WNBA Power Ranking Tiers (Post Draft)
Have the Dallas Wings with their new #1 pick or anyone else made substantial movement post-draft night?
The WNBA’s offseason is drawing to a close as spring begins to finally peak through for northern cities like Chicago and New York, but nowhere is the sunshine brighter than in Dallas where the newest #1 pick in the WNBA Draft, Paige Bueckers, is finally a confirmed part of the new look set-up around Arike Ogunbowale and company (more on the Wings’ other additions here).
But, does the addition of a franchise altering player like Bueckers reap rewards immediately? Or will Chris Koclanes and Curt Miller need more time to get the Wings back on track? Plus, who else profited from the draft? Were the Mystics’ three picks enough to pull them up the rankings? Did the Sun or Sky’s back-to-back choices move their needle? And what about the contenders? Let’s dive into see how the rankings have changed since free agency wrapped back in February.
JUMP TO TEAM
ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GS | IND | LA | LV | MIN | NY | PHO | SEA | WAS
Tier 1: So, We Meet Again
Despite doing very little to change their respective rosters over the last two months, last year’s finalists still look to be in pole position to contend once again.
New York Liberty
Since my last ranking on February 12th, the Liberty’s lone move of note (save for finalizing terms with Breanna Stewart on her inevitable extension) was adding veteran guard Natasha Cloud in a trade with the Sun. The trade, somewhat to my surprise, was met with a very mixed reaction on account of (1) the assets put into the deal for a one-year rental and (2) the way a non-shooter like Cloud (30.9% on threes in her career) fits with some of the Liberty’s otherwise well-spaced line-ups. On both counts, I’d be unconcerned if I was a Liberty fan. Rings are all that matter to franchises with this caliber of roster and Cloud is a veteran with a ring of her own who understands what it takes. At the same time, I expect that Cloud—knowing the opportunity she has in New York—will leave any ego at the door. If there’s more well-spaced line-ups that can give the Liberty what they need for stretches of games (or playoff series), I anticipate her being a positive teammate and leader even as her role changes. It’s a “roll of the dice” type move, sure, but not one that I see carrying much risk.
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota has been even quieter than the Liberty and actively avoided picking in this draft or the next with a pair of trades the day before the 2025 edition. The net result of those deals was that the #11 pick (eventually used by Chicago to pick Hailey Van Lith) Minnesota owned before Sunday turned into veteran SG Karlie Samuelson. Samuelson, on paper, doesn’t look like a huge needle-mover for this roster, but a lifetime 39.7% three-point shooter on nearly three attempts per game is something Cheryl Reeve was never going to get at the back end of the draft. Whether Samuelson does anything that impacts the Lynx’s chances of winning in the playoffs is a big TBD, but it’s very easy to see how one or two hot shooting nights from the former Stanford guard (who is set to play for a 6th team in 7 WNBA seasons) could help the Lynx collect a couple of regular season wins that tip the scales on playoff seeding. Overall, Minnesota have stayed put this offseason which clearly positions them for another strong season.
Tier 2: Contenders With Question Marks
These teams are certainly in the mix, but there’s questions that need answers before they feel as set in stone as the top two.
Las Vegas Aces
Let’s get one thing straight. As long as A’ja Wilson is on your team and your supporting cast is semi functional, you are a contender. Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd are much more than semi-functional; so, the Aces are still comfortably contenders in my eyes. However, there was always going to be creeping concerns about the rest of the supporting cast after Alysha Clark went back to Seattle and Tiffany Hayes joined former Vegas assistant Natalie Nakase in Golden State. The news that Cheyenne Parker-Tyus will miss the majority of the season as she prepares to welcome a child only furthers those concerns for me. Of this offseason’s additions, Parker-Tyus was—after Loyd—comfortably the most exciting and proven and her absence will be felt as Vegas navigates the early parts of the 2025 season. At the same time, Wilson played almost 35 MPG a season ago and, consequently, the role a back-up big needs to play for this team is not a huge one. If they play well in the early months and Parker-Tyus returns late in the year, this could end up feeling like a huge (“trade deadline” esque) acquisition rather than the notable loss it feels like in the current context.
Indiana Fever
The Fever’s most notable move since free-agency ended was drafting intriguing Florida State prospect Makayla Timpson at 19 in Monday’s draft, but the depth on this roster means very little is needed. Yet, there’s still questions that—in this ranking—separate Caitlin Clark and company from the top two contenders who played for a WNBA title a season ago. The primary question is—can this group do it in the playoffs? That’s a when—not if—type of question for me, but it’s fair to view the Fever in a slightly different light than the teams that have been there before until they win this core wins their first playoff series. If they can position themselves as a top four seed (highly likely, in my opinion), they’ll have a great chance to get that first playoff series win under their belt with home court. From there, it’s a matter of seeing how far Clark and Aliyah Boston have come when it comes time to take on the three top-dogs that have contested the last couple of WNBA Finals.
Tier 3: Playoffs + Something More?
These four feel like they should make up the rest of the playoff field, but it’s challenging to tell whether they’ll trend upwards towards those above or slip into the clutches of the chasing pack.
Phoenix Mercury
Other than handing out a couple of rookie deals for camp and seeing Diana Taurasi’s retirement become official, Phoenix has been on the sidelines for the last two months after their movement in early February made them one of the key protagonists of this year’s free agency period. Thus, the position for this roster is the same as it was back at that time. The big three of Copper, Thomas and Sabally is a fascinating one—with plenty of complements to each others’ games existing amongst the trio. The rest of the roster, however, has a lot more question marks that could undermine the brilliance of that trio. The overall fit of this group with the high-octane three-point-driven offense that Nate Tibbetts ran a season ago isn’t great, and the result could be a handful of players who are strong shooters trying to lift the overall efficiency of the team in that respect. To the contrary, we may see Tibbetts mold his system to better fit the personnel which, in many respects, seems a more doable given the versatility each of the three stars offers.
Atlanta Dream
Despite not having a first-round pick, Atlanta managed to secure a player that many (myself included) had given a first round grade when they chose Te-Hina Paopao eighteenth, and the South Carolina standout should be able to instantly add more shooting and a dash of playmaking (though I think she profiles more as a two in the pro game) to the Dream’s set-up. Yet, the player I see Atlanta’s success revolving around is last offseason’s marquee acquisition—Jordin Canada. Coach Karl Smesko, first and foremost, needs her to be the standout perimeter defender that she was brought to Atlanta to be, but he’ll also ask her to organize an offense that—in the end—will likely include a blend of his three-point heavy attack and the interior-driven game that will get the best out of Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. A point guard who can get people in the right place at the start of a half-court set is critical for a team that expects to dive into a lot of different offensive concepts, and both Smesko and the Dream will benefit greatly if Canada can serve as that on-court extension of the head coach.
Seattle Storm
Seattle drafted French standout Dominique Malonga who figures to be a superstar caliber player long-term, but the selection obviously does nothing to address their primary needs—which are in the backcourt—for the 2025 season. In the third round, the Storm added Serena Sundell—who does help the guard group—but it’s important to be practical about just how much she can move the needle in her first professional season. In the end, the Storm could still be a good or even great team if all comes together, but it feels far more likely that they’ll end up as something of a “lame duck” team come playoff time—with little hopes of contending for the title and a trio of standout players headed towards complex free-agency decisions in the winter.
Dallas Wings
There’s still plenty of justifiable questions to have about the Dallas bench (though a 5-6-7 of Tyasha Harris, Maddy Siegrist and Myisha Hines-Allen is pretty robust), but it’s hard not to be excited to see the Wings’ new starting five in action. I’ve already honed in on the dynamic that I expect NaLyssa Smith to help create, but the support that Dijonai Carrington and Bueckers provide to Arike should be even more of a needle mover for Koclanes in his first season on the bench. When this starting unit is humming, there’s lots of stylistic continuity that they should provide, and any upward trend in Smith’s three-point shooting numbers could create a nearly unguardable four-out offense with the always reliable Teaira McCowan profiting heavily inside. Defensively, things still need to come together, and the overall rotation will take some crafting but this is a team that should gain some significant momentum by season’s end. If that’s enough to convince the key pieces to resign ahead of the 2026 season, expect this team to continue trending upward for the next 24+ months.
Tier 4: Stay Tuned
Each of these three seems to have the talent needed to be threatening on a nightly basis and could creep into the playoff mix if anyone above slips up.
Los Angeles Sparks
Having already known that Cameron Brink would miss at least a part of the season as she recovers from last year’s ACL tear, the Sparks’ 2025 season—which I’ve always called a “proof of concept” for the second-year star alongside fellow standouts Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum and Rickea Jackson—could wind up taking some time to get off the runway. Luckily for LA, it seems like Plum is already committed to resigning (though things change) and both of the second-year players will have contracts that run beyond next year’s free agent frenzy. As a result, this can be taking largely as a learning season as Plum adapts to being a team’s 1A option for 40 minutes a night while Lynne Roberts gets settled into the pro game after all her successes in college. Whether Brink can return to 85%+ of her usual level soon after her targeted return in June is probably the difference between this team pushing for the last playoff spot or sliding closer towards the back of the pack in the season’s final weeks.
Chicago Sky
GM Jeff Pagliocca continued to enhance his reputation as one of the league’s most aggressive executives when he passed up a chance to pick near the end of the order in the 2026 draft to climb back into the 2025 first round and select Van Lith. As has been the case with many of his aggressive moves, it’s hard to tell whether it moves the needle enough to push the Sky up the standings in the short term. The Sky’s other first-rounder—Ajša Sivka—should help elevate the team at some point, but it feels unlikely she’ll pass up a chance to start for her country at EuroBasket this June after contributing so heavily to the qualification process. And while Van Lith will certainly be with the Sky this summer, she’ll still be Courtney Vandersloot’s understudy this season meaning, on paper, little has changed for the Sky since their blockbuster move for Ariel Atkins which will make them more competitive but probably not competitive enough to crack the playoff mix just yet.
Washington Mystics
Washington should always have gotten better with three first-round picks in this week’s draft, but it feels like the picks that Washington made are cohesive enough to give the team a real chance at getting up to speed at some point during this season. Even then, we’re still talking about a heavily-reset roster with a first-time head coach; so, it’s hard to quantiyf what “up to speed” looks like. The Mystics own their future draft picks and have at least five young players on the roster they can be excited about; so, there’s plenty of reasons for optimism here, but there’s also lots of growing pains that need to be experienced before this can be looked at as a reliable playoff contender. Figuring out which two of Aaliyah Edwards, Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen are their best front court duo moving forward is a great goal for this season with Georgia Amoore free to run wild in a largely understaffed back court.
Tier 5: Cellar Dwellers
These teams feel a ways off the playoff race, but their long-term direction is distinctly different.
Connecticut Sun
The 2025 Sun may have gotten better on account of the team drafting a pair of “win-now” prospects (Aneesah Morrow and Saniya Rivers) in the first round of Monday’s draft, but it’s extremely challenging to see how either of the two enhance the team’s long-term chances for success. An international prospect like Sivka or even a potential future starter like Shyanne Sellers could give the Sun’s fanbase something to be excited about long-term, but neither of Morrow or Rivers moves the needle individually given both profile more as high-energy role players than first (or even second) options on a winning team. In order to maximize what the two can offer, the Sun need more “1A” talents on this roster, and they’re unlikely to acquire those anytime soon with no first-round pick in the 2026 draft and nearly nonexistent pull in free agency. If the Sun can land a top two or three pick in the ‘27 draft, Rivers and Morrow may end up being the perfect complements to whoever they choose, but the short-term future is incredibly bleak while this cobbled together roster waits for big names to arrive.
Golden State Valkyries
I continue to be high on the make-up of the Valkyries’ roster—especially after they selected one of the most coveted international prospects (Justė Jocytė) and one of the top point guard prospects (Sellers) in this year’s draft. Yet, it’s still important to remember just how much adversity expansion franchises face in their initial season—even if this one feels in a better spot to succeed more quickly than many that have come before. Regardless, Golden State enters the season in a great position. They have 0 expectation to make the playoffs, little reason to be concerned about their record and lots of opportunities to audition themselves to others around the league throughout the 2025 campaign. If Nakase proves to be a quick learner as a WNBA head coach (I expect she will), this could be a team that’s in prime position to sign one or two marquee names next offseason and, at the very least, make the playoffs. In the meantime, they can develop Sellers (a potentially game-changing multi-level offensive talent), await Jocytė’s arrival (presuming she too focuses on EuroBasket) and pocket a high selection in next year’s draft to add to their young core.