The 2026 WNBA season is officially underway. Opening weekend featured surprising upsets, impressive rookie debuts and some lingering offseason rust.
It was a shaky start for the reigning champions, with the Aces getting blown out 99–66 by the Mercury in their home opener on Saturday. Paige Bueckers led the Wings to a thrilling 107–104 win over Caitlin Clark’s Fever in the opening slate’s marquee matchup, with Dallas’s revamped offense clicking early in the season.
Officiating was a talking point throughout the offseason, with the league’s physicality a concern for players and coaches, and WNBA referees were once again a topic of conversation at the start of the regular season. The Liberty’s Sunday night matchup against the Mystics featured 58 fouls, drawing criticism from New York’s Breanna Stewart. “It disrupts everyone’s flow, not just my team, both sides of the game,” Stewart told the media after the game. “This game was two hours and 41 minutes long. That’s insane.” Expect officiating to be a consistent storyline this year as the referees continue to attempt to curb the league’s physicality.
1. New York Liberty
Previous ranking: 2
The Liberty moved atop the rankings after charging to a 2–0 start. New York walloped the Sun in its home opener before narrowly defeating the Mystics on Sunday. The good news for Chris DeMarco’s team? Players like Marine Johannès stepped up with stars Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally sidelined due to injury. Johannès put up 25 points against Washington, shooting 53% from the field. Stewart was firing on all cylinders as well, notching 31 points and 10 rebounds in the Liberty’s opening outing against Connecticut.
2. Dallas Wings
Previous ranking: 5
This isn’t last year’s 10-win Wings team. New coach Jose Fernandez’s offense was humming in its victory over the Fever. The Wings upped the tempo and got downhill, outscoring Indiana 25–12 in transition. Five Wings players finished in double figures, including Bueckers, who scored 20 points and was an efficient 8-for-10 shooting from the floor. Arike Ogunbowale got in on the party too, logging 22 points and five assists in 29 minutes.
3. Atlanta Dream
Previous ranking: 3
The Dream opened their season with a comeback 91–90 win over the Lynx. Atlanta trailed by 19 points at the half, with its offense hard to come by, shooting just 24% from three. But the Dream muscled through, helped by Angel Reese’s 14 rebounds, which contributed to Atlanta beating Minnesota on the boards 46–25. Te-Hina Paopao played savior, nailing the game-winning shot to ensure the Dream escaped Minneapolis with a gritty road win.
Te-hina PaoPao, you are incredible 🙌 pic.twitter.com/L9PWwkuZEZ
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) May 10, 2026
4. Golden State Valkyries
Previous ranking: 10
The Valkyries kicked off their season with back-to-back double-digit victories against the Storm and Mercury, respectively. Janelle Salaün was the star of the show in Golden State’s 91–80 win over Seattle, draining five of her 11 attempted threes to finish the night with 20 points. Gabby Williams is already proving to be a fruitful offseason addition, making four of her nine attempted threes against Phoenix, while logging four steals to lead her side to a 95–79 win. Golden State looked like its tenacious, steely self with added offensive firepower.
5. Phoenix Mercury
Previous ranking: 7
Everyone wondered what the Mercury’s offensive production would look like after they lost Satou Sabally to the Liberty this offseason. Phoenix quelled some of those concerns in its opening two games, pulling off a 33-point blowout of the Aces before falling to the Valkyries on Sunday. Alyssa Thomas, of course, led the way, dropping a double-double on Golden State and scoring 20 points against Las Vegas. But one of the Mercury’s few offseason additions also asserted herself, with Jovana Nogić scoring 16 points on 83.3% shooting in the loss to the Valkyries after notching 19 points in 21 minutes in Phoenix’s opener.
6. Las Vegas Aces
Previous ranking: 1
The Aces avenged their 33-point loss to the Mercury with a 27-point dismantling of the Sparks. Chennedy Carter was massive off the bench against Los Angeles, scoring 22 points in 20 minutes. Jackie Young scored 20 points while Chelsea Gray shot 4-for-5 from three against the Sparks after both guards went cold in the season opener. With back-to-back matchups against the Sun on the docket this week, expect the Aces to make a jump up the rankings.
7. Indiana Fever
Previous ranking: 4
Indiana’s offense looked impressive in its loss to the Wings, despite the team shooting 29% from three. Kelsey Mitchell and Clark both went 2-for-9 from beyond the arc but finished with 30 and 20 points, respectively. Aliyah Boston added 23 points, with Indiana’s Big Three combining for 73 points. However, the Fever struggled to contain the Wings’ guards and will need to dig in on the defensive end. Perhaps rookie Raven Johnson can help Indiana turn up the intensity of its perimeter defense going forward.
8. Minnesota Lynx
Previous ranking: 8
The Lynx nearly pulled off a victory over a tough Dream team, falling 91–90 at home. Star Napheesa Collier may be out for the month after undergoing ankle surgery, but all hope is not lost. Minnesota has to be pleased with Olivia Miles’s debut, with the rookie scoring 21 points on 42.9% shooting, while logging eight assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Miles already looks comfortable running the Lynx’s offense and is an early favorite for Rookie of the Year.
9. Washington Mystics
Previous ranking: 12
Speaking of impressive debuts, Georgia Amoore took the floor after missing last season due to a torn ACL. The Mystics guard is still working up to full fitness, but found her spots in Washington’s loss to the Liberty. Amoore pulled the strings for the Mystics’ high-octane offense, notching seven assists and seven points in her 21 minutes on the court. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen lead this young and hungry team, scoring 17 and 20 points, respectively, against New York. The Mystics, while experiencing some growing pains, should be a fun squad to watch develop throughout the season.
10. Chicago Sky
Previous ranking: 9
The Sky didn’t have the toughest opponent this week, downing the expansion side, Fire, 98–83. Still, there are reasons for Chicago to be optimistic about its reworked team. Skylar Diggins put on a vintage performance, scoring 21 points on 66.7% shooting, with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Kamilla Cardoso also had a double-double, logging a staggering 22 points and 11 rebounds. Rickea Jackson made her presence known, too, getting to the foul line and making eight of her 10 free throws.
11. Seattle Storm
Previous ranking: 14
The Storm split results during the opening weekend, falling to the Valkyries before toppling the Sun. Flau’jae Johnson was solid in her first professional outings, making three of her seven attempted threes in Seattle’s opener, before notching 16 points and six rebounds against Connecticut. Second-year starter Dominique Malonga also impressed, notching 21 points and eight rebounds against the Valkyries and three blocks and two steals against the Sun. This will likely be a development year for the Storm, and in that vein, it’s promising that their young stars are showing flashes of what they’re capable of.
12. Los Angeles Sparks
Previous ranking: 6
It was a tough start to the season for the Sparks, falling to the Aces 105–78 at home. Cameron Brink played just eight minutes, going scoreless with three turnovers and three fouls. “I mean, we need Cam to produce. We need Cam to bring that defensive energy,” Lynne Roberts told the media after Sunday’s game. “We have so much confidence and belief in her. She’s got to get out on the floor with some confidence and do what she’s capable of doing.” Los Angeles needs Brink to protect the rim and help shore up its struggling defense. Roberts’s team also has to clean things up, committing 19 turnovers to the Aces’ 14.
13. Toronto Tempo
Previous ranking: 11
Toronto was bumping for the Tempo’s regular-season debut, with a sellout crowd of 8,210 filling Coca-Cola Coliseum. However, on the court, Sandy Brondello’s team struggled, shooting 27% from the field and 20% from three in its narrow loss to the Mystics. Marina Mabrey was a bright spot for Toronto, though, with 27 points and seven rebounds.
14. Portland Fire
Previous ranking: 15
The Fire also drew crowds with a record 19,335 fans coming out to support the expansion side. Portland lost to the Sky in its home opener, and that was to be expected as the Fire constructed their roster with an eye toward the future. However, Portland got quality minutes out of Carla Leite, who scored 18 points, and Sarah Ashlee Barker, who notched 13 points and four rebounds off the bench. Outrebounded 46–24 by the Sky, the Fire will need to improve on the boards, among other areas.
15. Connecticut Sun
Previous ranking: 14
The Sun’s last season in Connecticut got off to a very slow start, with the team dropping its first two games against the Liberty and Storm. Connecticut is in the middle of a rebuild, and it shows, with the squad’s young stars looking to find their footing and feel out their roles. If this year is about green players proving themselves, second-year forward Aneesah Morrow did just that, logging 17 points and 16 rebounds off the bench against the Storm.
More WNBA from Sports Illustrated
- Sophie Cunningham, Napheesa Collier Headline the Athletes Featured in 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue
- Peter’s Points: WNBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Angel Reese, Liberty-Fire, Olivia Miles)
- Expect Officiating to Be a Recurring Storyline During This WNBA Season
- Wings Coach Jose Fernandez Comments on Azzi Fudd’s Chances of Starting After Tough First Game
This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA Power Rankings: Liberty, Wings Start Strong in Opening Weekend.
