The 2026 WNBA playoffs are set to begin and even though the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx are favored, it feels like its far from foregone conclusion they will win it all.
On Sunday, Sept. 27, eight teams will begin competition for the chance to be crowned the league's best and win a coveted title. From the top-seeded Lynx to the No. 8 seed New York Liberty, the rosters are loaded with elite talent that will put it all on display as the playoffs unfold.
When the games begin, some of the WNBA's best will dish out the ridiculous assists, tough baskets, punishing steals and vicious blocks. In preparation for the best basketball of the season, USA TODAY's Studio IX is ranking the top 10 players in the playoffs.
Here are the best athletes who will take
the court for the 2026 WNBA playoffs:
10. Shakira Austin, C, Washington Mystics
Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin has been a force this season, and her production in the back half helped propel the Mystics to a No. 5 seed and the league's second-ranked defense (105.3 rating). Austin ranks fourth in rebounds per game (9.5), 10th in blocks per game (1.2) and 15th in points per game (17). The Mystics' production starts and ends with Austin. She is the engine that drives Washington.
"Not many people play both sides of the ball as efficiently and aggressively as she does, and she makes a difference on both ends of the floor," Mystics guard Georgia Amoore said. "Just her ability to finish plays. I love saying that a play is not done until Shakira decides it's done … I think she's just channeled her aggression. She's channeled her emotions to just see red, no pun intended … and I think that's what makes her so special."
9. Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx
Napheesa Collier is less than a year removed from ankle surgerythat delayed her start to the 2026 season. Collier has taken time to get up to speed and usual form. As the playoffs approach, she's still not quite there yet, but she's still elite. The Minnesota forward is averaging 16.8 points, shooting 50% from the field and 44% from deep. She also churns out just over a steal per matchup (1.3) and close to one block per game.
"I remember there was this run in 2023 where she was basically carrying us to the playoffs and it was post (having her daughter,) Mila… I was like 'Oh, this girl is really freaking good at basketball,'"Lynx guard Kayla McBride said of Collier. "I’m just really impressed. I’m always impressed ... Watching someone become a superstar and remain the same, and then continue to want more for themselves, the team, the organization, you can’t put a price on that.”
8. Angel Reese, F, Atlanta Dream
Angel Reese, who was traded to the Dream in the offseason, seems to have found a home in Atlanta. She's having the best year of her career, ranking first in the league in rebounds per game (12.1) and third in steals (1.79). Reese also finished the regular season with a career-high 16.1 points per game and now holds the records for most double-doubles and rebounds in a season. Her production infused energy into the Dream, who secured a 30-win season.
"Every team is different (from last year), but I think one of the big changes is obviously Angel. She brings that mentality, that grit that we were missing, that tenacity," Dream guard Jordin Canada said. "That just raises everybody's level on the offensive end and defensive end. So, I think she's been a really huge asset to us."
7. Paige Bueckers, G, Dallas Wings
Paige Bueckers is one of the best young guards in the WNBA. She's a three-level scorer who's nearly automatic from the midrange. Her speed and body control in the paint also make her tough to defend. Bueckers has done an excellent job being the top option for the Dallas Wings, leading the team in points (20.9 per game) and assists (5.9 per game). What's more, she's a pesky defender who has zero problem making life miserable for whoever is on the other side.
"Paige has an unbelievable trust in her teammates, and sometimes, she's too unselfish, but that's just a credit to who she is. I think she has a huge understanding of what's needed of her (and) being able to close out games," Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. "She's special in that point, making people around her better. Sometimes she defers, but that doesn't take away her wanting to take a shot or her wanting to have the ball in her hands."
6. Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young has been one of the most underrated players in the WNBA this season. She's quietly good. Her numbers aren't always flashy, but they are solid and timely, making her a key component for the Las Vegas Aces. Young is fourth in the league in assists per game (6.8) and 10th in points per game (18.9 on 48.8% shooting from the field). She's also an excellent defender that the Aces lean on in crunch time.
"She puts the work in to wanna get better each and every year ... and then her reads, off of pick-and-roll, off of different coverages, in her mind, it's kind of slowing down for her, and she's able to make a clear read," Aces guard Chelsea Gray said. "I think she's also taken some risk passing-wise. It's like she's threading the needle sometimes, which before, she wouldn't normally do. She's getting the basketball to people (in) a multitude of ways."
5. Kelsey Mitchell, G, Indiana Fever
No one has had a better scoring season than Kelsey Mitchel. Mitchell broke the single-season scoring record and 3-point record while shooting 50.9% from the field and 45% from deep. She is a rare combination of speed and efficiency that makes her a walking nightmare for opposing defenses. Mitchell also rattled off 27 straight games of scoring 20 points or more, a league record, and nine games of 30-plus points.
"She's one of one. She's the fastest player in the league with the ball in her hand. Her ability to get downhill is always great, but her ability to stop and change direction on a dime," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "Now, her ability to gear down and then explode again, as opposed to just being all one speed, to playing on balance ... the game's fast, but it also slowed down for her in a way that she's become ever more deadly of a playmaker."
4. Olivia Miles, G, Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles has been arguably been not just the best rookie, but one of the best in the league. Miles is top eight or better in points per game (19.8) and assists per game (6.1). She's also top 25 in steals per matchup (1.3). During her first year in the league, she shot 49.2% from the floor and 38.8% behind the line. Miles is deceptively quick at getting downhill and is an elite finisher at the cup. She's also more than stepped up to the challenge defensively.
“The things that she is doing, no one else is doing, especially as a rookie — especially as a rookie point guard. That is the hardest position to come in and be successful at year one, and she’s excelling,” Lynx forward Napheesa Collier said. “She’s so fun to watch (with) the way she can finish, the attention she’s getting on defense from the other team’s defense already. Her ability to impact the game right now, I think, is just unmatched right now, so she’s our MVP.”
3. Caitlin Clark, G, Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark is one of the most lethal scorers and facilitators in the league. Clark can facilitate points from just about anywhere on the court. She does it with her own shot and by creating for her teammates. The Fever guard is the only WNBA player who is top three or better in points per game (22.3) and assists per game (8.3). She also leads the WNBA in points created per matchup (41.2). Clark is a walking statistical anomaly who only gets better every season.“It's funny because you watch her, and I think it’s easy to take for granted some of the things that she does. I think often times it is with great players. It's easy to take advantage and think that it's simple. And I think that’s why players are great, right? They make the complex things look really simple," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "When she's in a flow ... where she's able to score, she's playing at a pace that we want her to play at, she's moving the ball ... it's really, really fun to watch."
2. Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty
Breanna Stewart is the definition of fundamentally sound. Stewart is a two-way force who often makes teams adjust to her, instead of the other way around. She has excellent finishing around the rim and her closing speed and versatility defensively make her a top defender year after year. This season, Stewart finished seventh in points (20.8 per game), 10th in rebounds (8.3) and ninth in blocks (1.3). She was also top 20 in steals (1.4 per game).
"If you ask any coach who's ever coached her or played against her, she is the best player in the world. She's an absolute winner," Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said. "There's something about her and her character. And as a coach, she's never not looking you in the eyes. She's never not looking her teammates in the eyes. She's never not leading, and she does everything that contributes to winning, and to be able to coach her has been incredible for me, especially (as a) first-year head coach."
1. A'ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces
There's everyone else, and then there's A'ja Wilson. Wilson continues to dominate the WNBA. For the third straight season, she leads the league in scoring (26.2) and blocks (1.9). Wilson finished 2026 fifth in rebounds per game (9.4) and top 15 in steals. Wilson also became the only player in WNBA history with multiple 1,000-point seasons. The Aces center is a three-level scorer who shoots a blistering 40% from deep and 50% from the field, while regularly terrorizing teams defensively as one of the WNBA's best and most agile and versatile defenders.
"She just kind of shot her free throw like nothing happened (when she scored 1,000 points again). Where last time, they stopped the game, and there's a big to-do about it. And it is still a big deal. You're right. You don't just wanna skip over it," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "She's just been incredibly efficient, man, really ― especially the last four years. Incredibly efficient, and she's missed a few games each of those years. So doing it, not playing the full 44 games, is also pretty impressive."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA playoffs: Ranking the 10 stars that can help teams win a title
