Analysis

With only a week remaining in the regular season, which resumes on Thursday, it is time to dive into the end-of-season award debates. 
From league MVP to Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, and more, there are a plethora of candidates to discuss. Today, we’ll break down 10 of the top candidates for the five spots on the All-Rookie Team — a list that includes lottery picks, first-rounders, second-rounders, and undrafted players.
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order, with stats and rankings through games played before the FIBA break, which began on Aug. 31.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1631136">Pauline Astier</a> (New York Liberty)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270634" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270634" class="wp-image-270634" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2279700819-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Pauline Astier #18 of the New York Liberty</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 9.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.4 3PG, 54.0 FG%, 31.3 3P%, 23.3 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The 24-year-old guard from France may have gone undrafted, but she has made an immediate impact for the Liberty, scoring 20+ points in two of her first four WNBA games. She has started 35 contests for the playoff-bound Liberty and was part of France’s silver-medal-winning squad in the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643427">Lauren Betts</a> (Washington Mystics)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 0.0 3PG, 54.9 FG%, 0.0 3P%, 17.1 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
Betts is one of eight rookies playing for a young Mystics squad that has secured its first playoff berth since 2023. The 6-foot-7 center, selected fourth overall out of UCLA, leads all rookies with 30 total blocks and ranks third with 177 total rebounds despite averaging just 17.1 minutes per game.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643443">Awa Fam</a> (Seattle Storm)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 10.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 1.5 3PG, 45.1 FG%, 35.5 3P%, 27.6 MPG, 33 GP</li>
</ul>
Considered one of the most intriguing international prospects entering the draft at just 19 years old, Fam was selected at No. 3 by Seattle and has showcased her two-way talent during her rookie season. She leads all rookies in rebounds and blocks per game while ranking fifth in steals and sixth in scoring. As the league&#8217;s youngest player (20 years, 90 days), she has immense upside.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643425">Azzi Fudd</a> (Dallas Wings)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 13.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.1 3PG, 45.6 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 31.7 MPG, 30 GP</li>
</ul>
The top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft was limited to just 30 games for the Wings before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery on her right knee. Before she was sidelined, the sharpshooter made an impact on both ends of the court — leading all rookies in 3-pointers made (2.1), steals (1.7, 4th in WNBA), and blocks (0.8) per game.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643428">Flau&#8217;jae Johnson</a> (Seattle Storm)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270635" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270635" class="wp-image-270635" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2273794231-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Flau&#8217;jae Johnson #4 of the Seattle Storm</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 14.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.3 3PG, 39.8 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 28.2 MPG, 38 GP</li>
</ul>
Acquired by Seattle in a draft-night trade with Golden State, Johnson has emerged as a key piece of a young Storm core alongside Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam. Johnson has showcased her all-around game in her debut WNBA season. She leads all rookies in steals, ranks second in points and rebounds, and ranks third in blocks per game. Her eight 20+ point games are the second-most among all rookies.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643420">Laura Juskaite</a> (Toronto Tempo)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 10.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.0 3PG, 46.5 FG%, 31.7 3P%, 24.9 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The 28-year-old from Lithuania played professionally in Europe for over a decade before making her WNBA debut for the expansion Tempo in 2026. She is tied with Fudd for fourth among rookies in double-digit scoring games (21) and ranks seventh in scoring, sixth in rebounds, and third in steals across 40 games (32 starts).
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643449">Charlisse Leger-Walker</a> (Connecticut Sun)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 7.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.0 3PG, 37.8 FG%, 34.2 3P%, 23.6 MPG, 40 GP</li>
</ul>
The second-round pick (No. 18 overall) out of UCLA ranks second to Miles among rookies in assists and 19th among all WNBA players. She’s posted her two career-best scoring games over her last three contests as she looks to close out her rookie campaign on a high note.
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643426">Olivia Miles</a> (Minnesota Lynx)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 19.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.7 3PG, 49.5 FG%, 39.6 3P%, 30.9 MPG, 38 GP</li>
</ul>
Miles has delivered a historic debut season, placing herself in the league MVP conversation while establishing herself as the clear Rookie of the Year frontrunner. The No. 2 pick in the 2026 Draft not only leads all rookies in points and rebounds, but she also ranks eighth and seventh, respectively, across the entire league. She is on pace to break Caitlin Clark’s rookie scoring record (21 points away) and needs one more 20+ point game to break Seimone Augustus’ rookie record for most in league history (20 in 2006).
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<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1643445">Kiki Rice</a> (Toronto Tempo)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270640" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270640" class="wp-image-270640 size-full" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/Thumbnail-2026-09-15T103708.400-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Kiki Rice #1 of the Toronto Tempo</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.9 3PG, 48.1 FG%, 35.0 3P%, 26.6 MPG, 24 GP</li>
</ul>
A total of 22 players across the WNBA have averaged at least 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists this season — 16 of whom were 2026 All-Stars. Rice is one of only two rookies on the list (along with Miles) and has logged the fewest minutes per game of the group. That kind of company bodes well for Rice as the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft continues to develop her all-around game.
<hr />
<h2><a href="https://www.wnba.com/player/1642321">Sydney Taylor</a> (Chicago Sky)</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">2026 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 2.0 3PG, 43.5 FG%, 33.7 3P%, 20.3 MPG, 33 GP</li>
</ul>
Taylor, who went undrafted in 2024, etched her name in the WNBA history books with her clutch shooting. She became the first rookie to hit multiple game-winning shots with five seconds or fewer remaining (Aug. 1 vs. Las Vegas and Aug. 21 vs. Golden State). Taylor, whose 11 clutch 3-pointers lead all players in the league, ranks third among first-year players in scoring.

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2026 End-of-Season Awards Lookahead: WNBA All-Rookie Team

Season 30

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Rapid Reactions: WNBA Top 30

In pursuit of their fifth straight FIBA World Cup gold in Berlin, Team USA features a roster balanced with experience and youth.
Even without four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum, the vets on this squad — Chelsea Gray (33), Breanna Stewart (32), Kahleah Copper (32), Napheesa Collier (29) and Jackie Young (28) — still bring a packed trophy case and a wealth of familiarity with competition on the global stage.
The rest of the squad is loaded with players who may lack the international experience of the vets, but have proven early in their WNBA and USA Basketball careers that they have the talent to maintain Team USA’s gold-medal standard, while rewriting the WNBA record books in the process.
Let’s take a closer look at those seven players — a group headlined by the last four Rookie of the Year winners dating back to 2022 — as well as a 2026 rookie who is already chasing down some of those marks in another historic debut season.
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<h2>Rhyne Howard (2022)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270486" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270486" class="wp-image-270486" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2275912507-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Rhyne Howard #10 of the Atlanta Dream</div>
Howard leads the WNBA in total 3-pointers made (128) in 2026 and has never finished ranked outside the top 10 in any season of her career. Since entering the league in 2022, Howard ranks second in total 3-pointers made (494), trailing only Kelsey Mitchell (515).
That run got started in her rookie season as Howard finished third in the league and broke a 20-year-old record for most 3-pointers made in a season by a rookie with 85. Caitlin Clark has been the only player to top that mark in 2024.
In addition to her 3-point shooting record, Howard swept Rookie of the Month honors in 2022, something that Miles just repeated for the first time in 2026.
<hr />
<h2>Aliyah Boston (2023)</h2>
On her way to becoming only the fifth unanimous Rookie of the Year winner — joining A&#8217;ja Wilson (2018), Elena Delle Donne (2013), Tina Charles (2010) and Candace Parker (2008) — Boston made an immediate impact from day one in the WNBA.
She became the first (and still the only) rookie in WNBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage for a full season, shooting 57.8% from the field, which remains a career-high for the four-time All-Star. Boston also secured the second-most total rebounds by a rookie (335), trailing only Tina Charles.
Her 233 field goals made were the third most by a first-year player when she did it in 2023, but have since been topped by three players on this list: Clark, Paige Bueckers and Miles.
<hr />
<h2>Caitlin Clark (2024)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270487" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270487" class="wp-image-270487" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2291937994-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever</div>
After finishing her college career as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, Clark continued to get buckets, dish out dimes, and splash 3-pointers upon entering the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024.
She finished her rookie season with 769 points, 337 assists and 122 3-pointers made, setting the rookie records in all three categories and topping the previous marks held by Seimone Augustus (744 points in 2006), Ticha Penicheiro (224 assists in 1998) and Howard (85 3-pointers made in 2022), respectively.
On an individual game level, Clark became the first rookie to post a triple-double (19 pts, 12 reb, 13 ast vs. New York on July 6, 2024) and set the WNBA record for most assists in a game (19) among all players, not just rookies — a mark that still stands today. In her first All-Star Game, she set the rookie record for assists (10) while starting for Team WNBA against the 2024 USA Olympic team.
Clark’s rookie scoring record may not stand much longer as she leads Miles (749) by only 20 points with four games to play once the season resumes after the FIBA World Cup.
<hr />
Statistical Note
The number of games played has risen over the past five seasons, giving these new-age rookies more opportunities to add to their stat totals.
For example, Augustus holds the mark for highest scoring average by a rookie (21.9 over 34 games), while Clark ranks fourth for a full season (19.2 over 40 games) with Miles on track to pass her. However, Clark’s assist average (8.5) still topped Penicheiro’s 1998 mark (7.5).
Next year’s rookies will have a similar advantage in stat totals, as games played will increase to an all-time high of 50.
WNBA Games By Season
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">28 games: 1997</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">30 games: 1998</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">32 games: 1999-2002, 2021 (COVID)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">34 games: 2003-2019</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">22 games: 2020 (COVID)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">36 games: 2022</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">40 games: 2023-2024</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">44 games: 2025-2026</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">50 games: 2027</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Paige Bueckers (2025)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270488" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270488" class="wp-image-270488" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2287077955-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
Similar to Clark (WNBA record 19 assists in a game) and Angel Reese (a trio of records we break down below), Bueckers put herself in the WNBA record book — and not just the rookie section — in her debut season.
On Aug. 20, 2025, against Los Angeles, Bueckers became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 points or more while shooting at least 80% from the field in a game. She finished with a rookie-record 44 points while shooting 17-for-21 (81%) in a historically efficient performance.
Bueckers became the first rookie in WNBA history to average at least 15.0 points and 5.0 assists and shoot 45.0 percent or higher from the field in a season, while also becoming the fastest player to hit 500 points and 100 assists for her career. She finished the season ranked third all-time in total rookie points (692) and total rookie assists (194), although she’s since been bumped down a notch by Miles in both categories.
She finished tied for second in double-digit scoring games by a rookie (35), while posting the second-most games by a rookie with at least 20 points and five assists (10).
<hr />
<h2>Angel Reese (2024)</h2>
Reese established herself as one of the game’s premier rebounders during her collegiate run at LSU. She’s only added to that resume since entering the WNBA, as she posted three WNBA records (not rookie records) in her first season as a pro.
From June 1 &#8211; July 11, 2024, Reese played in 15 games for the Chicago Sky and racked up a double-double in each one of them, setting the record for the longest double-double streak that still stands to this day.
At the end of the season, Reese had collected 446 total rebounds and 172 offensive rebounds, setting the record for rebounding average (13.1) in league history. In fact, Reese owns the top three averages ever: 12.6 in 2025 and 12.4 so far in 2026.
Reese isn&#8217;t merely the only rookie to post three straight games with 20 or more rebounds — she&#8217;s the only player in WNBA history to have even two such games back-to-back. In addition to her season-long accolades, Reese also became the first rookie to post a double-double in the All-Star Game (12 pts, 11 reb).
<hr />
<h2>Sonia Citron / Kiki Iriafen (2025)</h2>
<div id="attachment_270489" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270489" class="wp-image-270489" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/09/GettyImages-2231359841-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kiki Iriafen #44 and Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics</div>
Following the selections of Bueckers and Dominique Malonga to open the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Mystics chose Citron and Iriafen with back-to-back picks at Nos. 3 and 4 as they looked to build a new foundation in The District. 
The duo made their mark for the Mystics during their rookie campaign. Citron set the record for most double-figure scoring games (38) by a rookie in league history, topping the previous mark of 35 set by Clark in 2024 and tied by Bueckers in 2025. Meanwhile, Iriafen collected the third-most rebounds by a rookie (376) in her first season, trailing only Charles (398) and Reese (446).
Both Citron and Iriafen earned All-Star honors in their debut season, becoming only the second rookie teammates to earn All-Star selections — and the first in 26 years, joining Shannon Johnson and Nykesha Sales (Orlando Miracle in 1999). Two years after being on the All-Rookie team together, Citron and Iriafen got the call to join Team USA together in Berlin to replace the injured Wilson and Plum.
<hr />
<h2>Olivia Miles (2026)</h2>
Miles is close to completing a rookie campaign for the ages, placing herself firmly in the league MVP race while being the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year honors.
As Miles chases the all-time rookie scoring record — she’s already set the Lynx’s franchise mark and now needs 21 points to surpass Clark’s current record — she continues to showcase her elite balance of scoring and playmaking. Miles became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 650 points and 200 assists, doing so in 32 games (one game faster than Clark&#8217;s 2024 pace).
At her current pace, Miles would finish the season with over 800 points and 250 assists, joining Clark as the only members of an exclusive club. If we want to compare averages to level the playing field across different season lengths, Miles (19.7 over 38 games) still ranks third behind Augustus (21.9 over 34 games in 2006) and Wilson (20.7 over 33 games in 2008).
In a June 4 win over Golden State, Miles scorched the nets with eight 3-pointers, setting the rookie record for most triples in a game, breaking the previous mark held by Clark and Crystal Robinson. The individual game records weren’t saved only for the regular season; Miles also topped Reese’s record for most rebounds (12) by a rookie in the WNBA All-Star Game.
As mentioned earlier, Miles swept this season’s four Rookie of the Month honors as she looks to cement herself among this group of new-era rookies ready to lead the WNBA moving forward.

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New-Era Rookies Shattering Records

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WNBA Primer: 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup

FIBA

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70 Current and Former WNBA Players to Participate in 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup

free

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Washington Mystics: The Coach and the Culture

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Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month: A’ja Wilson

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Kia WNBA Rookie of the Month: Olivia Miles

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Top 10 Plays of the Week

Power Rankings

As players head to Berlin to represent their respective countries in the FIBA World Cup, the WNBA season begins a 16-day pause through Sept. 16. 
The break offers a chance to take a snapshot of the standings before the regular season resumes on Sept. 17, with the final week of play determining playoff seeding.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">All teams have played a total of 40 games — 20 at home and 20 on the road.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">All teams have four games remaining — two each at home and on the road.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The eight playoff teams have been determined: Minnesota, Golden State, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Indiana, New York, Washington, and Dallas.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">The seven draft lottery teams are set: Portland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Toronto, Connecticut, and Seattle.</li>
</ul>
When it comes to playoff seeding, there are multiple races to be decided in the final week of the season:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which team will earn the No. 1 overall seed?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which four teams will secure home-court advantage in the first round?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Which teams will avoid the No. 8 seed and first-round matchup with No. 1?</li>
</ul>
We’ll dive into each of these questions as we break down how the teams stack up entering the FIBA break.
Note: Stats and rankings through games played on Aug. 30
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (31-9) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. NYL, Sept. 20 at CON, Sept. 22 at IND, Sept. 24 vs. IND</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_270364" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270364" class="wp-image-270364" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2291477857-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
With losses at Golden State and Atlanta, the Lynx dropped consecutive games for only the second time all season, and the first time since July 3-6. Despite the back-to-back defeats, the Lynx still hold a two-game lead over the Valkyries (and the head-to-head tiebreaker), which keeps Minnesota in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall seed. Meanwhile, on the historic front, Olivia Miles (749) passed Lynx legend Seimone Augustus (744 in 2006) for the second-most total points scored by a rookie in WNBA history, trailing only Caitlin Clark (769 in 2024).
<hr />
<h2>2. Golden State Valkyries (29-11) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. POR, Sept. 19 vs. SEA, Sept. 22 at POR, Sept. 24 at LAS</li>
</ul>
For the fourth time this season, the Valkyries followed consecutive losses with a win streak of at least four games, winning their final four contests (all on the road) entering the FIBA break. That streak included Golden State’s first-ever win over Minnesota after the Lynx won the first nine meetings between the regular season and playoffs since the Valkyries joined the league in 2025. That victory trimmed Minnesota’s lead for the top seed to two games with four to play. However, because Minnesota holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, Golden State must finish with a better record to take No. 1. Simultaneously, the Valkyries must fend off Las Vegas for the No. 2 seed. Golden State holds a two-game cushion, but the Aces own the tiebreaker.
<hr />
<h2>3. Las Vegas Aces (27-13) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at SEA, Sept. 20 vs. SEA, Sept. 22 vs. LAS, Sept. 24 at PHX</li>
</ul>
The Aces defeated the Tempo on Friday in their lone game of the week and their first since losing NaLyssa Smith for the season with a leg injury. Smith averaged 11.7 points on 63.8% shooting, with 6.4 rebounds across 38 games. The Aces signed 6-foot-7 center Kalani Brown on Saturday to help fill that void, with her debut coming after a busy FIBA World Cup break for the Aces, who will have four players participating in the tournament — Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young for the United States, Mai Yamamoto for Japan and Stephanie Talbot for Australia. When the season resumes, Vegas will make a final push for the No. 2 seed as the Aces have the easiest remaining schedule among all teams.
<hr />
<h2>4. Indiana Fever (26-14) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 at TOR, Sept. 20 vs. WAS, Sept. 22 vs. MIN, Sept. 24 at MIN</li>
</ul>
Conversely, the Fever face the second-toughest remaining schedule after the break, with three of their final four games coming against playoff teams. Indy enters the FIBA break, which will see Clark and Aliyah Boston representing the United States, having won seven of their last nine games as the Fever make a run for home-court advantage in the opening round. Indy currently sits No. 5 as Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker between the 26-14 teams. On a historic note, this past week saw Clark become the first player in WNBA history to post back-to-back games with 30+ points and 10+ assists, as well as Kelsey Mitchell becoming only the second player in league history to score at least 1,000 total points in a season, joining A’ja Wilson in 2024. Mitchell (career-high 25.0 ppg) trails only Wilson (26.0 ppg) in the scoring title race.
<hr />
<h2>5. Atlanta Dream (26-14) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. CON, Sept. 19 vs. CHI, Sept. 21 at NYL, Sept. 23 at NYL</li>
</ul>
The Dream enter the FIBA break on a high note after knocking off the league-leading Lynx at home for their fourth win in five games. The night marked the Dream debut of DeWanna Bonner, who signed with Atlanta following a contract buyout in Phoenix after the Mercury were eliminated from playoff contention. The game also featured Angel Reese’s 29th double-double, setting a new WNBA single-season record, as well as Rhyne Howard’s 128th 3-pointer of the season, tying the single-season record set by Sabrina Ionescu in 2023. Howard can break that mark once the season resumes, with the Dream facing Ionescu and the Liberty in their final two games of the season, both of which could be critical in the playoff seeding race.
<hr />
<h2>6. Dallas Wings (24-16) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_270365" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270365" class="wp-image-270365" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292334043-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The Dallas Wings huddle</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. LAS, Sept. 19 vs. PHX, Sept. 21 at PHX, Sept. 23 at SEA</li>
</ul>
After going just 2-7 coming out of the All-Star break to fall to eighth place in the league, Dallas has won four straight to create a three-way tie with New York and Washington at 24-16 for the Nos. 6-8 seeds in the playoff race. This is another space to discuss the importance of tiebreakers:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Dallas holds tiebreaker over New York</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Washington holds tiebreaker over Dallas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">New York holds tiebreaker over Washington</li>
</ul>
Should all three teams finish tied, the secondary tiebreaker will come into play: record against teams .500 or better. Currently, New York holds that mark (11-10), with Washington just behind (11-11) and Dallas well behind (8-15). With tiebreakers not on their side, the Wings need to keep winning if they want to climb the standings. Something in their favor: Dallas has the second-easiest remaining schedule among all teams and faces no playoff teams the remainder of the season.
<hr />
<h2>7. New York Liberty (24-16) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 at MIN, Sept. 20 at TOR, Sept. 21 vs. ATL, Sept. 23 vs. ATL</li>
</ul>
The word “break” does not really apply to the Liberty, as New York features a league-high six players suiting up in the FIBA World Cup. The Liberty enter the World Cup pause having won four of their last six games, putting themselves in a three-way battle with Dallas and Washington as they look for separation in the standings. However, of those three teams, New York faces the toughest remaining schedule with three of its final four games coming against playoff-bound teams.
<hr />
<h2>8. Washington Mystics (24-16) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at CHI, Sept. 20 at IND, Sept. 22 vs. CON, Sept. 24 vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
While Friday’s loss to Los Angeles snapped a three-game win streak, the Mystics have still won five of their last seven games entering the World Cup break. Once the season resumes, they close out the regular season with three lottery-bound teams and one showdown with the Indiana Fever — a rubber match in Indy after exactly two points decided both of the first two meetings.
<hr />
<h2>9. Portland Fire (16-24) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. PHX, Sept. 18 at GSV, Sept. 20 at LAS, Sept. 22 vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
With a 96-78 loss to Dallas last Tuesday, the Fire were officially eliminated from playoff contention in their first WNBA season in 24 years. Overall, the Fire have dropped four of their last five games entering the World Cup break, which will see four Portland players represented in the tournament, headlined by the Fire’s leading scorer, Carla Leite of France. Once the season resumes, the Fire have a chance to play spoiler as two of their final four games come against Golden State —  a team vying for the No. 1 seed in the postseason.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (15-25) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_270366" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-270366" class="wp-image-270366" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/08/GettyImages-2292520195-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Nneka Ogwumike #30 and Cameron Brink #22 of the Los Angeles Sparks</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at DAL, Sept. 20 vs. POR, Sept. 22 at LVA, Sept. 24 vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
Similar to the Fire, the Sparks will have a chance to impact the playoff races once the season resumes following the World Cup break, as three of their final four games come against playoff-bound teams (Dallas, Las Vegas and Golden State). Los Angeles enters the break having won three of its last four games with Nneka Ogwumike (21.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg) leading the way in the final weeks of her legendary career. This past week, Ogwumike climbed to 10th on the all-time list for games played and fourth all-time in steals. She needs just 25 points to become the fourth player ever to score 8,000 career points, joining Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles and DeWanna Bonner.
<hr />
<h2>11. Chicago Sky (15-25) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. WAS, Sept. 19 at ATL, Sept. 22 vs. TOR, Sept. 24 at WAS</li>
</ul>
This past week, Courtney Vandersloot joined Sue Bird (3,234) as the only players in WNBA history with at least 3,000 career assists. However, those dimes came in three consecutive losses as the Sky have swung through three-game streaks over their last nine contests (three losses, three wins, three losses). When the season resumes, the Sky can play a role in breaking the three-way tie between the Mystics, Liberty and Wings as two of Chicago’s final four games come against Washington, including the regular-season finale.
<hr />
<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury (14-26) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at POR, Sept. 19 at DAL, Sept. 21 vs. DAL, Sept. 24 vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
Saturday’s win over Toronto snapped a four-game skid for the Mercury, who will miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last 14 years. With their postseason fate sealed, the Mercury waived two-time champion DeWanna Bonner, who has since signed with the playoff-bound Dream. Atlanta isn’t the only contender affected by Phoenix; the Mercury face Dallas twice and Las Vegas once in the final week — two teams in the middle of tightly contested playoff races.
<hr />
<h2>13. Seattle Storm (8-32) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 vs. LVA, Sept. 19 at GSV, Sept. 20 at LVA, Sept. 23 vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
No team faces a tougher schedule once the season resumes than the Storm, who will take on the Aces (twice), the Valkyries and the Wings to close out the regular season. This will also close out the debut seasons for Seattle rookies Flau&#8217;jae Johnson and Awa Fam. Johnson is on pace to finish second among rookies in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (4.8 rpg), first in steals (1.3 spg) and third in blocks (0.7 bpg), while Fam leads all rookies in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and blocks (0.8 bpg).
<hr />
<h2>14. Connecticut Sun (10-30) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 17 at ATL, Sept. 20 vs. MIN, Sept. 22 at WAS, Sept. 24 vs. TOR</li>
</ul>
Before Tuesday’s game against Chicago, the Sun honored former star Tina Charles, whom Connecticut drafted No. 1 overall in 2010 and who won league MVP for the Sun in 2012, as part of their “Sun Legends” celebration in their final WNBA season before relocating to Houston next year. The team has already recognized Jonquel Jones, Jasmine Thomas, Curt Miller and Alyssa Thomas, and will cap it off with former coach Mike Thibault on Sept. 20. After the Sun beat the Sky, they dropped three straight games to teams that have clinched playoff berths (Golden State, Indiana and Dallas) and will face three more in the final week of the regular season (Atlanta, Minnesota and Washington) before closing out the Connecticut Sun era at home against Toronto at Mohegan Sun on Sept. 24.
<hr />
<h2>15. Toronto Tempo (11-29) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Remaining Schedule: Sept. 18 vs. IND, Sept. 20 vs. NYL, Sept. 22 at CHI, Sept. 24 at CON</li>
</ul>
The Tempo enter the World Cup break having lost four straight and 16 of their last 17 games, as injuries and overseas commitments have hit their roster. Britteny Sykes (foot) and Aneesah Morrow (knee) are already out for the remainder of the season, and Marina Mabrey (adductor) may join them once she is reevaluated in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Nyara Sabally, Maria Conde and Julie Allemand were temporarily suspended this week to begin their World Cup responsibilities with their respective national teams. When the season resumes in September, keep an eye on matchups with Indiana and New York that could be important to the postseason races before Toronto closes its inaugural season with a final game in Connecticut.
&nbsp;

Pick	Name	Position	College/Country
3	Sonia Citron	Guard	Notre Dame / United States
4	Kiki Iriafen	Forward	USC / United States
6	Georgia Amoore	Guard	Kentucky / Australia
23	Lucy Olsen	Guard	Iowa / United States
32	Zaay Green	Guard	Alabama / United States

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