The 2026 WNBA season tipped off onFriday, marking the league’s 30th year, and ranking the five best players in basketball right now is no easy task. The talent pool keeps getting deeper, and barring injury, this list doubles as a betting guide, fantasy cheat sheet, and snapshot of the league’s biggest storylines entering the summer.
The cleanest anchor is the 2025 All-WNBA Team, voted on by a 72-member media panel. MVP odds and league-wide consensus help separate the names at the very top, though injuries have already reshaped part of the conversation before opening weekend. Napheesa Collier is expected back in early June following ankle surgery, Caitlin Clark enters fully healthy as one of the MVP favorites, and A’ja Wilson just signed the richest contract the WNBA has ever seen.
Here’s our top five.
But First: The MVP Board
*MVP odds were checked Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. CT.
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, A’ja Wilson sits as the favorite at +220 with Caitlin Clark close behind at +240. Napheesa Collier checks in at +800 despite her delayed start, followed by Breanna Stewart at +1300 and Paige Bueckers at +1400.
FanDuel Sportsbook also lists Wilson first at +200 with Clark at +260. Collier and Stewart both come in at +1000.
Right now, the market views this as a two-player race with a few dangerous challengers lurking behind them. Personally, though, I think Alyssa Thomas at +2000 on both books offers tremendous value.
1. A’ja Wilson, C, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson captured her record fourth MVP award in 2025, breaking the previous mark of three shared by Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson. She also earned co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and was a unanimous All-WNBA First Team selection.
Her numbers were absurd once again: 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals while leading the league with 937 total points and a 29.2 efficiency rating.
In April, Wilson signed a three-year, $5 million supermax extension, the largest deal ever handed out in the WNBA.
What she brings: Everything. Rim protection, elite scoring, leadership, toughness, and championship pedigree. Las Vegas closed the 2025 season on a 16-game winning streak before sweeping Phoenix in the Finals, and Wilson remains the centerpiece of it all.
2. Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx
Collier has now finished runner-up in MVP voting in back-to-back seasons.
She averaged a career-high 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 2025 while finishing second in the league in scoring. Like Wilson, she was also a unanimous All-WNBA First Team selection.
Minnesota expects her back around early June as she recovers from ankle surgery.
What she brings: Elite two-way impact. Collier scores efficiently at every level, defends multiple positions, and anchors a Lynx squad that finished 34-10 last season. If she returns at full strength, there may not be a tougher matchup anywhere in the league by midseason.
3. Caitlin Clark, G, Indiana Fever
Clark is the only player among the top MVP favorites who did not make the 2025 All-WNBA Team, yet she still enters the season near the top of the betting board.
Injuries limited her to 13 appearances last year, but she still averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. She also took home MVP honors at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in March after leading Team USA to a 5-0 run in San Juan.
Clark says she is back to full strength entering the season and scored 33 points across her final two preseason games while shooting 7-for-10 from deep.
What she brings: Offensive gravity unlike anyone else in the sport. Her shooting range changes the geometry of the floor, and Indiana now surrounds her with All-WNBA talent in Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. If Clark stays healthy for a full season, the Fever belong firmly in the title conversation.
4. Alyssa Thomas, F, Phoenix Mercury
Thomas just delivered one of the most unique seasons the WNBA has ever seen.
In her first year with Phoenix, she averaged 15.4 points, a league-leading 9.2 assists, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting a career-best 53.2% from the field.
She set the single-season assist record with 357, posted eight triple-doubles, and became the first player ever to record at least 15 rebounds and 15 assists in the same game.
Thomas finished top three in MVP voting while also earning All-WNBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team honors before re-signing with Phoenix in April.
What she brings: Controlled chaos. Thomas completely transforms the flow of an offense with her vision, physicality, and versatility. Phoenix would not have reached the 2025 Finals without her.
5. Kelsey Mitchell, G, Indiana Fever
Mitchell put together the best season of her career in 2025, averaging 20.2 points per game while finishing third in league scoring.
She also led the WNBA with 111 made three-pointers and added 3.4 assists per night, earning All-WNBA First Team honors and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
Indiana rewarded her with a one-year supermax extension this offseason.
What she brings: One of the purest pull-up shooters in basketball. Playing next to Clark gives Mitchell even more space to attack, and together they form one of the league’s most dangerous backcourts.
Final Take
Wilson and Clark currently sit atop the MVP odds board, but neither path feels easy.
Wilson remains the safest choice after another historically dominant season, though Thomas offers fascinating value after what she accomplished in Phoenix last year. Clark also has the kind of ceiling capable of changing the race entirely if she stays healthy and catches fire offensively.
No matter who ultimately takes home the award, the WNBA enters 2026 loaded with star power, depth, and impact talent across the floor.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
