Key Takeaways
- Four-time WNBA Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper previews the 2026 playoffs and calls the A’ja Wilson-led Las Vegas Aces the championship favorites despite their defensive issues and NaLyssa Smith’s season-ending injury.
- Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell power Indiana’s elite offense, while Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray make fourth-seeded Atlanta a dangerous matchup.
- The preview also sizes up Golden State’s defense and depth against Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings and top-seeded Minnesota’s title push behind Olivia Miles and the returning Napheesa Collier.
The WNBA celebrated its 30th anniversary season this summer but 2026 was a greater reflection of the league’s present and future than of its past.
The W has achieved labor peace through a seven-year CBA agreement and is thriving financially thanks to an eleven-year $3.1 billion media rights deal with Amazon, Disney, and NBC. Ratings are up. The spotlight has never been brighter.
Though there were several off-court controversies (outgoing WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s questionable leadership; Sophie Cunningham’s comments regarding transgender athletes; the sad Enes Kanter saga), the focus never strayed from the product on the court. The league is awash in talent and it will be on full display when the first round of the WNBA playoffs tip-off on Sunday, September 27.
Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Olivia Miles, and Breanna Stewart, are all chasing A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, winners of three of the last four WNBA championships.
“The 2026 WNBA championship goes through the Aces,” four-time WNBA Finals MVP Cynthia Cooper tells Complex.
It’s too early to pick a winner but Cooper, a four-time WNBA champion now in her first season as an analyst for Prime Video, knows one thing for certain: everyone has to step their game up.
“You cannot be the same player in the playoffs that you were in the regular season and think you’re going to win a championship," she says. “The playoffs are a different beast. It’s a lot more physical, it’s faster, teams are more focused, and there’s a level of drive and intensity that you not just have to match, you have to surpass if you want to come out on the winning end.”
This is the 2026 WNBA Playoff Preview.
The Aces remain the favorites but are vulnerable.
Third-seeded Las Vegas won the WNBA championship last season from the two-seed but face significant roadblocks in their quest for a fourth chip in five seasons. A season-ending leg injury to NaLyssa Smith further hampered their team defense which has been an issue all season. Still, Cooper considers them the favorites.
“If you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best,” Cooper says.
Vegas sports a championship core led by Wilson, point guard Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young, who averaged a career-high 18.9 points per game this season. “Jackie has just been playing phenomenal basketball. She really steps up to the plate when greatness is needed—and that is the mark of a great player, a champion.”
In the first round, the Aces face a stiff test from Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and the Indiana Fever.
The Fever’s offense is historically great but defense remains an issue.
Clark and Mitchell form the best backcourt in the WNBA; Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham can get buckets as well. But Indiana is the worst defensive team in the playoffs and were just 10-13 against playoff teams.
“They have the talent,” Cooper says. “But when you have good perimeter defenders that limit Caitlin and Kelsey, they struggle. They’re not able to really get the shots and shoot in the rhythm like they're used to. And I think that's when they struggle a little bit.
“But when Aliyah knocks down that three point shot and stretches the defense, when you have Monique Billings running that floor, it keeps the pressure on the defense. . . and that then gives Caitlin the opportunity to not just fire up three pointers, but hit the mid-range shot and get to the rim. When Caitlin can score on all three levels like Kelsey does, then she is just a beast and she is a bear to stop.”
The Atlanta Dream are a dangerous 4-seed
The Dream, who open up against the young Washington Mystics, have taken off following their offseason trade for Angel Reese. In her first season in Atlanta, Reese posted career highs in points, was a disruptive defensive presence, and, once again, led the WNBA in double-doubles while making her third consecutive All-Star game.
“Angel has been really great, and it’s not just her nose for rebounds,” Cooper says. “No one realizes how crafty she is defensively. She’s defending guards, getting deflections, causing turnovers. She has really showcased all that she’s capable of doing both offensively and defensively.
With Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, the Dream sport a Big Three that makes them a tough out.
Golden State doesn’t have a traditional superstar. That hasn’t mattered yet.
The Valkyries had only one All-Star (Gabby Williams) and just three players averaging double-digits, yet they earned the second best record in the league in just their second season of existence. How did they do it? Defense, depth, and three-point shooting. Golden State leads the league in nearly all defensive categories, they sank the most three-pointers and had 10 players averaging double digit minutes per game.
“The Valkyries have so many different weapons even coming off the bench,” Cooper says. “You got Kaila Charles and Veronica Burton knocking down shots. They have the kid Kaitlyn Chen coming off the bench. Having Kiah Stokes back gives them a lift. And then they have [Janelle] Salaun from that three-point line, which you saw during the World Cup. And they have Gabby. Gabby is just gaining more confidence. I don’ t think she’s absolutely comfortable in the superstar role but her game screams superstar—knocking down a three, getting to the rim, playing great defense. The Valkyries are difficult to play against because they have multiple people that can kill you at any time.”
Golden State opens up against Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
The Minnesota Lynx have the league’s best record—and something to prove.
For the second straight season, the Minnesota Lynx earned the best regular season record in the WNBA. They hope that’s where the 2025 comparisons end. Last season, the Lynx imploded in the semifinals, losing 3-1 to the Phoenix Mercury. “They underachieved and I think they are feeling that,” Cooper says, “and so I believe they’re going to be ready.”
Perennial All-Star Napheesa Collier is back after ankle injuries forced her to miss the first 27 games of the season; Kayla McBride is playing the best ball of her career and Natasha Howard was an All-Star in her 13th season. But the Lynx are in this position due primarily to the play of rookie sensation Olivia Miles. “Olivia is a showstopper,” Cooper says. “She has also helped the reintegrating Napheesa [when she returned from injury]. McBride provides clutch shots and great defense and Courtney Williams provides energy and helps maintain a certain level of play.
“I think Minnesota is really focused because of what happened last year. I think they have that drive you need to fight for a championship. Let’s see if they get over the hump.”
