RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sources
Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images, Brett Davis-Imagn Images, Reuters images
The eight teams in the 2026 WNBA playoff field have already been determined. Now, those eight teams are vying for playoff seeding, and it’s going to be up to the league’s stars to set their teams up for success.
As the playoffs draw nearer, we put together a list of the top five stars heading into the dance. This list doesn’t take career accolades into account. Rather, this is about whose game is peaking heading into the most important time of the season.
5. Angel Reese
A change of scenery was just what the doctor ordered for Reese. After being traded from the Chicago Sky in the defining move of last offseason, Reese is having a career year with the Dream. Reese has established herself as the best rebounder in the league, and she’s also shown that she’s capable of extending the floor, although she still lacks the scoring consistency that could land her higher on this list.
Even with less-than-impressive efficiency, the Bayou Barbie’s impact cannot be overstated, not only on the glass but also on the defensive end. She came up short late against the Fever recently, but more often than not, you’ll want to take Reese’s side in a tight game.
4. Kelsey Mitchell
The Indiana Fever have the best backcourt in the WNBA, and that’s thanks in large part to the career year Kelsey Mitchell is having. As impressive as Mitchell’s 25 ppg average is, what’s even more stunning is the efficiency with which she’s putting the ball in the basket. Mitchell is shooting 51.3% from the field, and a staggering 45.% from the three-point line.
She’s getting it done from everywhere and every way. Catch-and-shoot, pull-up dribble, slashes, it hasn’t mattered. When Indiana needs a basket, she delivers.
3. Olivia Miles
Miles is all but guaranteed to come away with the Rookie of the Year award unanimously, and she’s got quite the MVP case as well. Miles has led Minnesota to the one-seed as things stand, and for most of the season she’s been without Napheesa Collier.
The spectacle is shooting 49.5% from the field and 39.7% from behind the arc, and she’s getting it done in style.
THE SPECTACLE SHOWED OUT.
20 PTS | 7 AST | 80% FG pic.twitter.com/u87vpltWUS
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 20, 2026
Miles is top ten in both points and assists, and has scored 17 20-point games for the league’s best team. It’s a shame we couldn’t place her higher, but that’s how good the players on this list are.
2. Caitlin Clark
The Face. Clark is finally healthy, and defenses have no idea how to contain her. She’s averaging 22.5 ppg and 8.4 assists per game, the only player in the top three of both categories. This season, the sharpshooter has shown a willingness to get it done from the midrange area as well and is embracing contact on her drives, leaving her all but indefensible.
Caitlin whewwww pic.twitter.com/3ky39VEw6N
— Shabazz (@ShowCaseShabazz) August 29, 2026
A big part of Kelsey Mitchell’s success has come from the otherworldly gravity that Clark commands from opponents. Clark’s stellar play this season has allowed an extremely thin Indiana roster to look like a legitimate title contender at points throughout the season. If she can keep it up, the Fever will be legitimate title contenders.
1. A’ja Wilson
Once again, it’s her M’VP to lose. Wilson is leading the league in scoring with 26 ppg and is also first in blocks and third in rebounding. This version of Wilson, who is just as comfortable from the three-point line as the mid-to-low post, is the most complete player the WNBA has ever seen.
A’ja Wilson tonight:
• 27 points
• 8 rebounds
• 2 assists
• 2 blocks
• 10/17 FG
• 30 minutes played pic.twitter.com/0EZIv4bDlF
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) August 29, 2026
Wilson doesn’t have a single hole in her game, and the only player who has shown consistently capable of slowing her down this season has been Fever star Aaliyah Boston. The Aces don’t have the best record in the WNBA, but there’s no question that they have the best player.
The post Top five players in the WNBA entering the 2026 playoffs appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.