Best WNBA Players in 2026: Top 25 Players Ranked

Looking for the best WNBA players in 2026? From reigning MVP A’ja Wilson to stars like Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and Caitlin Clark, the league is loaded with elite talent.

Here are our rankings of the top WNBA players entering the 2026 season.

Want to watch the league’s biggest stars in action? DIRECTV carries WNBA games all season long.

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Best WNBA Players in 2026

The 2026 WNBA season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in league history. After signing a record collective bargaining agreement, more games will be nationally televised, players are earning higher salaries than ever before, and fan interest continues to grow. With greater visibility comes greater opportunity for the world to see just how talented this league is every single night.

These are the players expected to have the biggest impact on the 2026 WNBA season. Based on recent performance, awards voting, advanced metrics and overall influence on winning, these stars stand above the rest.

A’ja Wilson – Forward, Las Vegas Aces

A’ja Wilson enters the 2026 season as the best player in the WNBA. The Las Vegas Aces superstar became the first player in league history to win four MVP awards after earning the 2025 honor, while also securing a fifth consecutive All-WNBA First Team selection. Wilson remains the centerpiece of the Aces’ championship core thanks to her elite scoring, rebounding and defensive versatility.

Still in her prime, she continues to set the standard for excellence across the league, and she just became the league’s highest paid player after signing a three-year supermax contract with the Aces.

Napheesa Collier – Forward, Minnesota Lynx

Napheesa Collier has firmly established herself as one of the league’s most complete players. The Minnesota Lynx star finished as the runner-up for the 2025 MVP award and earned her third consecutive All-WNBA First Team selection after another dominant two-way season. Collier’s ability to impact games as a scorer, rebounder and defender makes her one of the toughest matchups in the WNBA, and she remains a central figure in Minnesota’s championship hopes.

Collier is expected to miss the first few months of the 2026 season with an ankle injury, but when she returns she will be one of the most impactful players in the league.

Breanna Stewart – Forward, New York Liberty

Breanna Stewart’s résumé already places her among the greatest players in WNBA history. A two-time Finals MVP, multiple-time champion and perennial All-WNBA selection, Stewart remains the engine of a New York Liberty team with championship aspirations. Her combination of scoring, shot-blocking, rebounding and defensive versatility continues to make her one of the most valuable two-way players in basketball.

Alyssa Thomas – Forward, Phoenix Mercury

Few players impact winning as consistently as Alyssa Thomas. The Phoenix Mercury star earned All-WNBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors in 2025 while finishing among the top vote-getters for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas remains one of the league’s most versatile players, capable of controlling games as a scorer, rebounder and elite playmaker.

After helping lead Phoenix to the WNBA Finals, she enters 2026 as the driving force behind another championship push.

Jackie Young – Guard, Las Vegas Aces

Jackie Young has evolved into one of the most efficient guards in the WNBA and a critical part of Las Vegas’ success. After earning another All-Star selection and finishing among the league’s top guards in scoring and playmaking, Young continues to thrive alongside A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray. Her ability to score at all three levels while defending multiple positions makes her one of the most complete backcourt players in the league.

Allisha Gray – Guard, Atlanta Dream

Allisha Gray helped lead Atlanta to the best regular season record in franchise history in 2025. An All-Star and All-WNBA First Team selection, Gray emerged as one of the league’s most efficient and reliable two-way guards, setting career highs of 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

After being upset in the first round of last year’s WNBA playoffs, the Dream bolstered their roster with the addition of Angel Reese, which should create even more opportunities for Gray offensively.

Sabrina Ionescu – Guard, New York Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu remains one of the most dynamic guards in the WNBA. A four-time All-Star and cornerstone of New York’s championship-contending roster, Ionescu contributes as both a scorer and facilitator, averaging 18.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in 2025. If she returns to her usual efficiency from beyond the arc, she has the talent to climb even higher among the league’s elite players.

With a reloaded New York roster primed for a Finals run, Ionescu has every reason to return to form in 2026.

Kelsey Plum – Guard, Los Angeles Sparks

Kelsey Plum delivered one of the most productive seasons of her career in 2025, thriving in her first year with the Los Angeles Sparks, setting career highs in games played (43), assists (5.7 per game) and rebounds (3.1 per game) while averaging 19.5 points per game. The former champion and perennial All-Star expanded her role as a playmaker while continuing to rank among the league’s top scorers.

With a healthier roster around her, Plum will be expected to lead Los Angeles back into playoff contention in 2026.

Paige Bueckers – Guard, Dallas Wings

Few players in basketball had a better 2025 than Paige Bueckers. She helped lead UConn to the national championship, was taken first overall in the WNBA draft and by September had earned Rookie of the Year honors, an All-Star selection and second-team All-WNBA recognition. She averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

With college teammate Azzi Fudd joining as the No. 1 overall pick and Alana Smith helping shore up the interior, Bueckers and the Wings could be playoff contenders sooner than expected.

Caitlin Clark – Guard, Indiana Fever

Few players have impacted the WNBA’s popularity as quickly as Caitlin Clark. Despite an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, the Indiana Fever star continued to showcase the playmaking and long-range shooting that made her one of the league’s brightest young stars. In the 13 games she played last season she continued to impress, posting 16.5 points and 8.8 assists per game along with 1.6 steals.

After earning All-WNBA First Team honors and Rookie of the Year recognition in 2024, Clark enters 2026 with the potential to rejoin the MVP conversation if she can stay healthy.

Top 25 Players in the WNBA

Here are the top 25 WNBA players entering the 2026 season, ranked using a combination of advanced statistics, recent performance and expert analysis.

How to Watch the WNBA

Don’t miss a single bucket this regular season. Here are the channels and streaming services you need to watch every WNBA, which you can do through DIRECTV.

• ESPN – Ch. 206
• ESPN2 – Ch. 209
• NBA TV – Ch. 216
• ION TV – Ch. 305
• USA Network – Ch. 242
• ABC – Find your local ABC network
• CBS – Find your local CBS network
• NBC – Find your local FOX network

Fans can stream WNBA games on Peacock and Prime Video. Plus, stream ESPN and ABC games live on the ESPN Unlimited plan.

Watch WNBA on DIRECTV

With these WNBA player rankings, you’re ready to keep up with the 2026 WNBA season. And you can do that with DIRECTV.

Ready to catch all the hoops, hits, fouls and free throws as the 2026 WNBA regular season ramps up? Sign up for DIRECTV and start watching today.

Explore more WNBA content here:

• Guide to Watching WNBA on TV in 2026
• WNBA Records: Single Game, Season & Career Record Holders
• Biggest WNBA Trades Ahead of 2026 Season
• WNBA Team Payrolls
• WNBA Highest Paid Players & Average Salary
• WNBA Expansion Teams: Toronto Tempo & Portland Fire
• Guide to WNBA Draft
• WNBA Rookie of the Year
• WNBA Player Awards
• WNBA MVP Winners