The Las Vegas Aces have reclaimed the top spot in the WNBA power rankings following a four-game winning streak through games played on May 17 and May 18, 2026, according to reports from wnba.
com and USA Today.
After losing their regular-season opener to the Phoenix Mercury, the defending champions rebounded with a series of victories.
A late game-winner by Chelsea Gray against the Atlanta Dream helped fuel the turnaround.
Aces forward A'ja Wilson made history with a 45-point performance in a 101-94 win over the Connecticut Sun.
New bench addition Chennedy Carter contributed a combined 97 points across her first five games, providing a significant boost.
Liberty Drop to Second After Upset Loss
The New York Liberty fell to second place following a 98-96 upset loss to the expansion Portland Fire.
However, they quickly secured a 100-82 victory in a rematch two days later.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with an average of 23.0 points per game.
Undrafted French rookie Pauline Astier scored 20 points off the bench while starters Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally remained sidelined by injuries.
The Atlanta Dream climbed to third place after pushing the Aces to a one-point finish.
Allisha Gray delivered a 25-point performance, and rookie Madina Okot recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Chicago Sky secured the fourth spot with a 3-1 record, boasting the league's top-rated defense that held opponents to a 38.1% field goal percentage.
However, they lost leading scorer Rickea Jackson to a season-ending knee injury.
According to Her Hoop Stats via the New York Times, Chicago benefited from early opponent shooting struggles from beyond the arc.
Rookie Gabriela Jaquez stepped up to average 12.5 points and nearly six rebounds per game.
The Golden State Valkyries ranked fifth after opening their second franchise season with a 2-1 record, despite a recent 69-63 loss to Chicago where they shot 29.3% from the field.
ESPN reported that Golden State faced offseason criticism for trading draft pick Flau'jae Johnson to Seattle for Marta Suarez, whom they subsequently waived.
Early performances by Janelle Salaun and Kayla Thornton secured two initial wins.
The Phoenix Mercury occupied the sixth position, averaging a league-best 38.5% from three-point range. Serbian rookie Jovana Nogic, 28, averaged 16 points per game.
The Washington Mystics stood at seventh after participating in the league's only two overtime games of the early season, losing to New York before defeating the Indiana Fever 104-102.
The Indiana Fever dropped to eighth place due to a defensive unit that allowed 91.8 points per game.
Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for career games with 20-plus points and 10-plus assists.
The Minnesota Lynx held ninth place while competing without perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier and losing rookie center Emma Cechova to a torn ACL.
The Dallas Wings fell to tenth place after failing to maintain fourth-quarter leads against Atlanta and Minnesota, drawing public frustration from the coaching staff regarding roster roles.
Swish Appeal noted a broader league-wide trend toward high-frequency whistle blowing, recording 1,316 total fouls through the first 10 days of the season for an average of 21.9 fouls per team per game.
A matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and Toronto Tempo on Sunday exemplified the statistical surge, resulting in 59 called fouls and 72 total free-throw attempts.
"That was ugly. That was hard to watch.
72 free throws? I get it, they're trying to clean it up, but that's painful.
So, it is hard.
I think Toronto went five minutes in the third quarter without attempting a field goal because they just were shooting free throws," said Lynne Roberts, Head Coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Additional league trends tracked by Swish Appeal showed a league-wide drop in three-point accuracy to 33.2%, accompanied by an increase in inside production to 39.2 points in the paint per game.
