Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Our midseason WNBA grades reveal a league full of surprises and disappointments as the top teams diverge sharply from preseason expectations.
- Some franchises are exceeding projections while others struggle with glaring weaknesses that leave their playoff hopes in doubt.
- The biggest debate centers on whether any team can challenge the league's established powers before the postseason.
We're right around the quarter mark of the 2026 WNBA season, which seems like a good time to check in on the league and grade team performances. We've had some surprises around the league this season, from the Minnesota Lynx somehow sitting at the top of the standings to a team with title hopes that completely crashed and burned.
These grades are subjective, obviously, and they take into account preseason expectations, which are also subjective. So, you know, don't run to the dean's office to complain if your favorite team got an F. There's no grade change form available for you.
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream have basically lived up to expectations, though the team hasn't exceeded them. At 9-4 on the year, Atlanta is sitting in the No. 4 seed spot at the moment, just one spot back of where I had them penciled in during the preseason, and it's hard to really fault them for dropping a spot, since it only happened because Minnesota has been a huge surprise this year.
At the moment, the Dream are on track to have the best win percentage in franchise history. There were a lot of concerns coming into the season about the team's lack of 3-point shooting, and that's definitely been an issue — Atlanta is 10th in 3-point percentage — but it hasn't really hurt the team. Angel Reese's rebounding ability has helped generate second chance points to make up for that.
Chicago Sky
Rough season for a team with playoff aspirations. Chicago spent the offseason transforming the roster, but quickly lost Rickea Jackson to a season-ending knee injury. It's been all downhill since.
Adding Skylar Diggins this offseason was supposed to be the move that finally got this franchise moving in the right direction. Now? They probably wish they'd just kept building organically with Angel Reese, though it would be tough to do that when the team just keeps trading away all of its draft picks.
Connecticut Sun
You might think that the league's worst team deserves the league's worst grade, but it's not that simple. Yes, Connecticut has been bad, but the team is at least doing a good job accomplishing what was its primary goal entering the season, which was...to be bad.
This season should be about finding players who can be part of the rotation once the Sun move to Houston. Aneesah Morrow has proven to be one much player. Has anyone else? Ehh, Leila Lacan and Aaliyah Edwards should at least get a chance to be part of the future.
Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings have been a weird team. They're 9-6 on the season with Paige Bueckers playing like an MVP candidate and Jessica Shepard likely on her way to the Most Improved Player award, but Arike Ogunbowale is having her worst season, and offseason addition Alanna Smith is basically unplayable.
Still, Dallas is winning more than its losing and looks to be well on its way to a playoff berth. The issues probably make winning a playoff series unlikely, but considering how bad the team was in 2025, this year's performance is a clear win.
Golden State Valkyries
Entering this season, we knew the Valkyries would be a good defensive team, but there were serious concerns about the offense after it wasn't very good on that end in 2025. The addition of Gabby Williams was expected to help, but Williams carried her own issues with her as far as offensive consistency.
Golden State hasn't been great on that end, but coupling the league's best scoring defense with an offense that's at least average-to-above-average has helped the Valkyries become a top-five team in the league. Veronica Burton's continued development as a playmaker has helped that.
Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark is averaging more points per game than she ever has in the WNBA. She's also shooting just barely over 40 percent from the floor. Efficiency has definitely been an issue at times for the former Iowa star, and the Fever have suffered at times because of that.
Overall, though, Indiana is playing solid basketball. Not many teams have a big three as good as Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, and while questions remain about depth, there are some encouraging signs, like Makayla Timpson's efficiency and Sophie Cunningham's 3-point shooting.
Las Vegas Aces
This is probably the most boring grade of this entire article, because what's there to say about the Las Vegas Aces? They were expected to be the league's best team and while they're technically the league's second-best team, they have a head-to-head win over Minnesota.
A'ja Wilson is cruising to another MVP award. Chennedy Carter has been a huge spark plug off the bench. The only knock here is probably that Jewell Loyd's poor play is a bit of a threat to the team's potential success, but that hasn't been too big of an issue yet.
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks have the talent to be a playoff team. In fact, I'd argue that missing the postseason after bringing Nneka Ogwumike back would be an abject failure for this team.
The team sits ninth in the standings at the moment and should have enough talent to surpass Portland, but it's not guaranteed because the Sparks just seem a bit disjointed at the moment. They'll get a few wins, but then will erase that with another losing streak. But hey — at least Kelsey Plum is playing must-watch basketball as she chases the scoring title.
Minnesota Lynx
What's there to say about the Lynx here? The team was expected to float around the playoff bubble until Napheesa Collier returned, but rookie Olivia Miles came out of the gate ready to be a WNBA playmaker and Natasha Howard has really helped make up for the team's offseason losses in the frontcourt.
How long can the 12-3 Lynx keep this up without Collier? Good question! The team's reliant on a small handful of players at the moment, so things could theoretically go awry at some point, but for the moment, Minnesota is well above expectations.
New York Liberty
There was a moment where I was really worried about the New York Liberty. After losing to Portland (for the second time!) on May 25, the team sat at 3-4 on the season. The new additions weren't meshing, and it seemed like New York was in a bit of trouble. You can have all the talent in the world, but if that talent isn't fitting together, you aren't going to win games.
But something has changed since, as New York has now won eight in a row. Rookie Pauline Astier has given the team some much-needed shooting, and while Breanna Stewart hasn't been as efficient as she has been in the past, she's still playing like a top-five player overall.
Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury played in the WNBA Finals last season. Yes, they lost Satou Sabally in free agency, but they still entered 2026 with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper on the roster. You should be able to build a playoff team around those two players.
Instead, Phoenix is the WNBA's biggest disappointment. The team is 4-12, and both Copper and DeWanna Bonner have been struggling to score efficiently. It's probably time to just tear things down and rebuild, because there's no easy fix here.
Portland Fire
I took a look at this roster before the season began and assumed this team would be in the running for the league's worst record. When Bridget Carleton is, on paper, your best scorer, things aren't going to go well, right?
But Carla Leite has emerged as a true high-end point guard, and players like Sarah Ashlee Barker and Megan Gustafson have really shown out thanks to getting consistent minutes. This team is proving why expansion was needed. No, the Fire aren't contenders. They'll likely miss the playoffs. But this team has far exceeded expectations and is giving some good young players a chance to prove they belong in the league.
Seattle Storm
Ezi Magbegor is Seattle's best player. The fact that she has appeared in zero games says everything about how the Storm have looked in 2026. Without their best player, the Storm rank 14th in the league in offensive rating and 13th in net rating.
Flau'jae Johnson has had a chance to show she can be a big part of the team's future, though she'll need to show she can be more efficient than she's been. Awa Fam missed the start of the season but is getting up to speed now. That's, uhh...about it in terms of what's going well.
Toronto Tempo
Like Portland, the Toronto Tempo have exceeded expectations as an expansion team, though they get a slight demerit because they had higher preseason expectations, as the front office built a roster that was more "win now" than Portland did.
At 7-8, the Tempo are still in the playoff hunt and Marina Mabrey is playing well enough to garner All-Star consideration, while Kiki Rice has been one of the better rookies. The team isn't nearly as strong in the frontcourt, though, which is why it sits just under .500 at the moment.
Washington Mystics
Meh. That's the main word to describe this Washington Mystics. The team didn't take a major step forward this season — rookie Lauren Betts' struggles have played a role in that — but it hasn't taken a step back either. The team sits at 6-7 and is just kind of...there.
Maybe that sounds harsh. Sonia Citron has shown she can be a star. The frontcourt combo of Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen has played well. But of the team's six wins, half are against the league's worst teams, so grading them out as a C feels appropriate.
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