As of this writing, we are roughly a week into the 30th WNBA season.
The season is more of a marathon than it has ever been – and will be even moreso in the future considering commissioner Cathy Engelbert is mentioning 50-plus game seasons.
There is still more than enough season to go. There are already a number of themes that appear to be emerging in the early going of the 2026 season. The ensuing games will determine if these themes remain the same or if there are changes that develop. Here are five early thoughts as the 2026 WNBA season is now underway.
Olivia Miles
The Minnesota Lynx entered its 2026 season with a major question mark. With Napheesa Collier having suffered an injury, this left a massive void on its roster for at least the opening portions of a season.
One cannot simply replace someone such as Phee – but a team can have players that will step up in her stead.
Following the Dallas Wings’ selection of Azzi Fudd with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, the Lynx followed by drafting Olivia Miles out of TCU second. The drafting of Miles is proving to be a home run for Minnesota.
Through three games, she is averaging 16.3 points per contest – not to mention seven assists. Miles is also the first player in WNBA history with at least 45 points and 20 dimes in her first three contests.
Flau’jae Johnson with the Seattle Storm and Pauline Astier at the New York Liberty are also putting together stellar rookie seasons. But the minutes and trust that coach Cheryl Reeve has put in Miles has her as the early leader for Rookie of the Year.
Chennedy Carter
Prior to this season, the last time we saw Carter in WNBA threads was in 2024 when she was part of a nucleus of a Chicago Sky assembling that had a trying year that season – both on and off the court.
She put up massive numbers in 2025 in China but one had to believe that she had to be on a WNBA roster again considering what she can get accomplished.
It happens more often than not – the Las Vegas Aces catching the rest of the league napping and it occurred again when Vegas decided to bring Hollywood to Sin City.
Carter recently scored 20 points as the Aces earned a hard-fought 85-84 victory over the Dream. She only tallied 10 in the season opener with the Mercury, but had 22 in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks and 27 and 18 in back-to-back victories over the Connecticut Sun. If she keeps balling out like this, one can engrave Carter’s name on the Sixth Woman of the Year trophy.
Connecticut Sun
With the impending move to Houston lurking, the Sun are branding its 2026 campaign as its “Sunset Season.” The way 2026 has unfolded so far, it appears the Sun may be setting sooner than we think.
Connecticut is 0-4 this season and have all the reason to effectively punt on this year considering JuJu Watkins will likely bring her talents to the W following her 2026-27 season at USC.
Debuting Watkins to Houston would certainly put an exclamation point on the return of the Comets. But this has to sting even more for proud hoops aficionados throughout New England that, so far, their team appears to be going out with a whimper instead of a bang.
There is still plenty of time, obviously for Connecticut to turn things around. Brittney Griner, Aneesah Morrow, Diamond Miller and Hailey Van Lith have been bright spots. Losing to the defending champions by seven is a step in the right direction for Rachid Meziane’s team. But 0-4 is still 0-4.
Las Vegas Aces
Speaking of the Aces…they are in midseason form and we are only five games into Las Vegas’ season.
Getting blown out by the Mercury is looking more and more like an anomaly as more games elapse this season. There is a reason why coach Becky Hammon’s Aces have won three of the last four championships and Las Vegas is looking like the team to beat once again.
Chelsea Gray is looking like Chelsea Gray. Jackie Young is looking like Jackie Young. And – of course – the Aces have A’ja Wilson (and she recently dropped 45 points on the Sun last week).
Chicago Sky
The team residing in the Midwest’s flagship market has become a euphemism for “mid” in WNBA circles.
Sans 2021, it is a franchise that has seemingly had the polar opposite of the Midas touch throughout its history.
Even as maligned as Chicago has been throughout its 21 seasons as a franchise, the Sky have actually jumped out to a promising start to this season.
The Sky are actually 3-1 – only behind the Aces and Liberty in the standings. One can expect Chicago to begin coming back down to Earth as the season goes on but 3-1 is 3-1.
The additions of Skylar Diggins and Rickea Jackson have paid dividends for the Sky this season. The team was recently snakebit by an injury to Jackson at a recent game at Minnesota – one Chicago won. Hopefully her injury is not too serious.
