Charlie Cummings analyzes the odds for the 2026 WNBA Championship after the conclusion of the draft on Monday night.
Now that was a whirlwind WNBA offseason. The expansion draft is done, the bulk of free agency settled, and the rookie draft wrapped up on Monday night. Now we have a good idea of what these teams look like heading into an exciting 2026 season. How do they stack up in the championship race?
Here’s a look at the 2026 WNBA Championship odds on DraftKings Sportsbook:
New York, the 2024 champs, are back to the top of the odds after a huge offseason. Many were wondering what would happen with almost the entire roster hitting free agency; the Liberty not only maintained their core, but added a FOURTH All-Star in Satou Sabally. A +230 price as the favorite is more than fair.
The Fever come in second at +425, which is a tad surprising but not wholly unexpected. Despite the absence of Caitlin Clark for most of last season, the Kelsey Mitchell-Aliyah Boston duo made a big splash in the playoffs, winning their first series against the Dream and taking the eventual champion Aces to five games in the semifinals. With Clark back, this team could be potent.
Speaking of the Aces, they’re only a hair behind at +450. Here’s another team that navigated a potentially scary offseason, keeping the core together and making some good moves on the fringes. If you’ve got A’ja Wilson, you’ve got a chance; four rings in five years, anyone?
Now we get to the outside contenders. The Atlanta Dream have consistently been great, and are hoping a big trade for Angel Reese can take them over the top. Pairing her with Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray gives them a formidable scoring-and-defense trio, with strong role players to boot. At +650, our oddsmakers see them as the first of the outer circle contenders.
The Minnesota Lynx are right there with them at +700. It’s not really a talent question; they suffered some losses in the offseason, but also managed to get Olivia Miles in the draft, who will be a shot in the arm. A lot of this comes down to Napheesa Collier’s health; an ankle injury cost her the end of last season, and has leaked into the offseason. If Collier is healthy, they could be right there with the top contenders; if she’s hurt, they are dead on arrival.
Then we get into the long shots. The LA Sparks have better odds than most at +1400; healthy seasons from Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, and Cameron Brink give them a good chance. Then you have a trio of playoff-likely squads with limited upside: the Mercury post-Satou Sabally at +4000, tied with the Dallas Wings, armed with a Paige Bueckers-Azzi Fudd backcourt. The Golden State Valkyries, a surprise 2025 playoff team in their debut year, round out the teams with competitive expectations at +4500.
Bringing up the rear are the rebuilding teams. The Chicago Sky are long shots after Angel Reese’s departure, as are the Mystics, as their rebuild continues with more first-round picks. The Toronto Tempo are building a competitive team for an expansion squad, but a title in year one would be a legendary upset. Seattle is just behind them after a huge offseason exodus, likely to be followed by more moves. Portland, the other expansion team, comes in second to last. And finally we have the Connecticut Sun, the worst team in 2025, likely to get worse before they pack up and head for Houston.
It’s a very exciting WNBA field once again. Who is your pick to win it all?