In the 2026 WNBA regular season, Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Washington lead the pack. Minnesota led the overall standings, with Atlanta leading the Eastern Conference.¹⁰ The postseason is now underway, but the regular season standings are useful to see which teams performed consistently across the season; will they define who goes well in the postseason?
Key Takeaways
- Minnesota Lynx finished first in the 2026 regular-season standings, ahead of Golden State, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington.¹⁰
- The top eight teams in the overall WNBA standings qualify for the postseason regardless of conference.⁹
- The expanded 2026 WNBA featured 15 teams, with each club playing 44 regular-season games.⁸
- WNBA tiebreakers start with head-to-head results, then move to records against .500-or-better teams and point differential.¹⁰
- Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Mitchell and A'ja Wilson share the top listed 2026 salary at $1.4 million each.⁴
WNBA Rankings at a Glance
WNBA rankings include more than wins and losses. The official table also includes winning percentage, games behind, conference results, home and road records, current streaks, and performance over the last 10 games.¹⁰ Not only does it give you the final position, but it gives you a glimpse into how they got there, which is useful for comparing any basketball league.
The WNBA uses the overall league standings to determine postseason qualification rather than taking a fixed number of teams from each conference. The eight teams with the best regular-season records advance to the playoffs, with tiebreakers used when teams finish level.⁹
Expansion has changed the WNBA. The regular-season table is still league-wide for postseason purposes, but teams can also be identified by conference.⁹ To compare the strongest teams at a glance, you have to start with the overall ranking.
teams during the 2026 season.⁸
| Rank | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | Conference | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota Lynx | 33 | 11 | .750 | — | Western | Yes |
| 2 | Golden State Valkyries | 32 | 12 | .727 | 1 | Western | Yes |
| 3 | Las Vegas Aces | 31 | 13 | .705 | 2 | Western | Yes |
| 4 | Atlanta Dream | 30 | 14 | .682 | 3 | Eastern | Yes |
| 5 | Washington Mystics | 28 | 16 | .636 | 5 | Eastern | Yes |
| 6 | Indiana Fever | 28 | 16 | .636 | 5 | Eastern | Yes |
| 7 | Dallas Wings | 27 | 17 | .614 | 6 | Western | Yes |
| 8 | New York Liberty | 26 | 18 | .591 | 7 | Eastern | Yes |
| 9 | Portland Fire | 17 | 27 | .386 | 16 | Western | No |
| 10 | Phoenix Mercury | 16 | 28 | .364 | 17 | Western | No |
| 11 | Chicago Sky | 16 | 28 | .364 | 17 | Eastern | No |
| 12 | Los Angeles Sparks | 16 | 28 | .364 | 17 | Western | No |
| 13 | Toronto Tempo | 11 | 33 | .250 | 22 | Eastern | No |
| 14 | Connecticut Sun | 11 | 33 | .250 | 22 | Eastern | No |
| 15 | Seattle Storm | 8 | 36 | .182 | 25 | Western | No |
Current Leaders in the League
The top 5 teams arrived in different ways. Some relied on strong offense, others on preventing opponents from scoring, and others dominated specific parts of the game. The late-season form varied, with teams arriving in the postseason in different ways.
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota was effective on the road, winning 18 of 22. This gave the Lynx the best road mark in the final standings.¹⁰ Minnesota has a knack for winning, with WNBA championships in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.⁶ Consistency and pedigree are what make Minnesota a good starting point when talking about the best WNBA teams in 2026. Generations of famous basketball players have also shaped the league’s history, from early stars to the biggest names in the modern WNBA.
Minnesota produced at both ends of the floor, ranking fourth in scoring, third in assists, and third in opponent points per game.
Napheesa Collier, Olivia Miles, Natasha Howard, and Courtney Williams were among the roster's key names.⁶
Golden State Valkyries
Golden State doesn't have Minnesota's pedigree. The team was only founded in 2025.³ Their rapid rise has made them one of the best examples of just how quickly the league order can change. In their second season, they posted a 17–5 home record and went 7–3 over their final 10 regular-season games.¹⁰
Golden State built its season around defense, finishing first in opponent points per game despite ranking near the bottom of the league in its own scoring.
Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, and Kayla Thornton are the main players in this section.³
Las Vegas Aces
Excellent form in the closing stretch with seven consecutive victories brought Las Vegas into the postseason. The Aces went 8–2 over their final 10 games, giving them momentum exactly when playoff positioning mattered most.¹⁰ They've also won recent championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025.⁵
Las Vegas remained one of the league's strongest offensive teams, ranking second in both points and assists per game.
A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray remained central to an experienced Aces roster.⁵
The next generation is already developing in college, with several top college players hoping to make the same jump to the professional level.
Atlanta Dream
right now it's important to make sure we're setting the tone
Angel Reese, speaking after Atlanta's September win over Connecticut.²
Winning 9 of its final 10 regular-season games, Atlanta went even further than Vegas. It didn't matter where the Dream played; it finished with identical 15–7 records at home and on the road.¹⁰ This consistency brought Atlanta into the postseason as the highest-ranked Eastern Conference team.
Atlanta combined scoring with strength on the glass, ranking third in points, second in rebounds and fourth in opponent scoring.
Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Jordin Canada give the section several recognizable players to discuss.¹
Washington Mystics
Washington finished one place above Indiana after the tiebreak. Washington finished with a strong 8-of-10 record and a four-game winning streak to secure the spot by the finest of margins. The Mystics won their first WNBA title in 2019, so there's some championship pedigree.⁷
Washington's clearest strengths came without the ball and on the boards, with the Mystics ranking first in rebounds and second in opponent points per game.
Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin are useful names to build the profile around.⁷
Many WNBA stars first developed within the country’s leading NCAA programs, several of which rank among the best college basketball teams of all time.
teams into the WNBA playoffs each season.⁹
How WNBA Standings Work
WNBA standings are fairly straightforward, but you have to look at a few columns. Wins and losses define the basic ranking. Percentage and games behind make comparisons easier. For teams with the same record, tiebreak rules determine which ranks higher.
Win-Loss Record and Winning Percentage
The win-loss record is a good way to see how a team's season went. Each regular-season result adds either a win or a loss. Winning percentage shows the proportion of matches won. The higher the percentage, the greater share of available games the team won. The same basic measures are useful when comparing NBA team stats, where wins, losses and winning percentage provide a quick picture of how teams are performing across the league.
Winning percentage shows the proportion of games a team has won and appears as PCT in the standings. Minnesota's 33 wins from 44 games produced a .750 winning percentage in 2026.¹⁰
Because the 2026 schedule gave everyone the same number of regular-season games, you can directly compare win totals.⁸ Just remember that as you follow the regular season, some teams may have played more than others at any given point. That's where percentages come in.
regular-season games before the 2026 playoff field was determined.⁸
Games Behind
Games behind, or GB, shows how far each team trails the leader. The first-place team has no games-behind figure. Every other club is measured against that team's position. It's useful in close races because you can immediately see how much ground a team has to make up.
This number changes quickly when closely ranked teams produce opposite results on the same day. If the chasing team wins and the leader loses, the gap will close. Conversely, the opposite result increases the gap. At the end of the regular season, GB summarizes how tight or widely separated the league was.
Tiebreakers
You don't get exactly the same playoff positions with identical win-loss records. The WNBA uses various criteria to separate teams if necessary.¹⁰ This is how two teams can appear in a clear order with the same number of wins.
When teams finish with the same record, the WNBA first compares their head-to-head results. If the tie remains, the league moves to winning percentage against teams that finished .500 or better, then head-to-head point differential, and finally overall point differential.¹⁰
References
- Atlanta Dream. “Atlanta Dream WNBA Team Roster, Schedule & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/team/1611661330/atlanta-dream . Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Atlanta Dream. “Dream Returns with a Decisive Win.” Atlanta Dream, 18 Sept. 2026, https://dream.wnba.com/news/dream-returns-with-a-decisive-win. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Golden State Valkyries. “Golden State Valkyries WNBA Team Roster, Schedule & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/team/1611661331/golden-state-valkyries. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Her Hoop Stats. “2026 WNBA Highest Paid Players.” Her Hoop Stats, 2026, https://herhoopstats.com/salary-cap-sheet/wnba/players/highest_salary/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Las Vegas Aces. “Las Vegas Aces WNBA Team Roster, Schedule & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/team/1611661319/las-vegas-aces. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Minnesota Lynx. “Minnesota Lynx WNBA Team Roster, Schedule & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/team/1611661324/minnesota-lynx. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- Washington Mystics. “Washington Mystics WNBA Team Roster, Schedule & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/team/1611661322/washington-mystics. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- WNBA. “Frequently Asked Questions.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/faq. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- WNBA Staff. “2026 WNBA Postseason: FAQ and Things to Know.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/news/2026-wnba-postseason-faq. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
- WNBA. “2026 WNBA Standings & Stats.” WNBA, 2026, https://www.wnba.com/standings. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.
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