Three days. That's all that stands between right now and the start of the WNBA's 30th season. Eighteen preseason games are done. Rosters finalize Thursday. Opening night tips Friday. Before the standings make all of this irrelevant, here is where every team stands heading into May 8 — ranked one through fifteen, no hedging.
1. Las Vegas Aces
The defending champions enter on a 16-game winning streak, having swept the Mercury in last year's Finals. A'ja Wilson is the only player in league history with four MVPs and she's 29 years old. Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd are all back. The Aces went 3-0 in preseason — including a loss to Dallas that showed some rust — but this is the standard every other team is being measured against. Until someone proves they can beat Las Vegas in a seven-game series, the Aces sit at one.
2. New York Liberty
The betting favorites at +225 odds have the deepest roster in the league. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Satou Sabally — four players who would be the best player on most other rosters. New York won the 2024 title and lost in the semifinals last year, which by Liberty standards qualifies as a disappointment. They finished the preseason under new coach Becky Hammon — wait, wrong team. Under their new staff with eight rotation players resting, and still won. That kind of depth is suffocating in a playoff series.
3. Atlanta Dream
The most interesting team in the league enters the season with the best combination of star power and depth outside of New York and Las Vegas. Angel Reese is in Atlanta. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Jordin Canada are all back. Coach Karl Smesko's system unlocked Naz Hillmon's three-point shooting last year — if he does the same for Reese, this team has a combination nobody has fully reckoned with yet. The one concern: Brionna Jones underwent knee surgery and has no set return timetable. That's a significant interior presence to lose before the season even starts.
4. Indiana Fever
All 44 games on national television. Caitlin Clark healthy. Kelsey Mitchell on a supermax deal after averaging 20.2 points per game last season. Aliyah Boston back in the frontcourt. Raven Johnson looking legitimate in every preseason game. The Fever went to the semifinals last year without Clark for most of it. What this roster does with her healthy for a full season is the most interesting question in the league. The preseason performance against Dallas was concerning — they lost 95-80 and looked thin without their injured players — but the regular-season version of this team is a different animal.
5. Phoenix Mercury
They reached the Finals last year after being completely rebuilt — Diana Taurasi retired, Brittney Griner left, and Phoenix still made it to the championship series. Alyssa Thomas averaged a career-high 9.2 assists last season and enters year two in Phoenix as one of the most complete players in the league. Kahleah Copper is healthy entering 2026 after missing the first month of last year. The concern is the departure of Satou Sabally to New York, which removes a significant offensive piece. Getting back to the Finals is a stretch. Getting back to the semifinals is the expectation.
6. Dallas Wings
The biggest mover from preseason to opening night. Dallas went 3-0, beat the defending champions by 17 in their final tune-up, and showed a roster that's meaningfully better than the 10-34 team from last year. Paige Bueckers averaged 15.5 points and 6 assists while shooting 5-of-7 from three in limited preseason minutes. Aziaha James has been the most consistent performer of the preseason at +19 in the Aces game. Azzi Fudd is still finding her range — 1-of-7 from three through two games — but the integration with Bueckers is clearly ahead of schedule. Dallas is a playoff team. Whether they're a top-four team depends on how quickly Fudd settles in.
7. Minnesota Lynx
The best team in the league last year went 34-10 and the offseason took a significant toll. They lost six rotation players including co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith. Napheesa Collier is out until early June after ankle surgery on both ankles. The preseason showing was uneven — Howard and Williams combined for zero points on zero-for-ten shooting against Toronto. Cheryl Reeve will sort it out, and once Collier returns this team climbs back up these rankings. Until then, seventh is fair.
8. Golden State Valkyries
They made the playoffs in their first season — the most successful expansion debut in league history — and added Gabby Williams, the best two-way wing in the WNBA, in free agency. Veronica Burton is the right point guard to build around. The defense was the best in the league last year and Williams makes it better. The question is whether their offense can sustain them over 44 games. Finishing the preseason 1-1 with a win over Seattle is a modest showing for a team with this much talent. Year two is harder than year one for expansion teams. The Valkyries have the coaching and the culture to handle it.
9. Seattle Storm
A full rebuild centered around Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam, and Flau'jae Johnson. Seattle lost 67.5 points per game in departures — their top five scorers from last season all left. The upside is that Johnson's usage in Seattle will be enormous, which is good for her Rookie of the Year chances and good for the team's development timeline. First-year coach Sonia Raman is building something. How quickly it comes together determines whether the Storm are a .500 team or a bottom-five team by September.
10. Los Angeles Sparks
Nneka Ogwumike is back where she won her MVP after two seasons in Seattle, and she made clear this isn't a farewell tour — she averaged 18.3 points and 7.5 rebounds last year. Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum, and Ariel Atkins give LA a legitimate core. Cameron Brink played just 15 games in each of her first two seasons — if she finally stays healthy in year three, this team's projection changes significantly. The preseason showed promising defensive improvement — they allowed just 69 points per game in two exhibitions after ranking last in defense last year. A playoff push is possible if Brink is healthy.
11. Chicago Sky
The most interesting rebuild in the league. Trading Reese cleared the path for a pace-and-space system under Tyler Marsh. Skylar Diggins arrived in free agency. Rickea Jackson came over in a trade. Hailey Van Lith dropped 20 off the bench in the preseason opener. Gabriela Jaquez — the No. 5 pick — fits this system. The concern is that DiJonai Carrington, Azurá Stevens, Elizabeth Williams, and Courtney Vandersloot were all still sidelined entering the final preseason games. How long that injury list stays long determines how quickly this team is competitive.
12. Washington Mystics
The rebuild is young and the talent is real. Lauren Betts, Angela Dugalic, and Cotie McMahon give Washington three first-round picks in back-to-back drafts. Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron were both All-Stars and All-Rookie team selections last year. Georgia Amoore — the No. 6 pick from last year — tore her ACL in training camp and is finally healthy. This is a team to watch in 2027 and 2028. For now, they're a young, energetic group that will beat teams they shouldn't and lose games they're supposed to win.
13. Connecticut Sun
Their last season in Uncasville before relocating to Houston. Brittney Griner returns to the WNBA after leaving in free agency. Gianna Kneepkens gives them floor spacing they've been missing. The expansion draft cost them Marina Mabrey — a significant loss. The farewell tour angle gives this team a narrative the standings won't reflect. They're not a playoff team but they're not a bottom-three team either. A 17-27 finish sends them to Houston with something to build on.
14. Toronto Tempo
The WNBA's first international franchise tips off May 8 with a sold-out home building and a roster built around Marina Mabrey and Julie Allemand. They've led in the fourth quarter of two preseason games while missing multiple key players both times. Sandy Brondello is the right coach to build a culture. The talent isn't there yet to win consistently, but the foundation is right and the market is real. Sixteen wins in year one is the target. Exceeding the Valkyries' first-year performance is the ceiling.
15. Portland Fire
The newest franchise in professional women's basketball opens their first ever regular season game May 9 at home against Chicago. Six players missed their only preseason game with injuries. Bridget Carleton is the veteran anchor. The roster has no one who has ever averaged double digits in scoring for a full WNBA season. Portland took the long view in the expansion draft and the college draft — they're building for 2028 and 2029. This season is about establishing identity and developing the young pieces. A 10-34 finish and a top-three pick in next year's draft is a successful year one.
Check back here every week — power rankings update after each game cycle throughout the season. The standings take over Friday. Everything above becomes history then.