WNBA season preview: Breaking down the league into four tiers

Now that WNBA teams have mostly settled their rosters, it’s time to rank them. The Sun-Times presents a four-tiered system to rank teams ahead of the league's 30th season.

Tier 1: Blessed by roster continuity and star power, Tier 1 teams will be competing for a championship.

Aces
The defending champs have the whole crew on board. A’ja Wilson? Check. Jackie Young? Check. Everyone else? Check. They also apparently felt secure enough to take a flier on Chennedy Carter, who has bounced in and out of the league in recent years. But Sky fans will remember her as one of the most talented guards in the game right now.

Liberty
The Liberty are looking at a potential starting five of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Satou Sabally, Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. That’s unfair and should not be permitted for the safety and well-being of other teams. To rub salt in the wound, they’ll still bring two excellent guards — Leonie Fiebich and Marine Johannes — off the bench.

Dream
After getting upset in the first round of the playoffs last year, coach Karl Smesko wanted to run it back. So they locked up Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Brionna Jones, Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon on multiyear deals, then broke hearts in Chicago by adding Angel Reese. Maybe not quite worthy of the Dream Team nickname, but they’re not too far off, either.

Tier 2: These teams have a lot going for them and probably see themselves as Tier 1 contenders. But they still need to address a few chinks in their armor. 

Lynx
The Lynx have two problems. First and foremost, Napheesa Collier is injured and has yet to announce when she’ll return. Second, they were ravaged by the expansion draft and free agency, losing Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard. They did retain All-Stars Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, and snagged a generational passer in Olivia Miles in the draft. But that group won’t scare anyone until Collier is back.

Fever
What the Fever really needed to do was add a stretch big in free agency. They couldn’t quite make it happen — Azurá Stevens headed to Chicago and Alanna Smith signed with the Wings. Still, they retained their Big Three of Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, and added forward Monique Billings. Clark and Billings were cooking in the pick-and-roll during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Mercury
The 2025 runners-up fell to Tier 2 because they lost Satou Sabally to the Liberty. They also lost two key rotation players, Kitija Laksa and Kathryn Westbeld, in the expansion draft. Will a Big Two of Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper be enough to keep them in championship contention? Doubtful.

Tier 3: These teams will be fighting for a playoff spot. Historically, WNBA teams didn’t even have to be that good to make the postseason, since eight of 12 got in. Now that expansion has grown the league to 15 teams, making the playoffs will actually be an accomplishment.

Sparks
Kelsey Plum is at the peak of her powers, and the Sparks made solid moves around her, bringing in Nneka Ogwumike and Ariel Atkins in the offseason. Plus, Cameron Brink will be fully healthy for the first time since being drafted in 2024.

Wings
The Wings fixed their frontcourt by raiding the Lynx, grabbing Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard in free agency. Now it’s time to find out if the Paige Bueckers–Arike Ogunbowale guard duo really works.

Valkyries
Expansion teams aren’t supposed to make the playoffs in their first season, but coach Natalie Nakase proved everyone wrong, and she did it without a marquee name. Now she’s got one in All-Star Gabby Williams.

Sky
The Sky now have two of the most accomplished point guards in Skylar Diggins and Courtney Vandersloot, and young talent in Rickea Jackson, Kamilla Cardoso and Jacy Sheldon. It may be their best roster since 2023.

Tier 4: These teams appear to be on the outside looking into the playoff picture. But most are building around exciting young players, and some might even surprise.

Tempo
Can coach Sandy Brondello turn this team into last year’s Valkyries? Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes and Nyara Sabally give her some firepower, but the Canadians will be underdogs from the jump.

Storm
Will Dominique Malonga prove she’s in the same franchise-altering class as Bueckers? The No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft looks ready for true stardom.

Mystics
Will Lauren Betts fit alongside young pillars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen? Washington now has an army of young talent, though it’s still a little unclear how it all fits together.

Sun (will be Comets in 2027)
Is Aaliyah Edwards on the cusp of a breakout year? If she takes that step, the Sun will have a nice core of Edwards, Saniya Rivers, Aneesah Morrow and Leïla Lacan to take to Houston.

Fire
Who will the Fire target in the 2027 draft lottery? Their roster looks thin this year, but could get a major glow-up next season with JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Madison Booker all becoming draft-eligible.