The 2026 WNBA season has already reached its halfway point. After an offseason that was headlined by the marathon Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the WNBA and the Players’ Association, women’s basketball has never been in a better place.There is no room for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese in this listGETTYThe league’s 30th season got underway with the addition of two new expansion franchises in the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, and there has never been more eyes on the product than in 2026.With star veterans like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart doing what they do best – balling out – as well as the emergence of some younger faces like Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, the WNBA is projected to hit even greater heights by the end of the campaign.That has got talkSPORT thinking about who the best 10 players in the league are in the 2026 campaign, as of right now. Coming fresh off the 2026 All-Star weekend, some players have risen up the ranks and made their debut on the following list, while others who some may consider should be a slam dunk to make the cut have been made exempt for various reasons. Take Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier, for example, who has missed all but one game of the season due to injury.That’s not to say these players won’t earn their way onto the list as the 2026 season continues on, though.Without further ado, here goes…10. Marina MabreyThe first new addition to this list is Marina Mabrey, who is having a breakout season as one of the focal points of the Tempo in their inaugural season. Seasoned head coach Sandy Brondello appears to have unlocked the beast in the eight-year WNBA veteran, who is not just averaging above 15 points for the very first time in her career, but is the Tempo’s leading scorer. On a nightly basis, Mabrey is averaging 21 points a night, all whilst shooting at 44 percent from the field, earning her first ever All-Star nod. Mabrey is having a breakout year in TorontoGettyShe broke her career-high not once but twice this season, with a 53-point outing – most ever in a single WNBA game, tied with A’ja Wilson (2023) and Liz Cambage (2018) – in a 125-97 win over the Los Angeles Sparks in June. It was also a night in which she shot lights out from deep, sinking nine of her 18 three-point attempts – tying her own record for most three-pointers scored in a single game, which she had set a week the week before against her former team the Connecticut Sun. 9. Kelsey PlumAfter playing second-fiddle to A’ja Wilson in Las Vegas, Plum was ready for a new chapter in her career, with the fiesty 5-foot-8 guard traded to the LA Sparks in a stunning move which sent shockwaves across the WNBA ahead of the 2025 campaign.Now serving as the team’s No. 1 option, Plum – who just penned a $999,999 extension – had a career-year in assists (5.7) and rebounds (3.1), while she also tallied a career-high 1.2 steals.In 2026, she got off to an even better start, averaging 23.9 points per game on an improved 52.7 percent from the field, along with 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals – all career-highs. Despite being named an All-Star for the fifth successive year, the 31-year-old has featured in just 12 outings due to a lower-leg injury, which sees her drop from second down to ninth in this list. Plum was leading the WNBA in scoring in 2026 until she went down with a leg injuryGettyIn her absence, the Sparks have struggled, going 3-11 (7-5 when in the lineup) entering the All-Star break, highlighting just how integral she is to Lynne Roberts’ team. 8. Olivia MilesOlivia Miles isn’t just making history on the court, but she is also making talkSPORT history by being the first ever rookie to feature on this list. Having been drafted No. 2 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft out of TCU, the 23-year-old has taken like a duck to water under Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeves. Even without Lynx superstar Collier on the floor for all but one game of the season to date, Minnesota sit atop the WNBA standings with a 22-6 record. A large reason why is Miles, who is leading the Lynx in scoring, averaging 19.3 points shooting at an almost-50 percent clip, along with 4.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.3 steals. With even some of the league’s most seasoned veterans having yet to work out how to guard her, Miles has firmly propelled herself as the clear frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year awardMiles has been a revelation in her rookie season at the LynxGetty7. Jackie YoungThe first of two Aces players to feature on this list, Jackie Young has gone from strength-to-strength since being drafted by Las Vegas with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019.One of the league’s most premier two-way players, Young has often gone under the radar over the years because of other star names on her roster. A quiet personality off the hardwood, Young transforms into the ‘Silent Assassin’ when she has the ball in her hands. Her 20.4 points on 49.4 percent shooting en route to her third championship, the 28-year-old guard is a huge part of the Aces’ dynastic core. In 2026, Young has posted the second-best scoring production of her career with 16.7 points per contest, second only to the 2023 campaign, and shooting 36.5 percent from beyond the arc. Her distribution numbers have also markedly improved, averaging a career-high 6.8 assists through 26 outings.Jackie Young’s scoring numbers are down, but her assist numbers are upGetty6. Caitlin ClarkCaitlin Clark has finally arrived. After an injury-ravaged 2025 campaign, the face of the WNBA is living up to the name – and the hype. Averaging a career-high 21 points per game through her first 23 outings, the 24-year-old who holds the weight of the league on her shoulders, is also shooting at a career-high rate of 43.5 percent from the field, and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. Clark looks back to her best after an injury-plagued 2025GettyHer assist numbers are narrowly down on her career average (8.3 AST), averaging 7.9 dishes per contest, but they are still good enough to rank second in the entire WNBA, trailing only esteemed veteran Alyssa Thomas (8.3). Clark has also been rewarded with her face donning the cover of NBA 2K27 – basketball’s flagship video game – and making history by becoming the first WNBA athlete to have a globally-distributed solo cover. 5. Paige BueckersPaige Bueckers has entered the top 5 for the first time this season, and deservedly so, due to her contributions to winning basketball in Dallas – which hasn’t been seen by the franchise in a very long time. The former No. 1 overall pick enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign on the way to clinching Rookie of the Year honors, but the Wings stumbled to the worst record in the WNBA (10-34).Having received the No. 1 overall pick for a second successive season and using it to select her former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd, Bueckers has taken yet another leap in her development. The Wings are enjoying winning basketball for the first time in a long timeGettyNot only does she lead the Wings in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per contest, but she is also shooting 51.3 percent from the field off of 15.5 shot attempts per game – the sixth-best shooting percentage among players to average 15-plus points a game. Furthermore, the 24-year-old is shooting almost 40 percent from three-point range, while also leading the team in assists (6.2 APG), which has seen the Wings surge up the standings with their 18-9 record the fourth-best in the entire WNBA. 4. Allisha GrayAllisha Gray had a breakout season for the Atlanta Dream in 2025.The 31-year-old posted 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists on her way to finishing fourth in MVP voting as the Dream clinched a franchise-best 30 wins on the regular season. The 2017 Rookie of the Year had 15 games in which she tallied at least 20 points, while nine of those were of 25-plus points, helping her to set a franchise record for most points scored in a single season with 773.However, with the addition of Angel Reese this offseason, the Dream have signaled their intent to compete for a championship in 2026 and Gray has taken her play up a new gear.Gray is enjoying the best period of her career to dateGettyDespite Reese’s introduction to the team, Gray remains the team’s primary scoring option, and has actually improved even further, currently scoring at a rate of knots and averaging 19.1 points shooting at a career-high 53.5 percent from two-point range, with the Dream still very much in championship contention with a 16-10 record.3. Kelsey MitchellIn a 2025 season in which the Fever got just 13 games out of Clark due to injury, veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell stepped up and showed exactly why she is one of the league’s most elite bucket-getters.Injuries depleted the Fever roster as a whole, but the left-hander was stalwart. She featured in all 44 games and had the best season of her eight-year WNBA career. Mitchell also became the first player in Fever franchise history to average 20-plus points a game, and she eclipsed the 30-point mark on 11 occasions, surpassing the record held by icon and Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.Mitchell had to take on a higher workload due to Clark’s injuries in 2025GettyIn 2026, while backcourt partner Clark has stolen the headlines both on and off the court, Mitchell is quietly going about her business, and leads the Fever in scoring (23.3 PPG), shooting at 49.8 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from distance – both career-highs. She is arguably the Fever’s most important players down the stretch due to her decade-long experience in the league, and could yet be the difference-maker between the Fever making a legitimate championship run. 2. Breanna Stewart‘Stew-York City’ is back in 2026, and if not for her, then the New York Liberty might find themselves struggling and in trouble. Breanna Stewart pledged her long-term future to the Liberty in free agency, and has proven exactly why the franchise were willing to pay her the big bucks in the form of a three-year, standard max contract, worth $1.19 million this season – 17% of the team’s salary cap. Stewart is back in the Big Apple to put on a showGettyIn 26 outings, the eight-time All-Star has looked to reclaim her form that saw her win the MVP award in 2023, averaging 21.1 points shooting at a 46.7 percent clip, along with 8.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks. These numbers may yet prove to be slightly inflated as a result of injuries to key players in Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, but Stewart is still keeping the Liberty afloat in the Eastern Conference, where they currently sit in third place (15-12), two games back of the leaders Fever. 1. A’ja WilsonIt’s hard to form any argument where the reigning WNBA MVP – who won it for an unprecedented fourth time last season – can be knocked off her perch as the world’s best basketball player. Leading the Aces to their third title since 2022, Wilson was also named co-defensive Player of the Year alongside Lynx star Alanna Smith – the first time in league history that the award has been shared. A’ja Wilson is by far the best player in the WNBAGettyIn the 2025 playoffs, Wilson elevated her game once again, averaging 26.8 points per contest, in which she shot 47.8 percent from the field, along with 10 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 blocks. In 2026, she has picked up where she left off, averaging a league-leading 26.1 points (shooting 53.3 percent from 17.5 shot attempts per game), 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, doing so despite Aces head coach Becky Hammon’s bold claims that her side are being officiated differently.It appears that being named the MVP on four occasions is not enough for Wilson, who continues to prove she is clear above the rest as the best player in the WNBA. Stay up to date on all things WNBA across our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET.