Top 10 Best WNBA Players of 2026

Just like women’s basketball as a whole, the calibre of the star players and the level of competition in the WNBA continue to rise. As it approaches its 30th anniversary, the North American league is brimming with players, each more talented than the last. A new generation led by Caitlin Clark is, in fact, beginning to outshine the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson and the rest.

But right now, who is at the very top of the WNBA ?

That’s what we’ll be looking at in this Top 10, compiled according to the following criteria: impact on the game, presence in big moments, scoring, defence, leadership and mentality.

10) Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) : She could have kept racking up the rings in Las Vegas. Relying on her leader A’ja Wilson and scoring at will. But no! Kelsey Plum had other ideas. At the peak of her career, the point guard left the Aces for the Sparks in 2025. For just over a year now, the team’s fate has been in her hands. Just as her record averages in rebounds and assists suggest, the Californian has taken on a new role marked by a sense of responsibility. In her first year in this role, she led Los Angeles to the brink of the playoffs. Between her extraordinary shooting, her natural playmaking talent and her clinical drives to the basket, Kelsey Plum sits high in the rankings of the league’s best offensive players. Capable of elevating an attack all on her own, the four-time All-Star scores no matter what. Even more interestingly, in the playoffs, she constantly adapts to her opposition, making her game well-suited to the post-season. Kelsey Plum knows how to win, and with the addition of Ariel Atkins, the purple backcourt should prove even more watertight. We are still waiting to see just how far the Sparks can go under her leadership.

9) Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) : Recurring pain in her foot, toes and neck had a direct impact on Sabrina Ionescu’s 2025 season. With her three-point percentage dropping below 30% for the first time in her career, the guard also lacked rhythm in the play-offs. It was a mixed campaign, something her statistics do not reflect at all. 18.2 points – 4.9 rebounds – 5.7 assists. These objectively incredible figures represent the Liberty player’s ‘average’ standard. Yes, the Californian is in a league of her own compared to the competition. It’s hard to be more complete in her position. Beyond scoring, Sabrina Ionescu possesses one of the best passing skills in the WNBA. A combination of volume and irresistible variety. She also grabs plenty of rebounds and boasts the league’s best free-throw accuracy. Her championship ring, won in 2024 as co-captain just behind Breanna Stewart, also works in her favour. However, this recent dip in form, coupled with her status as a second-string player, prevents her from overtaking the host of franchise players who follow.

8) Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) : The rookie at the top of our rankings is leaving the competition in her wake! As she heads into her second season, Paige Bueckers is causing a stir in the league. Looking for a player who’s unstoppable in isolation? Or an excellent sharpshooter? Or perhaps a defensive stalwart who rakes in steals by the bucketful? The Wings are fortunate to have drafted a player who combines this range of seemingly contradictory qualities. The Texan franchise has, in fact, fully grasped the scale of this gem by starting to seriously build a team around her during the off-season. Measures that match what ‘Paige Buckets’ delivered straight out of university. The statistics speak for themselves: she ranked in the top 10 for scoring, assists and steals. No other player managed to reach such individual heights in 2025. Now the question arises: where is the ceiling for this scoring guard? It will be interesting to see how the Minnesota native develops, adapts her game to opponents’ defences and performs in the playoffs. This vast range of possibilities prevents us from ranking her higher. Especially as she has yet to play a single post-season game. Immense potential to be confirmed!

7) Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) : She is the face of this new generation raised on Stephen Curry’s highlights. In fact, the pupil almost surpassed the master on the night of the 2024 All-Star Game. At that moment, Caitlin Clark was dazzling the league with her talent in a way no rookie had ever done before. Earlier, we spoke of Paigie Beuckers’s feat. But what the Indiana player produced on her WNBA debut was beyond imagination. Fans were expecting a flurry of three-pointers, but they were wrong. A deluge, a tidal wave worthy of a fourth MVP, literally swept across North America. From her very first attempt, she set the record for total assists in a single season whilst also racking up the second-highest tally of long-range shots. The last time we saw the point guard in peak form, she was averaging 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game. For indeed, after the sunny spell, a slight cloud has settled over her career. With just 12 games under her belt, the Iowa star watched her franchise reach the semi-finals of the 2025 playoffs from the bench. A virtually blank season resulted in a seventh-place finish. Defensive solidity and broadening her offensive repertoire represent interesting areas for improvement going forward.

6) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) : Points, assists, rebounds, steals, efficiency rating… At just over 30 years old, Allisha Gray has just enjoyed the best season of her career. The 2025 MVP favourite has literally transformed since her arrival in Atlanta. Already excellent in a Wings shirt, the guard has been breaking all records in recent years, although last season stood out from the rest. Her offensive firepower propelled Atlanta onto the regular-season podium. Within this well-oiled machine, the South Carolina native is THE driving force. Her style fits perfectly with the ultra-modern game deployed by Karl Smesko. Clinical when it comes to finishing on the break, blessed with athleticism tailor-made for transition play and possessing one of the best ball-handling skills in the league. She is the embodiment of her position. Not particularly at her most comfortable creating for others, but exploiting the slightest defensive gap poses no problem for her. Defensively, too, she is rock-solid. Given her steady progression, 2026 could prove to be all the more incredible. However, the first-round exit in the previous playoffs is a blemish on her record. Once Allisha Gray has proven she can lead a team to the final, her stock will automatically rise.

5) Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) : Victor Wembanyama keeps saying it: basketball is played at both ends of the court! Offensive firepower is all well and good, but a team can hardly make a player a franchise player, or even a second option, on that basis alone. All the more so in an era where any player is virtually unstoppable in one-on-one situations. Jackie Young is surely the most complete guard in the league. An elite player both with and without the ball, Aja Wilson’s right-hand woman excels in her role as the team’s metronome. We hear less about her because her star power pales in comparison to the players mentioned above, and yet she is one of the main reasons behind the Aces’ three titles in four years. In Las Vegas, she has made massive strides. A diamond polished to perfection by her successive coaches, which is now bearing fruit. Nothing comes forced with her. The game runs through her veins. Her basketball IQ gives her an elite ability to adapt. In fact, the first pick of the 2019 draft is something of an extremely rare specimen. A player whose stats and overall level step up a notch once the post-season begins. It’s quite incredible! With three championship rings to her name, Jackie Young admits she wants to take her game to the next level by winning individual honours in the league. For now, she finds herself held back by a glass ceiling. She will need to become the undisputed leader of her team in order to climb the rankings.

4) Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) : The Storms legend may no longer be as firmly in the running for the MVP award as she has been in recent years. This is due to a sharp decline in her three-point shooting. However, Breanna Stewart remains at the very top of the rankings thanks to her immense offensive and defensive qualities. Only A’ja Wilson – or perhaps Alyssa Thomas – surpass the New Yorker in this regard. A cornerstone of her team during their three successful playoff campaigns, the power forward has a significant influence on the teams she joins. As recently as last year, the Liberty posted a dismal record of 5 wins and 8 losses in the absence of the two-time MVP. Her unique off-ball versatility complements a standout strength when it comes to dominating the paint. Indeed, the No. 8 in our ranking of the best WNBA players of all time is coming off an exceptional off-season. Between her victory in the Unrivaled tournament and her EuroLeague triumph, Breanna Stewart seems determined to make amends for a disappointing 2025 season marked by New York’s surprise elimination in the first round of the play-offs. Her dip in form, however, prevents her from making it onto our podium.

3) Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury) : The queen of the mid-range continues to dominate the league with her ever-unconventional style. The 1.88-metre centre has absolutely no long-range shot. And I mean none at all! Alyssa Thomas hasn’t scored a single three-pointer in the league for nearly 10 years. A paradox given the era of basketball we’re currently in, characterised by spacing. So how can the Phoenix Mercury’s franchise player reach such heights? How can she make it onto the MVP shortlist? First of all, it’s important to understand that we’re talking about a true powerhouse here. Athleticism, strength, speed… Once she gets going, no one can stop her. And those who try end up on the floor. Next, the six-time All-Star is unstoppable from mid-range, as illustrated by her three consecutive seasons with a shooting average of over 50%. Her WNBA All-Defensive First Team-calibre defence is also a key asset in her arsenal. And finally, the forward excels at… passing! With a total of 357 assists last season, she set a new record. But with the departure of Satou Sabally, Miss Triple-Double surely missed her last chance at a ring last year against Las Vegas.

2) Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) : What a shame… The last image the basketball world has of Napheesa Collier is that horrific injury sustained in Game 2 of the 2025 Conference Finals. The sad epilogue to what had been a simply fantastic season. For a long time, it was thought that A’ja Wilson would finally be dethroned. The standard set by the 2024 DPOY was nothing short of stellar. Between her 1.5 blocks per game on average, her blistering shooting percentages (57.1% from two-point range and 40.3% from three-point range), and her technical prowess… Perfection has no equal, but during the early stages of the 2025 season, the power forward came very close to it. Despite the Minnesota Lynx finishing top of the regular season table, number 24 struggled somewhat in the final stretch of the regular season, hence her second-place finish in the MVP race. A slight disappointment that the American hoped to make up for in the playoffs. Then came that terrible tear, followed by surgery on both ankles. Will this change her playing style? We’ll find out in a few months! Napheesa Collier has everything she needs to come back in top form and deliver a spectacular campaign. In the meantime, she remains just behind the GOAT of our sport.

1) A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) :  There’s Las Vegas and the other franchises. There’s A’ja and the rest of the competition. There’s Wilson and the rest of us. With her double-double average, the US international has just come off another XXXXXXXL season. Both individually and as part of the team, the 1.93-metre giant has swept the board. Defensive Player of the Year, Regular Season MVP, Finals MVP and, of course, NBA champion. Just like her 26-point average in the 2025 playoffs, A’ja Wilson possesses a dominance unique in the WNBA. Her moves near the basket and her delicate touch make her unstoppable in the post. The player with the most MVP awards also shines without the ball. A veritable wall on legs, whose mobility constantly frustrates players of all sizes. The worst part is that the three-time champion continues to improve, particularly in her passing but also from beyond the arc. We could go on for pages listing her superlatives. Queen Wilson’s reign is far from over. All we can do is wish her future opponents the best of luck.