Best WNBA Players in 2026: Top 25 Midseason Rankings

A'ja Wilson is the best WNBA player of 2026 so far. Through games reflected in our August 1 statistical snapshot, she combined a league-leading 26.4 points per game with 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and elite scoring efficiency. Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, Olivia Miles and Aliyah Boston complete our top five.

This is a midseason ranking, updated August 2, 2026. It measures performance in the 2026 regular season rather than career reputation or preseason expectations. The order is independent editorial analysis, not an official WNBA award ballot. For the latest matchups behind the next movement on this list, check today's WNBA games.

How we ranked the best WNBA players in 2026

We considered five connected factors: 2026 production, scoring efficiency, two-way responsibility, value within a player's team role and availability. Points, rebounds and assists establish the workload. True shooting percentage helps distinguish efficient scoring from empty volume. Steals, blocks and team context add information, but no public box-score metric perfectly captures screen navigation, matchup difficulty, spacing or communication.

The main list required a meaningful 2026 sample—roughly 400 minutes or at least 12 appearances. That allows Kelsey Plum's high-minute 12-game sample into the ranking, with a clear availability discount. It keeps a three-game sample such as Napheesa Collier's out, no matter how strong the player's established résumé is.

All per-game and advanced statistics below are from the August 2 download of the 2026 season tables and reflect games available through August 1. Official 2026 All-Star selections were used as a cross-check, not as an automatic ticket into the top 25. Think of close placements as tiers, not a claim that No. 17 is precisely and permanently better than No. 18. You can track the remaining opportunities on the full 2026 WNBA schedule.

The top 25 WNBA players of 2026 so far

Nos. 25-21

25. Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries: 12.0 points, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 28 games. Burton's value is larger than her scoring average: she organizes possessions, creates for teammates and supplies steady two-way guard minutes. Her 3.9 win shares helped win the final place in a crowded group.
26. Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics: 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in 25 games. The second-time All-Star produced dependable interior volume and controlled the glass. A .550 true shooting mark leaves room for her to move up with a more efficient finish.
27. Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics: 15.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 27 games. Austin pairs a substantial offensive role with real paint deterrence. That balanced center workload narrowly puts her ahead of her teammate.
28. Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream: 11.3 points, 7.7 assists and 2.2 steals in 28 games. Few guards on this list influence both ball movement and point-of-attack defense so directly. Modest scoring volume keeps her outside the top 20.
29. Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo: 20.9 points and 3.7 assists in 27 games on .598 true shooting. Toronto's first All-Star supplied high-volume shot creation and tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 points on June 25. Her lower cumulative advanced value breaks the tie with the players above her.

Nos. 20-16

20. Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks: 23.9 points and 6.4 assists in 12 games, with a superb .653 true shooting percentage. On rate production alone, Plum belongs much higher. The placement is an availability discount, not a judgment that 19 other players matched her offense when she played.
21. Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty: 14.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 28 games on .624 true shooting. The six-time All-Star remains an efficient interior anchor and connective passer. Her July All-Star Game MVP added another showcase, although exhibition performance did not drive this ranking.
22. Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics: 17.3 points and 3.8 assists in 25 games on .607 true shooting. Citron expanded her creation without surrendering her two-way identity and earned a second All-Star selection in her second season.
23. Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream: 15.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 27 games. Reese generates extra possessions at an exceptional rate and is active away from the ball. Her .512 true shooting percentage is the main reason she is not higher.
24. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream: 19.2 points and 1.5 steals in 28 games. Gray again handled demanding perimeter assignments while giving Atlanta reliable scoring. That mix earned her a fourth consecutive All-Star selection.

Nos. 15-11

15. Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky: 14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 27 games. Her .632 true shooting percentage and 23.4 PER reveal an impact greater than her raw scoring rank: efficient finishing and rim protection travel every night.
16. Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx: 18.0 points and 1.7 steals across 30 games, with .620 true shooting and 4.9 win shares. McBride's shooting stretches a defense, while her availability and work on the other end make her much more than a specialist.
17. Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks: 17.3 points and 8.9 rebounds in 26 games on .625 true shooting. Eleven All-Star selections tell the career story, but this placement is earned by another efficient, productive 2026 season.
18. Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever: 23.6 points in 29 games on .628 true shooting. Mitchell is one of the league's hardest shot-makers to contain and an All-Star starter. The more complete playmaking and defensive profiles above her create the cutoff for the top 10.
19. Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream: 16.9 points, 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27 games. Howard brings rare defensive event production for a guard without allowing opponents to ignore her creation and shooting gravity.

Nos. 10-6

10. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury: 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 27 games. Thomas remains a point forward in the fullest sense: she initiates offense, attacks the glass and takes difficult defensive work. Her impact cannot be reduced to scoring efficiency.
11. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces: 17.5 points and 6.7 assists in 28 games on .603 true shooting. Young's expanded playmaking complements her established perimeter defense and three-level scoring. Follow her next tests on the Las Vegas Aces schedule.
12. Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings: 14.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 29 games. That rebounding-and-playmaking combination is exceptional for a frontcourt player. Her .615 true shooting and 5.2 win shares support the first All-Star selection of her career.
13. Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings: 20.8 points and 6.0 assists in 27 games on .609 true shooting. Bueckers has carried primary-guard responsibility with efficient three-level scoring, controlled passing and very few obvious weaknesses.
14. Natasha Howard, Minnesota Lynx: 15.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 30 games on .616 true shooting. Howard's efficiency, switchable defense and availability give her one of the league's strongest two-way frontcourt cases. See the Minnesota Lynx schedule for her remaining games.

Nos. 5-1

5. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever: 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 26 games on .620 true shooting. Boston scores efficiently, anchors the interior and can keep the offense connected as a passer. She owns the strongest all-around center case below Wilson.
6. Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx: 19.4 points and 5.8 assists in 28 games on .603 true shooting. The rookie label does not lower her placement: current production and responsibility are the criteria, and Miles met them immediately. She was an All-Star starter and the unanimous rookie choice on CBS Sports' July midseason panel.
7. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever: 21.6 points and 8.0 assists in 25 games on .610 true shooting. Clark combines elite passing volume with shooting range that changes the geometry of a possession. Wilson and Stewart retain the clearer two-way cases, but Clark is the highest-ranked guard. Follow the next stage on the Indiana Fever schedule.
8. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty: 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks in 28 games. Stewart's length and mobility let her influence nearly every kind of matchup while maintaining a high-minute scoring burden.
9. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces: 26.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.0 blocks in 26 games. Add .633 true shooting, a 33.8 PER and 6.0 win shares, and the No. 1 case separates from the field.

Why A'ja Wilson is No. 1

Wilson leads this ranking because there is no obvious tradeoff in her profile. She owns the list's highest scoring average while operating at elite efficiency, then changes the other end with rebounding, steals and league-leading-level rim protection. At the July 9 midpoint, all three CBS Sports panelists also chose her as MVP; the later August snapshot only strengthened the statistical case.

The gap is not just a single advanced number. Wilson's 33.8 PER and 6.0 win shares agree with what the scoring, rebounding and blocks already show: she is carrying the largest two-way combination in this snapshot. Stewart's versatility and Clark's offensive engine make credible alternative arguments, but neither matched Wilson's complete August 1 line.

The toughest omissions and injury discounts

Napheesa Collier is the most important omission. She played only three games in the statistical snapshot, averaging 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. That is not enough evidence for a results-based top 25, even though a healthy Collier would normally enter the season near the very top. The same rule prevents reputation from overwhelming current availability.

Sabrina Ionescu played 17 games but had a quieter statistical start by her standards: 15.5 points, 4.2 assists and .558 true shooting. Brittney Sykes produced 20.1 points in 15 appearances, while Chelsea Gray, Carla Leite, Dominique Malonga and Courtney Williams all had defensible cases. Malonga and Williams were All-Stars. The final few places are close enough that another healthy month can reverse them.

How to use this ranking for the rest of the season

A midseason ranking is a snapshot, not a trophy. Efficiency can stabilize, roles can change after transactions and postseason possessions expose different strengths. Use the WNBA TV schedule to watch the head-to-head matchups that numbers alone cannot settle.

We will revisit the order after the regular season using the same framework and a larger sample. That update should reward players who sustain their level, while separating a short hot streak from five months of two-way value.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best WNBA player in 2026?

A'ja Wilson ranks first through the August 1 snapshot. She averaged 26.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks with .633 true shooting, the best combined scoring, efficiency and defensive case in the league.

Is this the official WNBA MVP ranking?

No. This is an independent ranking of the best 2026 performers so far. It uses a broader editorial method and is not an official league ballot, award ladder or prediction of the final voting order.

Why is Napheesa Collier not in the top 25?

Collier appeared in only three games in the snapshot. The list required roughly 400 minutes or 12 appearances, so her omission reflects sample size and availability—not a claim that 25 players are more talented when everyone is healthy.

When will this list be updated?

The next full review should come after the 2026 regular season. The date and statistical cutoff will remain visible so readers can distinguish a midseason ranking from the final version.