Today marks the beginning of the 2026 WNBA season! Two new teams will be joining the league this year: the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. In total, 15 franchises will participate in the regular season, which concludes on September 24th. That brings us to the postseason, where eight teams will qualify for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs. Ultimately, the league will crown a champion by October 30th, 2026 at the latest. With all of this in mind, let’s predict which teams will reach the playoffs and who will eventually be crowned the 2026 WNBA Champions.
2026 WNBA Playoff Field
1. New York Liberty (33-11)
The Liberty managed to re-sign their Big Three of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, who have three MVPs and 16 All-Star Game selections between them. They may have lost Natasha Cloud, Emma Meesseman, and Nyara Sabally, but adding forward Satou Sabally - who led the Phoenix Mercury in scoring last season with 16.3 points per game - should help neutralize those losses. One could argue that they have the most talented starting lineup in the WNBA. Just two years removed from winning the championship, this group will finish the regular season with the league’s best record.
2. Las Vegas Aces (32-12)
Coming off a season where they won the WNBA Championship and finished with the second-best record in the league, the Aces are ready to run it back in 2026. Center A'ja Wilson is at the top of her game after being named MVP each of the last two years. There are multiple other current and former All-Stars on this roster, including Jackie Young, Jewell Lloyd, and Chelsea Gray. With three titles over the last four seasons, this group is poised to once again compete for a championship.
3. Indiana Fever (29-15)
This is the year that the Fever finally take that next step and join the WNBA’s elite teams. After all, they had the eventual champions on the brink of elimination with six players on the injured reserve, including superstar guard Caitlin Clark. They kept their core intact by re-signing Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham, and Damiris Dantas. They also didn't lose much scoring to the expansion draft and free agency. If this team can stay healthy, Indiana will be a force to be reckoned with.
4. Atlanta Dream (28-16)
A year after leading the league in rebounds per game (36.6), the Dream added arguably the best defensive player and rebounder in the league when they traded for Angel Reese, the WNBA’s reigning rebound champion. Pairing her with Brionna Jones, who was 13th in the league in rebounds, and first-round pick Madina Okot ensures Atlanta will be one of the best defensive teams in the WNBA just a year after they finished with the league's third-best scoring defense (76.8 points per game allowed). This group has what it takes to make a run at the WNBA Finals, especially with what should be the league's top defense.
5. Los Angeles Sparks (26-18)
The Sparks have been on the up-and-up over the last few years. In 2024, they had the worst record in the league. Last year, they took a noticeable leap forward, going 21-23 but missing the playoffs. They added three players who averaged over ten points per game last season, which should help them overcome the losses of forwards Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens. Re-signing the team's top scorers (Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby) should allow this group to once again be one of the league’s best offenses after they finished the 2025 campaign averaging the second-most points per game (85.7). If this squad can make defensive improvements, then the Sparks group should end their five-year playoff drought.
6. Phoenix Mercury (25-19)
The loss of forward Satou Sabally will understandably hurt this group, but the Mercury still have a lot of talent on the roster. Forward Alyssa Thomas is a beast who has been named an All-WNBA First-Teamer each of the last three seasons. Also, having four-time All-Star guard Kahleah Copper available for the entire season will give Phoenix an extra boost. This team probably won't have a top-four record in the WNBA, but they should be good enough to qualify for the playoffs.
7. Minnesota Lynx (25-19)
We can't ignore the fact that the Lynx lost six players from last year's squad that finished with the best record in the league. But those losses feel inconsequential compared to the health of forward Napheesa Collier, who is recovering from ankle surgery after averaging the second-most points in the league last season (22.9). With Collier expected to make her regular-season debut in June, the Lynx just have to stay afloat in the WNBA standings before they get back their perennial MVP candidate. If they can do that, they'll be well-positioned to make a playoff push.
8. Dallas Wings (22-22)
The Wings have been the worst team in the WNBA since the start of 2024, going 19-65 during that stretch. But after landing back-to-back number-one draft picks and using them on generational players like Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, it seems like Dallas might be ready to take that next step. By adding Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard, Awak Kuier, and Li Yueru, this team should have the talent in the frontcourt to match the high expectations of its backcourt.
2026 WNBA Playoff Predictions
First Round
Since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2022, the number-one seed is undefeated in the first round of the postseason. That will once again be the case when the Liberty go up against an inexperienced Wings group. The Lynx will push the Aces to the limit and force a decisive Game Three, but the production that Minnesota lost will be too much to overcome against a stacked Vegas squad. Now that the Fever are finally healthy, they should be able to sweep the Mercury. After all, they won a playoff series last year without Caitlin Clark. Imagine what they can do with their best player on the court! Lastly, Atlanta's defense will prove a difficult challenge for the Sparks' offense. The Dream's rebounding and second-chance scoring will propel them to the semis.
#1 New York Liberty over #8 Dallas Wings
#2 Las Vegas Aces over #7 Minnesota Lynx
#3 Indiana Fever over #6 Phoenix Mercury
#4 Atlanta Dream over #5 Los Angeles Sparks
WNBA Semifinals
The Dream will have a good season because of their rebounding and defensive prowess. But when you are facing a New York Liberty team that has four insanely skilled scorers in Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Satou Sabally, Atlanta's defense will probably run into some problems. It also can't be ignored that the Dream's scoring dropped off by almost ten points from the regular season to the playoffs last year. That doesn't bode well when going against an offensive juggernaut like the Liberty.
Playoff experience and winning when the lights are at their brightest will be the difference in the second round. The Aces have won three of the last four WNBA championships. Meanwhile, the Fever have only won four playoff games during that stretch. Vegas' four-time MVP center, A'ja Wilson, will have no problem going against an Indiana squad that was the worst team in the WNBA at defending the paint last season (38.8 paint points allowed per game). On top of that, Caitlin Clark is only a 35% shooter in the playoffs, so she could struggle against a higher level of competition like the Aces.
#1 New York Liberty over #4 Atlanta Dream
#2 Las Vegas Aces over #3 Indiana Fever
2026 WNBA Finals
It might have happened two years ago, but the Liberty defeated the Aces in the playoffs 3-1. As Jonquel Jones described it, that series was a "rite of passage." By downing Las Vegas in 2024, the Liberty realized the Aces are human and beatable, just one season after they lost to them in the Finals 3-1. New York won the 2024 WNBA Finals because it was the better rebounding team. In fact, they outrebounded the Aces in that series 149-112. That would likely be the case again if these squads met in the finals since the average height of the Liberty's projected starting five is over 6'3".
We also can't ignore the impact that Satou Sabally will have on this team. She gives New York another incredibly reliable scorer outside of Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart. Her height and scoring capabilities will open the floor more for the other three women. As good as A'ja Wilson is, she cannot defend four people at once. New York’s talented starting five should get the team back to the mountaintop this season.
#1 New York Liberty over #2 Las Vegas Aces in seven games
