The WNBA released its annual general manager survey on Tuesday ahead of opening night of the 2026 season on Friday. Like every year, the league’s 15 GMs were asked dozens of questions about the present and future of the WNBA, and their responses give some insight into how the top executives expect this season to unfold.
Ahead of Friday, let’s take a closer look at some of the most notable responses.
Bueckers overtakes Clark as player to start franchise with
Heading into last season, Caitlin Clark was coming off a historic Rookie of the Year campaign and a fourth-place MVP finish with the Indiana Fever. When executives were asked which player they would want to start a franchise with in the 2025 edition of this survey, 50% reported Clark.
Clark’s injury issues last summer — she played in only 13 games due to an array of lower-body injuries — not only derailed her sophomore season but damaged her reputation in the eyes of the league’s top decision-makers. This year, only 20% of GMs reported they would pick Clark to start their franchise.
Instead, 2025 Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers led this category this year with 33% of the vote. Bueckers averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals as a rookie for the Dallas Wings on 47.7/33.1/88.8 shooting splits and tied the single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points. She is already one of the best players in the league, and a completely reasonable choice if you could pick one player to build around.
It’s interesting, though, that the perception of Clark changed so much due to one injury-filled season, especially when none of her ailments were serious. She also only got 20% of the vote for best point guard, down from 50% last year. The talent and bravado that made her a top-five player as a rookie didn’t suddenly disappear; she just wasn’t able to display it last season. Now that she’s healthy, she should regain her spot in the league’s hierarchy.
If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be?
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Paige Bueckers
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Wings
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33%
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Caitlin Clark
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Fever
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20%
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A’ja Wilson
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Aces
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20%
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Dominique Malonga
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Storm
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13%
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Angel Reese expected to make big impact in Atlanta
On the opening day of free agency, the Chicago Sky traded All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. Reese will team up with Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones to try and help the Dream get over the hump. They won a franchise-record 30 games last season, but were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Fever.
Reese being traded wasn’t completely unexpected given how last season ended — she sat out the last four games due to a combination of a team suspension for a controversial interview, a league suspension for accumulating too many technical fouls and a back injury — but it was a surprise that the return was so little for a player of her caliber.
The league’s general managers were also surprised by the trade and expect Reese to make a big impact in Atlanta. Reese, the best rebounder in the league, an indefatigable worker and strong defender, will help the Dream double down on their biggest strengths and should make them a terrific regular-season team. But the Dream crashed out of the playoffs last season because they couldn’t make shots when it mattered most, and for all her positive traits, Reese won’t solve that issue.
What was the most surprising move of the offseason?
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Satou Sabally to New York
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Liberty
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23%
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Angel Reese to Atlanta
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Dream
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15%
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Alanna Smith to Dallas
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Wings
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15%
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Which player acquisition will make the biggest impact?
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Angel Reese
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Dream
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27%
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Gabby Williams
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Valkyries
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27%
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Nneka Ogwumike
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Sparks
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20%
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Satou Sabally
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Liberty
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13%
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A’ja Wilson projected to win fifth MVP
A’ja Wilson has only been in the league for eight seasons and already has one of the best resumes ever. Last season, she added a record fourth MVP, a third Defensive Player of the Year, a second Finals MVP and a third title, along with a seventh All-Star nod, a sixth All-WNBA honor and a fifth All-Defensive selection.
Everyone, including the league’s general managers, views Wilson as the best player in the league by a wide margin. She received the most votes to win MVP (60%), the most votes for the player who forces the most adjustments (60%) and the most votes for both the best forward (47%) and center (57%) in the league. Nothing emphasizes Wilson’s dominance and versatility better than being recognized as the best player at two positions.
Who will win 2026 WNBA MVP?
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A’ja Wilson
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Aces
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60%
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Breanna Stewart
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Liberty
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27%
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Aces predicted to repeat as WNBA champions
With Wilson leading the way, the Aces are also the top pick to win the 2026 title. If they do so, they would not only go back-to-back for a second time, but win their fourth title in the last five years and match the Houston Comets, Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm for the most championships in league history.
Which team will win the 2026 WNBA Finals?
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Aces
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40%
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Liberty
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33%
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Dream
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27%
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In addition to re-signing Wilson, the Aces brought back Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd to keep their core from last season’s title-winning team intact. They also signed former lottery pick Chennedy Carter, who has gone unsigned in two of the last three seasons but could give them a real boost, and made some changes on the margins.
It’s understandable that the reigning champs received the most votes to win this year’s title, but it’s worth noting that the Aces were under .500 after the mid-way point last season and were fighting just to stay in the playoff race until they closed the regular season on a historic 16-game winning streak. They were then seconds away from being eliminated by the Storm in the first round and were pushed to overtime in Game 5 of the semifinals by the Fever before sweeping the Mercury in the Finals. Outside of a five-week stretch, they were not a dominant team last season.
WNBA Power Rankings: Aces open 2026 season at No. 1, with Liberty, Fever and more threatening
Jack Maloney
Miles for Rookie of the Year, Fam the best in five years?
Azzi Fudd was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, but the league’s general managers don’t expect her to win Rookie of the Year or be the best player in her class five years from now. If that ends up being the case, that would be bad news for the Wings, who passed on the general managers’ picks for both of those questions: Olivia Miles and Awa Fam.
In Fudd’s defense, she’s an off-ball guard playing alongside Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. Rookie of the Year is often about usage rate and numbers, and Fudd isn’t going to control as many possessions as Miles, the overwhelming pick for Rookie of the Year, who will be running point for the Lynx.
Who will win 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year?
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Olivia Miles
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Lynx
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73%
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Azzi Fudd
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Wings
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20%
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Flau’jae Johnson
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Storm
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7%
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It’s more notable that Fudd didn’t receive a single vote on the latter question.
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
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Awa Fam
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Storm
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67%
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Olivia Miles
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Lynx
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33%
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Fudd is an elite 3-point shooter and a solid defender, especially in help, but she struggles to create her own offense, as we saw during the NCAA Tournament. She’s also already 23, which further limits her upside. While no one doubts that Fudd will have a solid career, she was the safe pick at No. 1, and the Wings received a lot of criticism for selecting her over Fam and Miles.
The general managers agree with the pre-draft consensus that Fam, a 19-year-old Spanish center, has the most upside in this class. She will need time to develop into the best version of herself, but she has the talent and athleticism to be a future All-Star, if not an All-WNBA caliber player. Plus, five years from now, she’ll only be 24 — barely older than Fudd is right now.
