-3 start for the third straight year. Their only win so far was a 99-95 victory over Toronto on Friday. Their other results in the past week were an 87-78 loss to the Fever and a 106-96 loss to Toronto. It’s not that Plum is struggling offensively. She’s averaging 26.8 points and 5.5 assists. In the frontcourt, Dearica Hamby (17.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Nneka Ogwumike (16.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg) are also recording solid stats. Rookie Ta’Niya Latson hasn’t gotten much time, and has been limited to two points in her WNBA career so far.
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Up next: @ Phoenix (5/21), @ Las Vegas (5/23)
14. Seattle Storm (⬇4)
Record: 1-3
Rookie contributor: Flau’jae Johnson
The Storm took two losses in the past week, falling 86-73 at Toronto on Wednesday and 89-78 at Indiana on Sunday. Natisha Hiedeman scored 19 points to lead the Storm against the Fever, and rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson added 14. Johnson, the No. 8 overall pick out of LSU, leads the team in steals (1.5 per game) while also averaging 12.3 points per game. Center Dominique Malonga missed the game against the Fever due to concussion protocol. Once she returns, the Storm won’t be far from the arrival of rookie center Awa Fam, the No. 3 pick in the WNBA draft. Fam’s contract was temporarily suspended as she played overseas.
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Up next: vs. Connecticut (5/20), vs. Connecticut (5/22), vs. Washington (5/24)
15. Connecticut Sun (⬌)
Record: 0-5
Rookie contributor: Charlisse Leger-Walker
It obviously doesn’t help to face the defending champions twice in a week, but Connecticut is still in search of a win this season. They fell to the Aces 98-69 on Wednesday and 101-94 on Friday, then had a chance in Portland on Monday night that fell out of their fingertips at the charity stripe. They shot 11-of-20 from the free throw line in that 5-point loss. Forward Aneesah Morrow is the standout, as she leads the team in two categories (14.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg). Connecticut’s most productive rookie right now is Charlisse Leger-Walker, a second-round pick out of UCLA. She scored 10 points in each of the team’s last two games.
Up next: @ Seattle (5/20), @Seattle (5/22), @ Golden state (5/25)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA power rankings: Each team’s rookie contributors through Week 2
