Top 10 WNBA players in the world right now – Caitlin Clark in surprise position as Angel Reese takes hit
The 2026 WNBA season has finally arrived.
After an offseason that was headlined by the marathon Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the WNBA and the Players’ Association, women’s basketball has never been in a better place.
The league is entering its 30th season, and with the addition of two new expansion franchises in the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, there has never been more eyes on the product than there is right now.
With star faces like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese back in action – and healthy – as well as the emergence of some younger faces like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, the WNBA is projected to hit even greater heights this spring.
That has got talkSPORT thinking about who the best 10 players in the league are right now, heading into the 2026 campaign.
Neither Clark or Reese have made the cut, largely due to their team’s overall success – or lack thereof – since they entered the league, as well as having a smaller sample size of production compared to others on this list due to injuries.
That’s not to say they won’t earn their way onto the list as the 2026 season goes on, though.
Without further ado, here goes…
10. Kelsey Mitchell
In a season in which the Fever got just 13 games out of Clark, veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell stepped up and showed exactly why she is one of the league’s most elite bucket-getters.
Injuries depleted the Fever roster as a whole, but the left-hander was stalwart. She featured in all 44 games and had the best season of her eight-year WNBA career.
Mitchell also became the first player in Fever franchise history to average 20-plus points a game, and she eclipsed the 30-point mark on 11 occasions.
In doing so, she surpassed icon and Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.
Let’s not forget that she almost single-handedly took down the Las Vegas Aces in the Eastern Conference finals as the sixth seed, taking the series to all five games while averaging 21.6 points shooting at a 41.3 percent clip.
All while putting her body at risk when she came down with rhabdomyolysis in Game 5 – a rare muscle injury that can lead to muscle death.
9. Kelsey Plum
After playing second-fiddle to A’ja Wilson in Las Vegas, Plum was ready for a new chapter in her career.
The fiesty 5-foot-8 guard was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in a stunning move which sent shockwaves across the WNBA.
As the No. 1 option on the team, Plum – who just penned a $999,999 extension – had a career-year in assists (5.7) and rebounds (3.1), while she also tallied a career-high 1.2 steals.
Although the Sparks struggled for wins, finishing with a 21-23 record, the City of Angels enter 2026 with a healthy Cameron Brink and some much-needed reinforcements in free agents Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkis and Erica Wheeler.
8. Allisha Gray
Allisha Gray had a breakout season for the Atlanta Dream in 2026.
The 31-year-old posted 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists on her way to finishing fourth in MVP voting as the Dream clinched a franchise-best 30 wins on the regular season.
The 2017 Rookie of the Year had 15 games in which she tallied at least 20 points, while nine of those were of 25-plus points, helping her to set a franchise record for most points scored in a single season with 773.
Gray’s consistency was integral in helping the team secure the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, though they would fall to the Fever.
However, with the addition of Angel Reese this offseason, the Dream have signaled their intent to compete for a championship in 2026 and Gray will be crucial to their success.
7. Sabrina Ionescu
One of the best pure shooters in the WNBA, Sabrina Ionescu is hoping to get her rhythm back on track after shooting below 30 percent from behind the three-point line for the first time in her career in 2025.
As she navigated a somewhat shooting slump – albeit still putting up 18.2 points – she was money from the free-throw line, leading the league by shooting 93.3 percent.
Her 5.7 assists ranked seventh in the WNBA, while she will get more opportunities in 2026 to showcase her playmaking and elite ball-handling with a star-studded supporting cast with Natasha Cloud having moved on to the Chicago Sky.
6. Jackie Young
The first of three Aces players to feature on this list, Jackie Young has gone from strength-to-strength since being drafted by Las Vegas with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.
One of the league’s most premier two-way players, Young has often gone under the radar over the years because of other star names on her roster.
A quiet personality off the hardwood, Young transforms into the ‘Silent Assassin’ when she has the ball in her hands.
Her 20.4 points on 49.4 percent shooting en route to her third championship, the 28-year-old guard is a huge part of the Aces’ dynastic core.
5. Chelsea Gray
Chelsea Gray has been one of the WNBA’s best point guards since she entered the league in 2014 as the 11th overall pick.
In fact, she has deservedly earned the nickname ‘The Point Gawd’, which is a testament to just how influential she is out on the floor.
A traditional floor general, Gray has a unique ability in being able to set the tone of the game, and has a repertoire of elite passing in her arsenal that has seen her climb to sixth all-time in career assists.
While her numbers don’t necessarily jump out on the stat sheet, it’s all the other little intangibles which she does so well – her passing, her floor spacing, etc.
And her basketball IQ? Off the scale.
4. Alyssa Thomas
Alyssa Thomas may be in the twilight years of her professional career, but the 34-year-old is ageing like a fine wine.
Having made the move to the Phoenix Mercury last season after a decade at the Connecticut Sun, Thomas still established herself as a top MVP candidate, finishing third.
In Year 11, the six-time All-Star averaged a near triple-double across the entire season (15.4 PPG, 8.8 REB, 9.2 AST) as the Mercury improved to 27-17 in their first year without all-time great Diana Taurasi.
The only reason that Thomas doesn’t sit higher on the list is due to her age.
3. Breanna Stewart
Stew-York City might be back in 2026.
Having pledged her long-term future to the Liberty in free agency, Stewart is hoping to spearhead the Big Apple back into the championship conversation once again.
Despite having a slightly down year in 2025, the 6-foot-4 two-way star comes off an off-season in which she spearheaded Fenerbahce to EuroLeague success, and also won the Unrivaled championship with the Mist.
Having dealt with injury last season, the seven-time All-Star’s presence was missed, with the Liberty going 5-8 in her absence.
The health of Stewart could ultimately define New York’s challenge to the overwhelming favorites Aces.
2. Napheesa Collier
It’s hard to believe that Collier still hasn’t won an MVP award in her stellar career.
Many thought 2025 would be the year as the Lynx recorded a 30-10 record and the 6-foot-1 forward posted 22.9 points per contest from 53.1 percent shooting from the field – both career-highs.
But her 2025 campaign will perhaps be remembered more for her iconic meme in which she challenged WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert during her Lynx exit-interview at the end of last season.
Collier – who co-founder of the hugely successful Unrivaled 3×3 tournament – made her impact throughout the off-season as the Players’ Union negotiated a ‘transformational’ Collective Bargaining Agreement.
She will miss the start of the 2026 campaign having undergone surgery on both of her ankles, but there are little doubts that she will make her mark almost immediately upon return.
1. A’ja Wilson
It’s hard to form any argument where the reigning WNBA MVP – who won it for an unprecedented fourth time last season – can be knocked off her perch as the world’s best basketball player.
Leading the Aces to their third title since 2022, Wilson was also named co-defensive Player of the Year alongside Lynx star Alanna Smith – the first time in league history that the award has been shared.
In the 2025 playoffs, Wilson elevated her game once again, averaging 26.8 points per contest, in which she shot 47.8 percent from the field, along with 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 blocks.
Was there ever any doubt that she would also be named Finals MVP?
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