The WNBA returns Friday, May 8 for its 30th season, ushering in a new era for the league. A lot has changed since the Las Vegas Aces captured their third title in four years, finishing as the 2025 WNBA champions.
This season, the league expands to 15 teams with the addition of the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. Fans are also coming off a historic inaugural run from the Golden State Valkyries, who became the first expansion team in league history to reach the playoffs in their debut season.
After an intense 17-month negotiation process and an eight-day marathon of final talks, a new agreement was finally reached with player salaries, revenue sharing, and working conditions at the center of the deal. Because the business of the league sucked up most of the oxygen this offseason, it’s now time to shift our attention onto the court, where the competition is only getting tougher.
Led by four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, the Aces look primed to defend their title. The 2024 champs, the New York Liberty, have reloaded following a down year, adding Satou Sabally to their championship core of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones. Paige Bueckers has a new running mate in Dallas. Caitlin Clark is back following an injury-plagued 2025. And Angel Reese has a new home, having moved on from the dysfunction in Chicago to a promising squad in Atlanta.
Here’s a look at the top WNBA players expected to be consistent forces and make a major impact throughout the 2026 season. These are the 20 Best WNBA Players Right Now.
Angel Reese
Team: Atlanta Dream
2025 Stats: 14.7 PPG 12.6 REB 3.7 AST 45%/ 18%/75%
The former Bayou Barbie is the most polarizing player in the W. Is she a dominant rebounder who controls the boards? Yes! Does she need to improve her shooting? Yes! Is she one of the most versatile defenders in the league? Yes! Does she need to cut down her turnovers of which she averaged nearly four a game? Yes! Reese, a two-time All-Star, now enters her first season as a member of the Atlanta Dream, having exited the drama and disorder in Chicago. —Thomas Golianopoulos
Skylar Diggins
Team: Chicago Sky
Stats: 15.5 PPG 2.5 REB 6 AST 42%/36%/78%
A seven-time All Star, Diggins joined her fifth team in 12 seasons after signing with the Sky in April. She leads a disjointed roster in Chicago: an odd mix of veterans (Diggins, Natasha Cloud, Courtney Vandersloot) and promising youngsters (Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, Gabriela Jaquez) backed by the most dysfunctional front office in the league. Diggins is still an asset though: a proven playmaker and stout defender, who can get a bucket when needed. —TG
Dearica Hamby
Team: Los Angeles Sparks
2025 Stats: 18.4 PPG 7.9 REB 3.3 AST 57%/27%/62%
A two-time WNBA Sixth Player of the Year award winner, Hamby has evolved into a top flight scorer and rebounder in the second half of her career. Last year, her 11th season in the W, she established career highs in scoring and shooting, while leading the Sparks to 23 wins (up from 8 in 2024). She’ll join Kelsey Plum and newly acquired Nneka Ogwumike to form a Big Three in LA. —TG
Chelsea Gray
Team: Las Vegas Aces
2025 Stats: 11.2 PPG 3.9 REB 5.4 AST 43%/36%/88%
The Las Vegas Aces’ floor general, a three-time WNBA champion, is one of those players whose winning attributes don’t really come across in the box score. In a recent ESPN survey, WNBA general managers named Gray the league’s best point guard, the player they most trusted to take a winning shot, the best passer, highest basketball IQ, and the current active player who’d make the best head coach. —TG
Satou Sabally
Team: New York Liberty
2025 Stats: 16.3 PPG 5.9 REB 2.5 AST 41%/33%/84%
Satou Sabally delivered a dominant showing after being traded from the Dallas Wings to the Phoenix Mercury for the 2025 season. She made an immediate impact, setting a franchise record for most points in a debut with 27. Her elite scoring played a key role in leading Phoenix to the Finals.
However, Sabally entered concussion protocol and missed Game 4, which the Mercury ultimately lost. This offseason, the forward signed with the New York Liberty, where she’ll team up with Breanna Stewart in what could be one of the league’s most dangerous frontcourts. — Bryanna Symone
Kahleah Copper
Team: Phoenix Mercury
2025 Stats: 15.6 PPG 2.9 REB 1.5 AST 42%/37%/85%
Though Copper’s scoring declined during her second season in Phoenix (down from 21.1 PPG in 2024), she turned it on in the postseason. As the Robin to Alyssa Thomas’ Batman, Cooper had a hand in leading the Mercury to the WNBA Finals. Now entering season eleven, she’s still one of the most feared offensive players in the league, especially from long range. —TG
Nneka Ogwumike
Team: Los Angeles Sparks
2025 Stats: 18.3 PPG 7.0 REB 2.3 AST 53%/40%/91%
Nneka Ogwumike, a 14-year WNBA veteran, remained a consistent and dominant force for the Seattle Storm last season. She now ranks sixth on the league’s all-time scoring list, surpassing 7,000 career points.
Ogwumike is known not only for her impact on the court but also for her leadership. She serves as president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and was named the 2025 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner. She also played a critical role in CBA negotiations.
This season, Ogwumike returns to the Los Angeles Sparks, the franchise that originally drafted her. —BS
Rhyne Howard
Team: Atlanta Dream
2025 Stats: 17.5 PPG 4.5 REB 4.6 AST 38%/32%/86%
Rhyne Howard, the other half of the Atlanta Dream’s backcourt duo, delivered a career-defining season in 2025 filled with milestones. She earned her third consecutive All-Star selection and set a franchise record while tying the WNBA record with nine three-pointers in a single game.
Howard also reached 2,000 career points and, in June, became the fastest player in league history to hit 300 career three-pointers, doing so in just 114 games—further establishing herself as one of the league’s premier scorers. —BS
Aliyah Boston
Team: Indiana Fever
2025 Stats: 15.0 PPG 8.2 REB 3.7 AST 54%/26%/75%
Aliyah Boston has been a major force behind the Indiana Fever’s success, even as the team battled multiple injuries. Just three years into her career, Boston has already stepped into a significant leadership role. She led the league in field goal percentage for part of the season at 59.7% and finished with an impressive 53.8% overall. She also became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 rebounds. The 3x All-Star is making history off the court as well. This offseason, she signed a four-year, $6.3 million extension with the Fever—the richest total salary in league history to date. —BS
Caitlin Clark
Team: Indiana Fever
2025 Stats: 16.5 PPG 5 REB 8.8 AST 36%/27%/82%
Clark might be the biggest attraction in the WNBA but she’s attempting to rebound from a disappointing 2025. Soft tissue injuries (quad and groin strains) limited her to 13 games last season and she struggled during her time on the court. Clark’s turnover issues as a rookie carried over into Year Two and though it’s a small sample size, her shooting percentage dropped during her sophomore campaign. Still, Clark has the potential to be the best player in the WNBA. Despite leading the league in assists as a rookie, she’s an underrated playmaker (though she will be playing off-ball more this season). She has unlimited range on her jumper, can get to the bucket with ease and, more impressively, has the ability to finish at the rim. With Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston also on the roster, expect the Fever to go deep into the WNBA playoffs. —TG
Sabrina Ionescu
Team: New York Liberty
2025 Stats: 18.2 PPG 4.9 REB 5.7 AST 40%/29%/93%
Ionescu is one of the league’s best playmakers and an elite ballhandler but there are still some concerns about her game. Though she has the reputation of a sniper from deep, her 3-point shooting has plummeted since hitting 44 percent in 2023, dropping down to 29 percent last season. Ionescu has also struggled with injuries. She missed time last season with toe, foot, and neck injuries, and will be inactive for at least the first two weeks of this season after rolling her ankle in the Liberty’s final preseason game. But hopes are high for when she returns to a stacked Liberty team. There are few things more exciting in the WNBA than Ionescu running the pick and roll or pushing the ball in transition. —TG
Kelsey Plum
Team: Los Angeles Sparks
2025 Stats: 19.5 PPG 3.1 REB 5.7 AST 42%/38%/89%
Kelsey Plum was ready for a new chapter after six seasons and two championships with the Las Vegas Aces. In January 2025, she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, bringing her elite scoring ability with her. She made an immediate impact, delivering a historic season opener with 37 points—the most ever in a WNBA debut or season-opening game. Plum also proved her reliability in clutch moments, tying for the league lead with six game-winning shots, including a standout 31-point performance. —BS
Paige Bueckers
Team: Dallas Wings
2025 Stats: 19.2 PPG 3.9 REB 5.4 AST 53%/ 42%/ 88%
Paige Bueckers lived up to the hype entering the league. Fresh off a national championship at UConn and being selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings, the standout guard carried that momentum into her rookie season, earning Rookie of the Year honors. She also set a new rookie single-game scoring record with 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks.
While Bueckers delivered a dominant debut season, the Wings struggled to consistently find their footing in the win column. Now, she returns this year alongside former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd, giving Dallas a backcourt duo with built-in chemistry. (In July 2025, Bueckers and Fudd confirmed they were dating but have since asked for privacy. “[Our] relationship is nobody’s business but our own…” Bueckers said in April.) The hope is that their proven college success will translate to the WNBA level. —BS
Kelsey Mitchell
Team: Indiana Fever
2025 Stats: 20.2 PPG 1.8 REB 3.4 AST 46%/ 39%/ 74%
Kelsey Mitchell has established herself as one of the league’s most prolific scorers. She became the first player in Indiana Fever history to average over 20 points per game and capped off the season with 11 career 30-point performances, surpassing franchise legend Tamika Catchings.
With the Fever battling injuries and star guard Caitlin Clark sidelined for more than half the season, Mitchell stepped up in a major way, leading Indiana to a No. 6 seed and a semifinal run. —BS
Allisha Gray
Team: Atlanta Dream
2025 Stats: 18.4 PPG 5.3 REB 3.5 AST 45%/38%/80%
Allisha Gray, long known for her dynamic two-way play, put the league on notice. Last season marked a true breakout for the Atlanta Dream guard, as she fully stepped into her own. The 2017 Rookie of the Year delivered the best statistical campaign of her career, highlighted by setting a franchise record with 773 points in a single season. She also helped lead the Dream to the No. 3 seed in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs before they were eliminated by the Indiana Fever. —BS
Breanna Stewart
Team: New York Liberty
2025 Stats: 18.3 PPG 6.5 REB 3.5 AST 46%/24%/79%
Breanna Stewart built an elite résumé long before entering the WNBA. Since being drafted in 2016, it’s only grown stronger. Now a three-time champion, two-time league MVP, two-time Finals MVP, and seven-time All-Star, her list of accolades continues to expand. During the 2025 season, Stewart remained a cornerstone for New York, delivering another dominant year and reinforcing her leadership on both ends of the floor. After a first-round playoff exit last season, she’s entering the new campaign focused on bringing another championship back to the city. —BS
Jackie Young
Team: Las Vegas Aces
2025 Stats: 16.5 PPG 4.5 REB 5.1 AST 48%/35%/83%
Jackie Young, long known for her quiet but lethal playing style, stepped into a stronger leadership role last season. As one-third of the Las Vegas Aces core, Young helped steady the team after an early .500 start, using her efficiency and consistency to guide them on another championship run.
By season’s end, she added yet another title to her résumé, becoming a three-time WNBA champion. Still under 28, Young has firmly cemented her place among the league’s elite, building an impressive legacy in the past eight years. —BS
Alyssa Thomas
Team: Phoenix Mercury
2025 Stats: 15.4 PPG 8.8 REB 9.2 AST 53%/ 0%/69%
A six-time WNBA All-Star, Thomas had her best season in Year 12. The now 34-year-old forward is the most versatile player in the league and also its best playmaker. In her first season in Phoenix, Thomas led the league in assists, broke the season assist record, and recorded more triple-doubles (eight) than the rest of the league combined. It was enough to get the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, where they were swept by the juggernaut Aces. But Thomas has Phoenix primed for another deep run in the postseason. —TG
Napheesa Collier
Team: Minnesota Lynx
2025 Stats: 22.9 PPG 7.3 REB 3.2 AST 53%/40%/90%
Phee caused a stir last September with her public ethering of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert prior to the most important offseason in league history. Then, as vice president of the player’s union, she helped negotiate a new CBA that boosted player salaries and gave them a more generous slice of league revenue. But that’s not why she’s ranked so high on this list. Collier, who notched career highs in points, blocks, and field goal percentage, is a force on the court, finishing second in the MVP voting last season. She will miss the first month of the season, however, after offseason surgeries on both ankles. —TG
A’ja Wilson
Team: Las Vegas Aces
2025 Stats: 23.4 PPG 10.2 REB 3.1 AST 50%/42%/ 85%
The only four-time MVP in WNBA history is the undisputed best player in the game and one of the greatest players in league history. Wilson, 29, is a three-level scorer, who can pound in the paint, step back and pop a three, and get to the line with ease. That she plays her best in big moments is another of her superpowers. Wilson’s sublime offensive game sometimes overshadows her prowess on the defensive end. But she’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and near the top of the league leaders in rebounds, blocks, and steals. Alongside Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, Wilson and Aces are the favorite to bring home their fourth title in five years. —TG
