The highly anticipated WNBA season tips off on Friday, and with a unique offseason reshaping the league’s landscape, the power dynamics have shifted. Our preseason power ranking breaks down where each team stands, from a tight race at the top to a host of wild cards ready to challenge the league’s giants.
Two expansion teams—the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo—join the league this year, having built their rosters through the expansion draft, college draft, and free agency in April. This brings the total to 15 teams (following the Golden State Valkyries’ addition last season). Eight teams will qualify for the playoffs, and each squad will play 44 regular-season games, just like last year.
Tier 1: Title Favorites
1. Las Vegas Aces
2025 Record: 30-14 (2nd)
2025 Playoffs: Won Finals 4-0 vs. Mercury
Key Departure: Kiah Stokes
Key Addition: Stephanie Talbot
The Aces have won three of the last four championships and boast the undisputed best player in the league in A’ja Wilson. Las Vegas made minimal offseason changes, trusting its championship core. The backcourt is deeper with playmaking and shooting, while the frontcourt features Wilson alongside experienced role players. With Wilson, head coach Becky Hammon, and a wealth of winning experience, the Aces get a very narrow edge at the top.
2. New York Liberty
2025 Record: 27-17 (5th)
2025 Playoffs: Lost Quarterfinals 1-2 vs. Mercury
Key Departure: Natasha Cloud
Key Addition: Satou Sabally
The Liberty have even more star power than the Aces but struggled in the second half of last season, a slump not entirely explained by injuries. The chemistry among stars looked off, leading to the dismissal of head coach Sandy Brondello after four seasons. New York lost some depth through the expansion draft (Nyara Sabally), but adding her sister Satou makes their starting five even more formidable. With Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones, an All-Star snub for any would be a surprise. Leonie Fiebich adds elite three-and-D. If New York can harness all its talent, a title should follow (their last was in 2024). Even the Aces might struggle to match the size and individual brilliance from the Big Apple.
3. Atlanta Dream
2025 Record: 30-14 (3rd)
2025 Playoffs: Lost Quarterfinals 1-2 vs. Fever
Key Departure: Brittney Griner
Key Addition: Angel Reese
Atlanta was a regular-season monster last year, only to disappoint in the first round against a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever. Allisha Gray elevated from All-Star to MVP candidate and aims to replicate that. The Dream boast plenty of shooting and rebounding, with the latter potentially becoming dominant after trading for Angel Reese. There is uncertainty around Brionna Jones, who will miss the start of the season due to injury. Atlanta must gel quickly, and Reese must prove her value on a winning team after two seasons with a struggling Chicago Sky. The Dream should be a powerhouse in the regular season again, but all eyes will be on them come playoff time. Who emerges as the go-to option in crunch moments? Do they lack playoff depth? Atlanta has similar potential to New York and Las Vegas, but more questions to answer.
Tier 2: Wild Cards with Title Contention Potential
4. Indiana Fever
2025 Record: 24-20 (6th)
2025 Playoffs: Lost Semifinals 2-3 vs. Aces
Key Departure: Odyssey Sims
Key Addition: Monique Billings
Indiana’s star trio of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell could argue for a spot in the first tier, but they fall short compared to the top three in terms of depth. Plus, Clark must prove she can replicate or exceed her sensational rookie season after an injury-plagued second year. Clark has indicated she wants to delegate more offensive responsibility, but behind Mitchell and Clark, the backcourt and wings lack players suited for that role—their strengths lie more in scoring and defense than playmaking. Hope rests on Raven Johnson, the 10th pick in the latest draft.
5. Los Angeles Sparks
2025 Record: 21-23 (9th)
2025 Playoffs: Missed
Key Departure: Rickea Jackson
Key Addition: Nneka Ogwumike
The Sparks traded rising All-Star Rickea Jackson for the more experienced Ariel Atkins, and the now-almost-36-year-old Nneka Ogwumike returned to her old stomping ground. Los Angeles is fully in win-now mode with a roster of players in the twilight of their careers. Ogwumike showed few signs of aging last season, and there is hope for a leap from Cameron Brink, the remaining young talent. The No. 2 pick in 2024 averaged 2.3 blocks per game as a rookie before a torn ACL cut short her momentum. The Sparks promise a strong top six but may suffer from a lack of depth during the regular season. They will bring plenty of firepower to the postseason but could struggle to stop opposing superstar frontcourts.
6. Dallas Wings
2025 Record: 10-34 (13th)
2025 Playoffs: Missed
Key Departure: Luisa Geiselsöder
Key Addition: Alanna Smith
Dallas had the worst record last year, but the future looked bright thanks to a stellar rookie class led by Paige Bueckers. Despite losing Geiselsöder in the expansion draft, they bolstered their frontcourt with reigning co-DPOY Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, both bringing Finals experience from Minnesota. After Bueckers, the Wings secured the No. 1 pick for the second straight year and selected another UConn guard, Azzi Fudd. Bueckers and Fudd won a college championship together and aim to replicate that in the WNBA. Fudd is promising but still an unknown quantity as a top pick. The mood in Dallas is upbeat; Bueckers was phenomenal as a rookie and appears to have everything needed to be the centerpiece of a championship team. Dallas could become very good very quickly, but they may need another year to compete at the very top.
7. Minnesota Lynx
2025 Record: 34-10 (1st)
2025 Playoffs: Lost Semifinals 1-3 vs. Mercury
Key Departure: Alanna Smith
Key Addition: Natasha Howard
The Lynx were close to a title in 2024, then were the best team in the first half of last season. Napheesa Collier held a big lead over A’ja Wilson in MVP voting before injuries slowed her—she finished second in MVP voting for the second straight year and was Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. It remains unclear when Collier will return; she underwent foot surgeries in March and missed the entire Unrivaled season. The core trio of Collier, Courtney Williams, and Kayla McBride is intact, but key rotation players like co-DPOY Smith, Jessica Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman, and Maria Kliundikova are gone. The Lynx selected guard Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick (via Chicago Sky). This could be a transition year for Minnesota until they reload in 2027, but it might also be sooner than expected.
8. Chicago Sky
2025 Record: 10-34 (12th)
2025 Playoffs: Missed
Key Departure: Angel Reese
Key Addition: Skylar Diggins
The Sky are a completely different team after trading Angel Reese for future first-round picks (2027 and 2028), though they immediately gave away a second-rounder in a trade for Jacy Sheldon. The Reese and Ariel Atkins trades suggested a rebuild, but the Sheldon trade and free-agent signings hinted at an immediate push. Chicago has young talent in Sheldon, Kamilla Cardoso, Jackson, and rookie Gabriela Jaquez, but also assembled several players over 30 during the offseason who want to prove they still have something to offer. The Sky boast impressive depth, promising for the regular season. However, by playoff time, the hierarchy must be settled, and top-tier quality will be needed. With 35-year-old Skylar Diggins as the primary offensive option, Chicago is not as strong as the teams above them.
Tier 3: Playoff Hopefuls
9. Golden State Valkyries
2025 Record: 23-21 (8th)
2025 Playoffs: Lost Quarterfinals 0-2 vs. Lynx
Key Departure: Monique Billings
Key Addition