2026 WNBA Awards Odds Watch & Rankings: Brink Enters Sixth Player Race

The WNBA awards races are starting to gain shape as the league moves through Commissioner’s Cup play. A’ja Wilson still has the clearest overall case, but Caitlin Clark’s latest surge has pushed her back into the MVP conversation.

This is the fourth installment of a weekly awards watch that will run through the regular season. The rankings are based on current player production, team performance and league context, using WNBA.com and ESPN power rankings, the latest statistical leaders and current injury reports.

2026 WNBA MVP Power Rankings

1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson keeps the top spot because she has put distance between herself and the rest of the field. She leads the league in scoring at 25.6 points per game and is currently the WNBA’s top rim protector at 2.2 blocks per game. She is also averaging 9.0 rebounds, giving her the most complete two-way profile in the race. Her latest week only strengthened the case. Wilson earned Western Conference Player of the Week after leading Las Vegas to a 3-0 record last week, including a statement win over the  No. 1 Minnesota Lynx. During that stretch, she averaged 30.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.7 blocks while shooting 53.7% from the field and 55.6% from three. The Aces are also back near the top of the league standings and remain in position to reach the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.

2. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Clark moves back into the top three after her best stretch of the season. She earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week after scoring 76 total points, the most in the East over that span, while adding 20 assists and 13 rebounds. Clark is now averaging 20.3 points and 7.8 assists per game, ranking among the league leaders in both categories. Her scoring volume has picked up at the right time and Indiana has also won three straight games.

3. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Stewart stays in the MVP picture because New York is back on top of the power rankings for WNBA.com and ESPN. The team stabilized after its early three-game losing streak and Stewart is averaging 19.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The Liberty’s recent run matters. New York is in the top spot in ESPN’s and the league’s power rankings and clinched a place in the Commissioner’s Cup final.

2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Power Rankings

1. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson remains the Defensive Player of the Year leader because her defensive case is almost as strong as her MVP case. She leads the league in blocks at 2.2 per game and is tied in fifth place for rebounding. Her defensive impact showed up again during Las Vegas’ win over Minnesota when she had eight defensive rebounds plus three blocks and several key defensive plays late in the contest.

2. Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Howard remains in the No. 2 spot because she is the league’s most disruptive perimeter defender. She leads the WNBA in steals at 3.0 per game and remains a major reason Atlanta has one of the league’s strongest defensive profiles. The Dream also leads the league in steals as a team at 9.4 per game.

3. Emily Engstler, Portland Fire

Engstler stays in the top three because her shot-blocking remains elite. She ranks second in the league at 2.0 blocks per game and continues to give Portland one of the best individual rim-protection profiles in the WNBA. The team context is not as strong as Wilson’s or Howard’s, especially with Portland slipping below .500 with a 7-9 record, but Engstler’s individual production still belongs in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings

1. Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx

Miles remains the clear Rookie of the Year leader because she has the best combination of production, role and team success in the rookie class. She leads all rookies in scoring at 18.1 points per game while also averaging 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Her efficiency strengthens the case, shooting 54.5% from the field. That mix of scoring, playmaking, rebounding and winning keeps her comfortably at No. 1.

2. Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings

Fudd moves into the No. 2 spot because of her scoring and efficiency for a Dallas team that has become one of the league’s biggest turnaround stories. She is averaging 12.9 points per game while shooting 52.7% from the field, 38.6% from three and 88.9% from the free throw line. Fudd does not have Miles’ all-around profile, but her offensive value is real. Her shooting gives the Wings spacing and instant scoring.

3. Kiki Rice, Toronto Tempo

Rice moves into the top three because of her steady guard production. She is averaging 12.7 points, 2.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 39.1% from three. Toronto’s team context also helps. The Tempo are competitive in their first season, and Rice has given them efficient scoring and secondary playmaking. Flau’jae Johnson (Seattle) and Pauline Astier (New York) remain close, but Rice’s scoring efficiency gives her the edge this week.

2026 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year Power Rankings

1. Chennedy Carter, Las Vegas Aces

Carter takes over the top spot because her production off the bench has been too efficient to ignore. She is averaging 14.4 points in just 17.8 minutes per game while shooting 61.5% from the field and 52.68% from three. That level of instant offense gives Las Vegas another high-end scoring option behind Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Carter’s role is also attached to a winning team, which helps her case.

2. Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries

Salaün moves into the No. 2 spot because her scoring, rebounding and three-point volume give her one of the strongest all-around cases in the race. She is averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, and she ranks among the league leaders in made threes. That shooting matters to Golden State’s identity. The Valkyries lead the WNBA in made threes as a team, and Salaün has been one of the biggest reasons why.

3. Cameron Brink, Los Angeles Sparks

Brink moves into the top three because of her defensive impact and frontcourt production in a reserve role. She is averaging 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, giving Los Angeles one of the strongest defensive bench profiles in the league. Her scoring volume is not as high as Carter’s or Salaün’s, but Brink’s shot-blocking gives her a different path into the Sixth Player race.

Photo Credit: AP/Jae C. Hong