If you thought the 2024 season was a whirlwind, the 2025 campaign just blew the doors off the hinges. Honestly, tracking the WNBA team rankings 2025 felt like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while riding a roller coaster. We saw the retirement of a GOAT in Diana Taurasi, the arrival of a massive expansion franchise in the Golden State Valkyries, and a draft class led by Paige Bueckers that lived up to every ounce of the hype.
The hierarchy didn't just shift; it shattered.
For a long time, we've talked about "superteams" in Las Vegas and New York. But 2025 was the year of the "Deep Middle." Teams that used to be pushovers started winning games they had no business winning. Let's get into the weeds of how these teams actually stacked up when the dust settled on the 44-game regular season.
The Top Tier: A Two-Horse Race for the Ages
It’s almost boring to say, but the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces were in a league of their own. Almost.
Minnesota finished the regular season with the best record, and it wasn’t particularly close. Napheesa Collier played like someone who had a personal vendetta against the entire league. She was the MVP frontrunner for a reason, leading a Lynx squad that prioritized continuity while everyone else was busy trading away their future. They played a brand of "boring" basketball that was technically perfect.
Then you have the Aces.
After their three-peat dreams were crushed in 2024, Becky Hammon went back to the lab. They traded Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles—a move that literally everyone is still talking about—and brought in Jewell Loyd. Adding the "Gold Mamba" to a roster that already features A'ja Wilson? That’s just mean. The Aces struggled early but finished the year on a 12-game winning streak.
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Why the New York Liberty Fell Back
You’d think the defending champs would be #1, right?
New York was still great, but they missed Courtney Vandersloot’s steady hand more than they care to admit. Natasha Cloud was a defensive monster, but the offensive flow just felt clunky at times. They finished the regular season sitting at 5th in our power rankings, which sounds low until you realize how competitive the top half of the bracket became.
The Valkyries Effect: Expansion Isn't What It Used To Be
Most expansion teams are supposed to be bad. They’re supposed to win four games and celebrate. The Golden State Valkyries didn’t get that memo.
They played their inaugural game on May 16 against the Sparks and the atmosphere in San Francisco was electric. But more importantly, they were actually good. Getting players like Tiffany Hayes and Kayla Thornton provided a veteran backbone that most expansion teams lack. Veronica Burton became the heart of this team, eventually winning Most Improved Player.
By August, the Valkyries were sitting at 6th in the WNBA team rankings 2025.
They didn't just participate; they competed. It’s a blueprint that the upcoming Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire will likely try to copy, but good luck finding another locker room with that much "us against the world" energy.
WNBA Team Rankings 2025: The Mid-Season Reality Check
Midway through July, right around the All-Star break in Indianapolis, the standings looked like a chaotic mess. Here is how the power structure shook out during the home stretch:
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- Minnesota Lynx: Absolute juggernauts. Best home-court advantage in the W.
- Las Vegas Aces: The scariest team in the league when A'ja Wilson decides to score 40.
- Atlanta Dream: The biggest surprise. Karl Smesko turned the worst offense into the second-best in one summer.
- Phoenix Mercury: Life after Diana Taurasi was surprisingly okay. Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas are a nightmare pairing.
- New York Liberty: Still dangerous, but the "unbeatable" aura faded.
- Golden State Valkyries: The best expansion debut in pro sports history? Maybe.
- Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are the future, but they’re still learning how to win close games.
- Seattle Storm: A bit of a "lost" season. They’re old and it showed in the back-to-backs.
- Los Angeles Sparks: Fun to watch, but "fun" doesn't always equal "playoffs."
- Washington Mystics: Rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were bright spots in a tough year.
- Connecticut Sun: The rebuild is officially on. It’s gonna be a long road.
- Dallas Wings: Paige Bueckers had a historic rookie year, but the team around her was a revolving door of injuries.
- Chicago Sky: Rough. Just rough. Tyler Marsh has his work cut out for him.
The Caitlin Clark Sophomore Jump
Let’s talk about Indiana. People expected them to be top-three. They weren't.
The Fever added DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, which brought much-needed "adults in the room." But the chemistry with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston took months to simmer. By the time they figured it out, they were fighting for the 7th seed. Clark’s passing somehow got even better, but the target on her back is now the size of a billboard.
The Battle at the Bottom: Why Dallas is Scary for 2026
The Dallas Wings finished near the bottom, but don't let that fool you. They won the lottery and snagged Paige Bueckers. Watching Paige in the WNBA is like watching a master pianist—she just moves at a different speed.
They were 12th in the rankings, mostly because their defense was a sieve. But with Curt Miller now running the front office, expect a massive overhaul. They have the assets. They have the superstar. Now they just need a heartbeat on the defensive end.
Atlanta's Strategic Masterclass
We have to give flowers to the Atlanta Dream. Bringing in Brittney Griner after a decade in Phoenix was the heist of the century. Griner provided the rim protection they desperately needed, allowing Rhyne Howard to gamble more on the perimeter. Karl Smesko's system—heavy on spacing and threes—unlocked a version of Griner we haven't seen in years. They weren't just a playoff team; they were a title threat.
Real Talk: The CBA Looming Over Everything
While we're obsessing over wins and losses, there’s a massive cloud hanging over the league. The players opted out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). As of early 2026, there’s no deal.
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Breanna Stewart has been vocal about this. The players want better travel, higher salaries, and a bigger piece of the massive media rights deals. If you're looking at these 2025 rankings, remember that the rosters for 2026 are basically written in pencil until this labor dispute gets settled. Some players have already authorized a strike. It's a high-stakes game of chicken.
Actionable Insights for WNBA Fans
If you're trying to make sense of where the league goes from here, stop looking at individual scoring and start looking at defensive rating.
- Watch the Expansion Draft: The Valkyries' success means the Toronto and Portland drafts in late 2025/early 2026 will be brutal. Teams can only protect a few players. Expect the "Deep Middle" teams to lose key role players.
- Bet on Continuity: The Lynx proved that keeping a core together is more valuable than chasing every big free agent.
- Draft Value: The 2025 class was deep. Keep an eye on Sonia Citron in Washington; she’s going to be an All-Star by 2027.
- Follow the Labor News: The WNBPA is serious about a work stoppage. This will affect everything from free agency dates to the 2026 season start.
The 2025 season was a bridge between the "Old WNBA" and the "Global WNBA." The talent level is so high now that the difference between the 4th seed and the 10th seed is basically a few missed free throws.
For 2026, the smart money is on the teams that can navigate the expansion draft without losing their soul. The Valkyries showed everyone how to build a culture from scratch, and now the rest of the league has to figure out how to protect theirs.