What Are The Top 5 Starting Lineups Of WNBA 2026?

Fans were eagerly waiting for this moment, as the WNBA draft cleared most of the ‘ambiguities’ in the roster and team formations. The training camps will now decide who stays on the team and which player drops out of rotation, despite selection and training camp contract.

While the rookies might not be direct starters for most teams, they are certainly building pieces for the future and part of the rotation, but the contender teams have a strong starting five who are game-changers and match-winners in their own right.

Free agency trades made most of these line-ups with big-name players like Satou Sabally moving to the New York Liberty, and the perfect missing piece in the Wings’ lineup with Allana Smith’s addition. Check out the top five starting lineups for the 2026 season who could make a strong case for the championship – when healthy.

Top Five Starting Lineups For 2026 WNBA Season

The core of the team has defined the winners in the league so far, from the Houston Comets’ dominant era to the Aces’ recent megastar trio. Every team sought to keep hold of their trio and made deliberate efforts to build around them. The new CBA terms made things a bit difficult for teams like Liberty, Aces, and Fever, who already had some star power on the roster and needed to decide among supermax, veteran max, and other contracts.

Yet overcoming all the ‘obstacles’ and also adding some key pieces to the roster, here are the top five contending starting lineups in the 2026 WNBA Season.

New York Liberty

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The Liberty are the definitive favorites after landing star forward Satou Sabally in free agency to join their established “Big Three.” Sabally provides an elite scoring punch alongside Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, both of whom re-signed this offseason. Sabrina Ionescu remains the primary facilitator after being “cored” by the team.

Natasha Cloud is expected to return to anchor the perimeter defense. This lineup offers unparalleled size and shooting, making it the most difficult unit to scheme against in the league. The side also looked for a strong bench to support in the long run.

Las Vegas Aces

The defending champions are running back their elite core of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young. Wilson, the reigning four-time MVP, signed a supermax deal to remain in Vegas, while the Aces successfully re-signed both Gray and Young to multi-year contracts. They are joined in the backcourt by Jewell Loyd, who moved to Vegas to seek another title, and NaLyssa Smith, who re-signed after receiving a qualifying offer.

Their continuity and high-level execution under pressure keep them firmly in the title hunt. Coach Becky Hammon, though, will look for production from the support cast, too, and will consider the league’s competition.

Indiana Fever

The Fever enters 2026 with a roster built specifically around the elite synergy between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The front office prioritized stability, re-signing Kelsey Mitchell to a supermax deal and retaining Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham. The addition of veteran Monique Billings provides the interior toughness they lacked in previous years.

While Billings will start in the lineup, it might take time, as coach White chooses her familiar lineup for the season start. Following the 2026 WNBA Draft, rookie Raven Johnson can compete for minutes as a secondary ball-handler to relieve pressure on Clark. The team also has a strong support cast, who could thrive in the ‘White-System’.

Atlanta Dream

Atlanta made the biggest splash of the offseason by acquiring Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in a blockbuster trade. Reese even shared an optimistic message following the trade, making a bold comment about the championship. The key reason for such confidence is the stars around her.

They successfully retained their core by re-signing Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Brionna Jones, creating a starting five that is physically imposing and defensively dominant. Jordin Canada rounds out the unit as the primary ball-handler. With Reese’s rebounding and Jones’s interior presence, the Dream possess the strongest frontcourt in the Eastern Conference and are primed for a deep playoff run. The side lacks depth, though, which puts pressure on the starting lineup.

Dallas Wings

The Wings successfully reunited one of college basketball’s most iconic duos by selecting Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick to play alongside Paige Bueckers. They will have in the backcourt by Arike Ogunbowale, who took a slight pay cut to allow the team to sign free agents Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard.

This “three-guard” attack will outpace and outshoot opponents, while Smith and Shepard provide the defensive versatility and playmaking from the post that Dallas has lacked in recent seasons. The coach will look to rotate his three guards smartly, with a chance to have an elite playmaker and scorer on the floor at all times.

Although top challengers for the season outside these five mega teams are the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, and the Chicago Sky, who need little adjustments to challenge the other top sides.