A Guide To The 2026 WNBA Season - Page 2
- The league welcomes two new expansion teams, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, adding fresh energy and storylines.
The WNBA is back this weekend, and this season already feels bigger than just another year on the calendar. The 2026 regular season officially tips Friday, May 8, marking the league’s 30th season, which is a major milestone for a league that has gone from fighting for attention to becoming one of the most talked-about sports products in the country. The season opens with the Toronto Tempo making their franchise debut against the Washington Mystics. At the same time, the full opening weekend also includes Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings visiting Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, plus the defending champion Las Vegas Aces hosting the Phoenix Mercury in a rematch of last year’s Finals.
That means there’s a lot to keep up with before the ball even goes up. Between the Aces trying to keep their dynasty rolling, A’ja Wilson chasing even more history, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers continuing to drive massive attention, a loaded rookie class stepping in, and two expansion teams joining the party, the 2026 WNBA season has something for everybody. So whether you’ve been locked in for years or you’re just now getting familiar with the league, here’s what you need to know before the season gets started.
Key Storylines To Watch In The 2026 WNBA Season
The first big question is simple: can anybody stop the Aces? Las Vegas won its third championship in four seasons last year, finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, then swept Phoenix in the Finals. The scary part is the core is still together, with A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young leading the way, while the front office kept adding pieces around them (most notably Chennedy Carter). WNBA general managers also picked Las Vegas as the favorite to win the 2026 Finals, so the league knows exactly who everybody is chasing.
Then there’s the MVP conversation, which basically starts with A’ja until somebody proves otherwise. Wilson is already a four-time MVP, and GMS picked her as the favorite to win it again this season. But that doesn’t mean the race is locked up. Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray and a few others all have the talent and team situations to make noise if they come out hot.
The rookie class is another major storyline. Olivia Miles is the GM’s favorite for Rookie of the Year, Azzi Fudd enters Dallas as the No. 1 pick, Lauren Betts gives Washington another big piece in its young core, and players like Flau’jae Johnson, Awa Fam, and Ta’Niya Latson will have plenty of eyes on them, too. The fun part is that this rookie class isn’t just about hype — a lot of these players are walking into situations where they could get real minutes immediately.
And of course, the offseason moves matter. GMs voted Dallas as the team that made the best overall moves and the team most likely to improve, while Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Toronto and Golden State all made changes that could shift the standings. That’s what makes this season interesting. The Aces might be the favorites, but the rest of the league did not spend the offseason sitting around scared.
Teams To Watch This Season
Besides the obvious answer — the Las Vegas Aces — the Los Angeles Sparks are one of the most interesting teams in the league. LA brought back Nneka Ogwumike, kept Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby in the mix, added Ariel Atkins, and still has Cameron Brink as part of the frontcourt picture. That’s a lot of grown woman basketball on one roster, and if the chemistry comes together, the Sparks could jump from “interesting” to “problem” real quick.
The Washington Mystics are another team worth circling. Georgia Amoore is back in the mix after losing her rookie season to an ACL injury, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are coming off strong first-year campaigns, and now Lauren Betts gives them a 6-foot-7 rookie center with real long-term upside. Washington is young, but it’s the kind of young where you can see the vision. If that group grows up fast, the Mystics could be one of those teams nobody wants to deal with by the end of the summer.
The two new expansion teams — the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire — also deserve attention. Toronto makes history as Canada’s first WNBA franchise, while Portland returns to the league after years away from the W. Expansion teams usually have growing pains, but they also bring new energy, new fan bases and new storylines. Toronto opens the season May 8 against Washington, and Portland opens May 9 against Chicago.
And then there are the Dallas Wings, who might be the most fun team on paper. Paige Bueckers is entering Year 2 after winning Rookie of the Year. Azzi Fudd joins her as the No. 1 pick, Arike Ogunbowale is still one of the league’s most dangerous scorers, and Dallas also added Alanna Smith. GMs picked Dallas as the league’s most-improved team and as one of the teams with the most promising young cores, so the hype is not just coming from fans online.
Top Players To Watch This Season
A’ja Wilson is the first name here because she’s the standard. She’s the best player on the defending champs, the MVP favorite, and the player every opponent has to game-plan around before they even think about anything else.
Paige Bueckers is a must-watch because Dallas is building around her in real time. After a huge rookie season, she now gets to run with Azzi Fudd again, and that UConn-to-Dallas connection is going to have plenty of people locked in.
Alyssa Thomas is one of those players who impacts every possession, even when she is not scoring. Her toughness, passing, defense, and versatility make her one of the most valuable players in the league, and GMs still named her among the players who forced the most adjustments from opposing coaches.
Caitlin Clark remains one of the biggest draws in basketball, period. After dealing with injuries last season, her health and rhythm will be huge for an Indiana Fever team that expects to be right back in the national spotlight.
Napheesa Collier is always a problem because her game travels. She can score, defend, rebound and lead without doing too much extra, and Minnesota is still viewed as a serious team under Cheryl Reeve.
Allisha Gray deserves more casual fan respect. She’s been one of the league’s most reliable two-way guards, and with Atlanta looking like a real threat, this could be another season where people are reminded just how good she is.
