It’s FINALLY here! The 2026 WNBA season has arrived! After wondering if we were going to even have a season to now, the anticipation is at an all-time high! With the season kicking off today, it seemed only right to drop our thoughts, predictions, and more about how we feel the season could shake out. Fans voted, media members/colleagues voted as well, and I will give you my official votes and discuss if I agree or disagree with the fans and the media members we polled.
MVP:
Fan Vote (Top 2): Paige Bueckers – Dallas Wings 44% / A’Ja Wilson – Las Vegas 35%
Media/JAS Staff Vote: A’Ja Wilson – Las Vegas x5, Alyssa Thomas – Phoenix Mercury, Paige Bueckers – Dallas Wings
Eric’s Prediction: Paige Bueckers – Dallas Wings
Thoughts:
I would start out and say that two things come to mind immediately when I think about the MVP. First, Napheesa Collier would be my pick and rightfully so, the favorite if she were healthy and playing at the start of the season, especially coming off only the second-ever 50/40/90 season in WNBA history last season. Secondly, I fully respect and understand A’Ja Wilson’s greatness and why she is always at the top of the list of MVP discussions, but I do feel in sports and media, voter fatigue and the desire for new blood play into decisions. I also feel Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are some of the biggest names the game has ever seen. I feel if Dallas and Indiana have improved seasons and those two players are leading the charge and putting up numbers that they are more than capable of putting up, they will get the nod at MVP. My pick is Paige as I feel she has an improved cast of players around her and now has a coach who can maximize the talent the team has, unlike last season.
ROY:
Fan Vote (Top 2): Olivia Miles – Minnesota Lynx 49% / Azzi Fudd – Dallas Wings 27%
Media/JAS Staff Vote: Olivia Miles – Minnesota Lynx x2, Azzi Fudd – Dallas Wings, Awa Fam – Seattle Storm, Lauren Betts – Washington Mystics, KiKi Rice – Toronto Tempo, Juste Jocyte – Golden State Valkyries
Eric’s Prediction: Lauren Betts – Washington Mystics
Thoughts:
First, I come at this as a Minnesota Lynx fan, but also a fan who was disappointed in their draft. I personally was hoping for Lauren Betts to be in a Lynx uniform this upcoming season. However, while I don’t dislike Olivia Miles, and it seems pretty universal, she is projected by a lot of media to be the ROY, I have to go with Betts on this one and say she seems more than ready and prepared to be a massive piece for the Mystics. They have a young core, and she slides right into that starting center position and should have all the minutes and opportunities to have the award be hers to lose in my opinion.
COY:
Fan Vote (Top 2): Cheryl Reeve – Minnesota Lynx 68% / Jose Fernandez – Dallas Wings 22%
Media/JAS Staff Vote: Karl Smesko – Atlanta Dream x4, Jose Fernandez – Dallas Wings x2, Nate Tibbetts – Phoenix Mercury, Cheryl Reeve – Minnesota Lynx
Eric’s Prediction: Jose Fernandez – Dallas Wings
Thoughts:
As previously stated, I am an unapologetic and loyal Minnesota Lynx fan. I also come from the school of thought that Cheryl Reeve is far and away the best coach in the league, and frankly, I don’t feel it’s that close. She has arguably one of her greatest tasks to date with this updated and young roster this season. I’m not sure what to expect from the Lynx, but if they have even middle to high-level success, Cheryl will find her way to the top of the COY discussion once again. However, similar to the MVP, I feel Dallas is leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last season. They are expected and, barring crazy things falling apart, should take a massive leap forward this season. I feel awards will be plenty for the Wings this season, and my vote for COY goes to Jose, who has a golden opportunity to take the league by storm in front of him.
Breakout Star:
Fan Vote (Top 2): Rickea Jackson – Chicago Sky 40% / Bridget Carleton – Portland Fire 38%
Media/JAS Staff Vote: Chennedy Carter – Las Vegas Aces x2, Rickea Jackson – Chicago Sky x2, Cameron Brink – Los Angeles Sparks, Maddy Siegrist – Dallas Wings, Janelle Salaun – Golden State Valkyries, Bridget Carleton – Portland Fire, Paige Bueckers – Dallas Wings, Dominique Malonga – Seattle Storm, Aliyah Boston – Indiana Fever, Saniya Rivers – Connecticut Sun, Rhyne Howard – Atlanta Dream
Eric’s Prediction: Rickea Jackson – Chicago Sky or Marina Mabrey – Toronto Tempo
Thoughts:
With the movement around the league this season after the historic CBA deal, there truly could be twenty to thirty players who could be in for a career year or put up massive numbers. A lot of role players now shift into main character roles and are expected and being paid with the expectation to put up numbers that rival the best of the best in the league. My picks for this fall into two different categories why I feel they are in for a big-time season. Rickea to me gets a fresh start and gets to learn from veterans who will take pressure off her but also put her in spots where she can be her best and use her natural skills to their full potential. I feel she has been a growing star the last few seasons since entering the league, and now could be looking at that breakout year where she makes herself a household name. Marina, on the other hand, has had productive and successful seasons in her career at Dallas and Connecticut, but now she is making the big bucks and is the face and go-to of the new Toronto franchise. A million-dollar contract signals that the Tempo feels she is ready to be a top-five or top-ten-level player in this league and if her performance at Unrivaled is any indication, I feel they might have put their money in the right place for that bet.
Team that will Shock People:
Fan Vote (Top 2): Minnesota Lynx 65% / Chicago Sky 18%
Media/JAS Staff Vote: Minnesota Lynx x2, Phoenix Mercury x2, Toronto Tempo x2, Washington Mystics x2, Golden State Valkyries, Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks,
Eric’s Prediction: Chicago Sky
Thoughts:
This was another category that truly could have gone multiple different ways. Some voters could view this as a team that shocks in a negative way or a positive way. A lot of teams look brand new and have reset almost their entire roster. My vote for the Sky is massively due to the positive and frankly homerun of a free agency they were able to put together coming off a year that was a PR nightmare. In-fighting, trading their most marketable player after basically fumbling her while she was there in the first place, typically doesn’t set the standard of success, but the Sky hit it out of the park when you see what they added. Skylar Diggins, Rickea Jackson, and Azura Stevens instantly give them depth, leadership, and exciting talent that can take this team to massive heights during the 2026 season. Not to mention adding Natasha Cloud late into the training camp season. This has all the makings of a team that could truly be a contender or a team that could self-implode under the big personalities and front office issues that still loom under the surface. I’m putting my money on them shocking the league this year and being one of the best teams to watch.
