Contenders to rebuilders: WNBA championship tiers for the 2026 season

When the 2026 WNBA season tips off on Friday, May 8, teams start separating themselves into competitive tiers. In 2025, the Las Vegas Aces finished one of the greatest title runs in league history. With .

500 record at the All-Star break, Las Vegas rattled off 16 straight wins to get to the postseason. The Aces then survived two down-to-the-wire playoff matchups with the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever to reach the Finals, where they later swept the Phoenix Mercury. That sort of grit and determination places the Aces on a different level than many franchises and, for the 2026 season, automatically places them in the championship contender tier once again.

Who else has a chance to win a title this season? Which teams have more work to do? From contenders to rebuilding, here's where each franchise lands in USA TODAY's tiers ahead of the season tip off.

(Each tier has teams listed in alphabetical order. ) : Tier 1: Championship contenders Atlanta Dream: While Atlanta lost center Brittney Griner to free agency, it returned four of five starters, a major victory for a team pushing to surpass a franchise-best 30 wins achieved last season. The Dream also returned the leader of its bench unit, Sixth Player of the Year Naz Hillmon, and added two-time All-Star Angel Reese via trade .