🏀 WNBA Championship Odds 2026: Best Bet & Top 5 Title Contenders

In the most anticipated season in league history, the New York Liberty (+230) and Las Vegas Aces (+450) enter 2026 as the WNBA championship odds favorites.

Over the last eight years, the WNBA championship has been hoisted at the end of the season six times by either A'ja Wilson or Breanna Stewart. Wilson has led the Aces to three of the last four championships, while Stewart won two with the Seattle Storm before leading her current team, the New York Liberty, to the title two years ago.

But with Caitlin Clark healthy for the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream making a splash by acquiring Angel Reese, will a new face of the league emerge to stop one of the future Hall of Famers from winning a fourth title?

🏆 WNBA championship odds: Power ranking the contenders

Check out the latest WNBA championship odds.

Honorable mentions: Phoenix Mercury (+3000 via DraftKings), Los Angeles Sparks (+1800 via FanDuel)

🔬 Breaking down the 2026 WNBA title favorites

Stats from 2025 season via ESPN and basketball reference.

1. Las Vegas Aces (+450)

• 2026 Basketball Power Index rank: 3.6 (2nd)
• 2025 offensive rating (rank)/defensive rating (rank): 108.1 (5th)/104.4 (8th)
• Returning starters: A'ja Wilson (23.4 PPG), Jackie Young (16.5 PPG), Chelsea Gray (11.2 PPG), Jewell Loyd (11.2 PPG), NaLyssa Smith (8.2 PPG)
• Biggest addition: Chennedy Carter (17.5 PPG in 2024)
• Best player: A'ja Wilson (9.5 win shares)

The reigning champs top my WNBA championship power rankings, and with good reason. They're running it back. The entire starting five returns for head coach Becky Hammon, who, despite a lack of depth on her roster, still has the best player in the league to carry the load.

Wilson is coming off a WNBA record fourth MVP and is among the favorites by the WNBA MVP odds to bring home her fifth this season. Not only is she a force offensively, having led the league in PPG and offensive win shares (6.2) last season, but she remains the league's best defensive player after winning her third DPOY last year.

With Wilson dominating both ends and surrounded by veteran multi-time All-Stars in Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd, Vegas is built to make yet another postseason run behind their continuity and chemistry. The key will be staying healthy while carrying the momentum of last year's 25-3 stretch that ended with the Aces sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals.

2. New York Liberty (+230)

• 2026 Basketball Power Index rank: 4.0 (1st)
• 2025 offensive rating (rank)/defensive rating (rank): 108.3 (4th)/103.1 (6th)
• Returning starters: Breanna Stewart (18.3 PPG), Sabrina Ionescu (18.2 PPG), Jonquel Jones (13.6 PPG), Leonie Fiebich (8.7 PPG)
• Biggest addition: Satou Sabally (16.3 PPG)
• Best player: Breanna Stewart (4.9 win shares)

Although the Liberty return one of the WNBA's all-time best one-two punches in Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, while adding another All-Star in Satou Sabally, I'm not sure they should be such clear favorites at our best sports betting sites.

Letting Sandy Brondello go, who's now the Toronto Tempo's head coach, was a fairly surprising move. In the four seasons before they hired her, New York was 31-91, and in the four seasons with her at the helm, the Liberty were 107-53 with a championship. I think it's fair to assume there will be an adjustment period with former Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as bench boss ... he's never coached in the W before.

Still, a team with Stewie, Ionescu, Sabally, and Jonquel Jones (plus top-notch depth) is going to be among the best in the league, especially after this team led the WNBA in true shooting percentage (57.4%) last season. But we need to see how it looks with DeMarco running the show to justify these short odds.

3. Atlanta Dream (+650)

• 2026 Basketball Power Index rank: 3.1 (4th)
• 2025 offensive rating (rank)/defensive rating (rank): 110.5 (2nd)/110.5 (2nd)
• Returning starters: Allisha Gray (18.4 PPG), Rhyne Howard (17.5 PPG), Brionna Jones (12.8 PPG), Jordin Canada (11.2 PPG)
• Biggest addition: Angel Reese (14.7 PPG)
• Best player: Allisha Gray (7.7 win shares)

The Karl Smesko hire in Atlanta already looks like a slam-dunk after the Dream went 30-14 in his first season as head coach last year, recording their most wins in franchise history. And rather than rest on their laurels after a first-round exit at the hands of the Fever, Atlanta added a rebounding force next to Brionna Jones to complement the electric play of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Jordin Canada.

The addition of Angel Reese, essentially as a Brittney Griner replacement, is huge. Last season, the Dream had the lowest turnover rate in the league (12.9%), the second-highest offensive rating (110.5), hit the second-most threes per game (12.5), and were third in offensive rebound rate (26.7%). 

On this team, Reese doesn't need to be a top-three offensive option and can focus on cleaning the glass; she led the league in rebound rate (23.4%) and offensive rebound rate (15.4%) last season. Sticking her next to Jones, who was second in the league in offensive rebound rate (14%), should help give Atlanta a lot of second-chance opportunities. 

4. Indiana Fever (+500)

• 2026 Basketball Power Index rank: 3.2 (3rd)
• 2025 offensive rating (rank)/defensive rating (rank): 108.4 (3rd)/104.1 (7th)
• Returning starters: Caitlin Clark (16.5 PPG), Kelsey Mitchell (20.2 PPG), Aliyah Boston (15 PPG), Lexie Hull (7.2 PPG)/Sophie Cunningham (8.6 PPG)
• Biggest addition: Monique Billings (7.3 PPG)
• Best player: Caitlin Clark (3.0 win shares in 2024)

It's hard to gauge what this Indiana team will be in 2026. Stephanie White led the Fever to the playoffs with a 24-20 record in her first season as the head coach, which included a Round 1 upset of the Dream. That was without Clark, who was limited to just 13 games due to several different injuries.

Getting a healthy Clark back for her passing prowess alone should elevate this Indiana team to another level. Kelsey Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the league, she finished sixth in offensive win shares last season (4.5), while Boston is the league's most underrated player still. The former No. 1 pick is arguably a top 10 player in the league after finishing fourth in win shares (7.1) and sixth in PER (22.8) last season.

Adding Clark back to the lineup, who was first in the league in threes (122) and second in assist rate (39.1%) as a rookie in 2024, is terrifying. Indiana's ceiling as a contender is all about Clark. Can she stay healthy? Can she cut back on turnovers? Can she be a more efficient shooter? I think Indiana is still a year away from competing with teams like New York and Las Vegas.

5. Minnesota Lynx (+1000)

• 2026 Basketball Power Index rank: 1.4 (6th)
• 2025 offensive rating (rank)/defensive rating (rank): 112.3 (1st)/100.0 (1st)
• Returning starters: Napheesa Collier (22.9 PPG), Kayla McBride (14.2 PPG), Courtney Williams (13.6 PPG)
• Biggest addition: Natasha Howard (11.4 PPG)/Olivia Miles (19.6 PPG at TCU)
• Best player: Napheesa Collier (8.3 win shares)

Of the top five WNBA championship odds favorites, the Minnesota Lynx are the only one that was truly zapped in the offseason. Last year's best regular-season team lost co-WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith to the Dallas Wings and Canadian Bridget Carleton to the Portland Fire; Carleton was the No. 1 pick of the WNBA expansion draft.  

It didn't end there either, with Minnesota losing its two top bench players, Jessica Shepard (Dallas Wings) and Natisha Hiedeman (Seattle Storm). While four of the top seven players in Cheryl Reeve's rotation are gone, Napheesa Collier remains the second-best player in the W after finishing No. 2 in offensive rating (122.9) and No. 3 in defensive rating (96.5) last season.

With Collier, sharpshooter Kayla McBride, and defensive menace Courtney Williams, Minnesota remains one of the top teams in the league. Ranking the Lynx above the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury comes down to my belief that second-overall pick Olivia Miles will hit the ground running as a rookie in Minnesota.

💰 Best bet to win the WNBA championship

Las Vegas Aces (+450)

Last year, it looked like the Aces' reign might end when they started the season 14-14 as they tried to figure out how Loyd fits in with the rest of their All-Stars. Then, everything clicked, and Vegas won 16 straight games to close out the regular season before beating the Storm, Fever, and Mercury in the playoffs to win the title.

The Aces' continuity and experience with their starting five and coach will be the difference in a season where the other top contenders are dealing with changes. While depth is a concern, don't be surprised if Vegas makes a move during the season to shore up its bench. And having the MVP should help cover for Hammon's short rotation.

Wilson confirmed to everyone last season why she will go down as the greatest player in WNBA history. And I think if anyone still doubts her as the W's GOAT, she will cement her status as such this season by winning a fifth MVP and a fourth WNBA championship.