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WNBA grades 2026: How each team has played in the first monthMichael VoepelClose
ESPN Senior Writer
It’s evaluation time. Which WNBA teams have the best report card almost four weeks into the 2026 season?
We’ve graded all 15 teams based on how they’ve performed over the first month while also considering the varying expectations each faced early. The Minnesota Lynx, the best team last year in the regular season, and the Portland Fire, one of two new franchises this year, earned top marks.
Editor’s Picks
The Golden State Valkyries, last year’s expansion team, defied predictions and made the playoffs. That perhaps raised hopes for the Fire and the Toronto Tempo this year. Still, few expected both teams to be at or above .500 at the conclusion of May. The Fire, coming off Tuesday’s loss to the Valkyries, are 6-5. The Tempo entered June at 5-4 but dropped to .500 after Wednesday’s loss to the New York Liberty.
The reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces were hammered in their season opener, falling 99-66 to the Phoenix Mercury. But that wasn’t indicative of what has happened since: The Aces are 6-3 heading into Saturday’s game against Golden State (3 p.m. ET, ABC), while the Mercury received our worst grade after going 2-8 since beating the Aces on May 9.
Minnesota went 34-10 last season, but it didn’t translate into a WNBA title as the Lynx lost in the semifinals. Yet here they are again despite facing adversity.
ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Kareem Copeland, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel hand out one-month grades.
Having to remake your interior because of injury (Napheesa Collier) and free agency departures (Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepard), plus relying on a rookie point guard (Olivia Miles), is not a typical path to the top of the WNBA standings. But the Lynx are first with a 7-2 record and riding a five-game winning streak. It’s uncertain when Collier will return. But veteran forward Natasha Howard, in her second stint with the Lynx, has been key to filling the absence, averaging 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds. Forward Nia Coffey, another free agent signing, is averaging 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, both career highs.
On the perimeter, No. 2 draft pick Miles already looks comfortable directing Minnesota’s offense. Guard Courtney Williams, in her third season in Minnesota, is averaging a career-best 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Cheryl Reeve, the longest-tenured coach in the WNBA, has been impressed with Miles’ poise and seems to best understand how to utilize Williams’ multidimensional skills. Guard Kayla McBride, in her 13th WNBA season and sixth with the Lynx, brings a lot of stability as she averages 13.2 points. — Michael Voepel
Hats off to Vanja Černivec. After playing a large role in getting the Valkyries off the ground for their inaugural season, the general manager has done the same thing in Portland. The Fire (6-5), currently eighth in the standings (but just two games behind the league-leading Lynx), have two impressive wins over New York and demolished Indiana.
Megan Gustafson reported the Fire are made up of overlooked players who until now haven’t had an opportunity to make a strong impact. That’s not unusual for an expansion team since the same thing happened with Golden State last year and is also occurring in Toronto this season. For the Fire, Carla Leite has taken her game to another level, leading Portland at 15.2 points per game. Bridget Carleton’s 14.7 points are more than double what she averaged last year with the Lynx. Gustafson and Sarah Ashlee Barker (a combined 20.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game) are key contributors. Portland has quickly established a clear identity and playing style behind coach Alex Sarama and his training style, and four weeks into the season the Fire have proved this isn’t a fluke — it’s sustainable. — Kendra Andrews
Carla Leite leads Portland with 15.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. Ali Gradischer/Getty ImagesAtlanta Dream: A
The Dream (6-2) are certainly in the discussion as the best team in the league with a one-point loss to the defending champion Aces and a road defeat at the first-place Lynx. In 2025, Atlanta tied for the second-best regular-season record and then brought back six of its top seven scorers. The one who departed, Brittney Griner, was replaced by Angel Reese, who leads the league in rebounding and is one of five players in the WNBA averaging a double-double. Allisha Gray has bumped up her scoring average to a career-high 21.1 points this season after she finished fourth in MVP voting for 2025. Four-time All-Star Brionna Jones hasn’t played a game yet as she works her way back from a torn meniscus suffered in January while playing overseas.
The offense has taken a bit of a dip from last season as 3-point shooting has dropped to 32.1% (tied for No. 11 in the league). On the flip side, the Dream have the No. 3 scoring defense (79.7), just 0.6 points behind the No. 1 Lynx, and have the No. 2 defensive rating (100.0). Lastly, three-time All-Star Rhyne Howard has yet to heat up. — Kareem Copeland
The Wings were bound to improve from last year given the talent they acquired this offseason. The early returns have been strong: They’re off to their best nine-game start (6-3) since the franchise relocated to Dallas ahead of the 2016 season and notched their sixth win Monday. (The Wings won just 10 games last season and didn’t earn their sixth victory until July 3.) All the more impressive is they’ve managed that success with the league’s toughest schedule through the first quarter of the season, according to ESPN Analytics.
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Two of the factors behind their recent surge of five wins in six games: The emergence of No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd, whose playing time and comfort level have increased in recent weeks, and who leads Dallas with a plus-27.2 net rating. Jessica Shepard has also become a double-double — if not triple-double — performer, with the Wings thriving running the offense through the 6-foot-4 forward.
And it feels like the Wings haven’t even reached their ceiling yet: There’s plenty to improve upon defensively, while Alanna Smith (3.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 33.3% shooting) has struggled to find her footing and Arike Ogunbowale (career-low 13.1 PPG and 31.3% from field) has yet to fully hit her stride. — Alexa Philippou
After a historic inaugural year, the Valkyries entered this season with high expectations internally. Golden State (6-3) has lived up to them so far. Wanting to build on their defensive identity, the Valkyries added one of the best defensive guards in the league in Gabby Williams. They have the third-best defensive rating in the WNBA at 102.0 and allow the second-fewest points (79.3). Williams hasn’t just brought her pestering on-ball defense to the Bay Area, but her 14.2 points per game is tied with reigning Most Improved Player Veronica Burton for the team lead. Kayla Thornton (9.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG) is back and healthy. Golden State is also getting solid contributions from Janelle Salaun, who looks even more comfortable in her role, and 2025 lottery pick Juste Jocyte has quickly made a case to be a rotation player.
The biggest question for the Valkyries was how they would produce on offense, but they hit a franchise-record 18 3-pointers against the Fire on Tuesday. Shooting could carry the Valkyries, who are deep and clicking. They have the potential to pass last year’s success. — Andrews
Portland might have received the most love for its start. But the Tempo are also right in the mix with a .500 record while also still not yet at full strength, as their frontcourt is depleted with Temi Fagbenle and Isabelle Harrison are still working their way back from injury.
Marina Mabrey (18.5 PPG, 35.4% 3-pointers) and Brittney Sykes (19.6 PPG) might only have one career All-Star bid between them, but they are flourishing in larger roles. Rookie Kiki Rice (12.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG), the Tempo’s No. 6 pick, looks like a lock for the All-Rookie team. Nyara Sabally (11.8 PPG) rounds out their double-digit scorers, shining recently with a 29-point outburst versus Chicago. Altogether, that group is the driving force behind the fourth-best offensive rating in the league (110.2) and an entertaining style of basketball, especially when it’s hitting 3-pointers.
Toronto is still looking for a signature win since all of its victories have been against teams with losing records. But regardless of how this year pans out, the Tempo are building a solid foundation. — Philippou
The Aces have played just two games at home and lost both. They were blown out in their opener May 9 (when they got their 2025 championship rings) and then fell again May 23 (when they raised their championship banner).
But Las Vegas is 6-1 on the road, with the only loss May 28 at Dallas. Center A’ja Wilson, who won a WNBA-record fourth MVP last season, could be on her way to a fifth. Wilson is averaging 24.8 points and 8.9 rebounds. She already has a 45-point game.
Guard Jackie Young, who has been dealing with what she described as a “heavy heart” with an off-court issue, has looked her usual self the past two games. She is a key to everything the Aces do. Chennedy Carter, in her first season with Las Vegas, is second on the team in scoring (17.5 PPG), while fellow guard Chelsea Gray leads the way in assists (7.2 APG). The Aces haven’t played as consistently as they hoped to yet. But they also have a ton of championship experience and all the pieces to repeat. — Voepel
Expectations are always high in Brooklyn, even as the Liberty brought in a new coach in Chris DeMarco. But their season has been a mixed bag: After a 3-1 start, they lost three consecutive games, all at home, to drop below .500. However, New York has since won three in a row.
It’s fair to say the Liberty have underachieved against a fairly forgiving schedule and don’t quite look like a championship favorite yet (they rank No. 5 and No. 6 in offensive and defensive efficiency, respectively, hardly elite marks we are used to seeing). Player availability has been part of the issue. Sabrina Ionescu (one game played) and Leonie Fiebich (three) have all missed significant time, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was out for three games in late May. Prized free agent acquisition Satou Sabally has been limited to five games due to a cyst and illness, scoring in double figures in just two games. But it’s impossible to count out the Liberty’s long-term potential given their talent when at full strength. — Philippou
The youngest team in the league was a bit of an enigma coming into the season. What could be expected from a team with just two players with more than one season of WNBA experience? At the same time, six first-round picks in the past two drafts yielded some of the biggest names coming out of the college ranks, including 2025 All-Stars Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron.
So it hasn’t been surprising to see a Washington team that has been up and down through the first month. A 3-4 record leaves the Mystics a game out of the playoffs if the postseason were to begin today. Shakira Austin, who signed a three-year $3.57 million contract, is having a career season (17.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists) and is firmly in the running for Most Improved Player. Victories against the Tempo and Fever and pushing the Liberty to overtime prove that the Mystics can be a problem on any given night. A loss to Seattle and a 22-point trouncing by the Wings shows the inconsistency that comes with youth. — Copeland
The Fever had the third-best odds to win the WNBA championship before the regular season began, but they would be sitting at home if the playoffs began today. They lost two of their first three games of the season, including in overtime to the league’s youngest team in the Mystics. Indiana has also dropped its last two, including a 16-point lopsided loss to the Fire.
Putting up points hasn’t been the problem as the Fever are the highest scoring team in the league (91.8) with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell all averaging career highs in points. And that’s after all three were named All-Stars in 2025. Getting stops, however, is an issue as the Fever have the second-worst scoring defense (89.0) in the league. They’ve allowed 90-plus points in all four losses and 100-plus in three of those.
“When you’re not executing a lot of things really well,” coach Stephanie White reported, “you want to scale back and try to execute one or two really well and get some confidence. But then you’ve got to be able to expand. Part of that is challenging them to be able to do that and do that consistently. Part of that is ownership of our players to be able to do that.” — Copeland
The Storm were a shot away from knocking out the Aces in the first round of the playoffs last season. But they fell 74-73 in Game 3. With coach Noelle Quinn and five of the seven players who competed in that game now gone from the Storm — including top scorers Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins — Seattle is in rebuilding mode. It doesn’t help that the Storm’s top two returning players have been dealing with injuries. Center Dominique Malonga has played just three games and is in concussion protocol. Forward Ezi Magbegor (right foot) has yet to play this season. Awa Fam had her best game — 18 points and six rebounds — in the Storm’s 72-68 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday.
The Storm have relied on their guards: Natisha Hiedeman (13.5 PPG), rookie Flau’jae Johnson (11.6), Jade Melbourne (9.5) and Zia Cooke (9.3). Fam, the 2026 No. 3 draft pick, has been the top post scorer (9.8), although she didn’t join the Storm until May 24 after playing overseas.
Coach Sonia Raman was expected to have to lead the Storm through a lot of growing pains this season. But things should get better when Malonga and Magbegor are able to play again. — Voepel
The Sky might need to be graded on a curve considering the first month. The roster was completely revamped with the departure of starters Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins along with Kia Nurse, Rebecca Allen, Michaela Onyenwere and Hailey Van Lith. There was early optimism with Rickea Jackson looking like a Most Improved Player candidate with averages of 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 blocks. Even her defense had improved. Then she was lost for the season in the fourth game with a torn ACL. The Sky were 3-1 in those four games and have now lost four straight.
The Jackson injury isn’t the only one hampering Chicago. Courtney Vandersloot and DiJonai Carrington have yet to play while Skylar Diggins, rookie Gabriela Jaquez and Azura Stevens have missed at least one game. There doesn’t seem to be much flow or consistency on the offensive end as the Sky rank No. 13 in points per game (82.8). That should improve as Stevens’ minutes restriction is lessened, and she shakes off the rust, and when Jaquez, who was averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 points while shooting a team-high 33.3% from behind the arc, returns. — Copeland
The Sparks have been underwhelming through the first month, especially given the expectations to start the year. They’re confident they are a playoff team and will return to the postseason for the first time since 2020. With Nneka Ogwumike back in L.A., with Kelsey Plum playing at an MVP level and Cameron Brink starting the year healthy, they felt they had all the players to be competitive.
The Sparks rank fifth in the league in scoring, but their defense has been a major issue. They allow the most points (94.3) and have the worst defensive rating (114.4) in the league. They picked up a road win over the Aces but lost to the Sun and dropped two of their past three games. It’s also worth noting that Plum, their leading scorer, is sidelined with an ankle sprain with no timeline for her return.
Ahead of the season opener, Plum told ESPN that building a new-look team takes time — and there is still time for the Sparks to find some consistency. However, considering how confident the group was heading into the year, the results have been disappointing. — Andrews
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The 2026 season was always going to be tricky for the Sun given it was their last before the franchise relocates to Houston. Plus, with such a young team, and after leaving Marina Mabrey unprotected in the expansion draft, this was clearly a team more focused on building for the future than trying to win now. But even by those standards the Sun have had a tough start at 2-9 while sporting the worst net rating in the league at minus-16.0. Coach Rachid Meziane searched for any combinations that would work with nine starting lineups through 11 games, but that only made things feel more jumbled.
Player availability has worked against Connecticut — Brittney Griner has played only five games due to injury, while Leila Lacan and Nell Angloma were late arrivals from overseas. Lacan was an automatic difference-maker for the Sun last year (She appeared in just 25 games, but nine of their 11 wins came with her performing), and she only made her season debut Saturday. Expectations will remain tempered for the Sun, but — as evidenced by how they gave Atlanta a tough three quarters Tuesday — Lacan and a healthy Griner can hopefully make them more competitive and fun to watch. — Philippou
The Mercury made a run to the WNBA Finals last season, then lost leading scorer Satou Sabally in free agency to New York. They added European players such as Jovana Nogic (12.0 PPG) and Noemie Brochant. Monique Akoa Makani (11.0 PPG) didn’t take the court until May 27, and another starter from last season, Sami Whitcomb, has yet to play because of knee issues. Phoenix is still trying to find its chemistry.
The Mercury’s 99-66 season-opening victory at Las Vegas on May 9 seems like the most deceptive result in the WNBA this season. Very little has gone right for the Mercury since then. Kahleah Copper (18.2 PPG) and Alyssa Thomas (15.0 PPG) are doing what they can, but it hasn’t been enough.
Monday’s 111-77 loss to Minnesota was a particularly disappointing result at home, a game in which the Mercury never seemed to be competitive. However, they ended their six-game losing streak Wednesday, 72-68 at Seattle, led by 16 points each from Copper and Natasha Mack. We’ll see if it’s the start of a turnaround by Phoenix. — Voepel
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