WNBA Finals 2026: Ranking the top 15 players in playoffs - ESPN

2026/10/16

Categories: sports

Oct 16, 2026, 07:50 AM ET

Two teams. One title on the line.

The WNBA Finals open Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET) as the No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries and No. 4 Atlanta Dream square off in a best-of-seven series. Both are seeking their first championship. Which players are most likely to help them finish on top?

ESPN has ranked the top players throughout the 2026 season. Now we update our list one final time to reflect the 15 players who have performed the best in the playoffs.

Rotations get shorter in the postseason, but with their incredible depth, it's likely no surprise the Valkyries added one more player in our rankings. But with three All-Stars on their roster, it's perhaps also no shock that the Dream dominated the top, with three of the first four players.

The rankings come with one asterisk: Dream guard Allisha Gray, when healthy, is easily one of the WNBA's best. But she sustained a hand injury in the first game of the semifinals and hasn't played since.

Gray made the cut after she said Thursday she was optimistic about playing in Game 1 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Here are the best 15 players in the postseason, as ranked by Michael Voepel, Alexa Philippou, Kendra Andrews and Kareem Copeland.

1. Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream

Forward | 6-foot-3
Playoff stats: 18.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.0 APG

The 2024 No. 7 draft pick is playing the best ball of her career and was recently named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. In her first postseason, Reese is averaging 18.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. The scoring and blocks have both increased and she's shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc. Reese's impact on both ends of the court is, arguably, the biggest reason the Dream are in the Finals for the first time since 2013. -- Copeland

2. Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries

Forward | 5-foot-11
Playoff stats: 22.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.0 APG

Williams' breakout offensive season has continued in the playoffs. She is the highest scorer remaining in the Finals, averaging nearly 23 points, eight more than her regular-season average. She is shooting 40.5% from 3 on 2.8 attempts (fourth in the playoffs, and the most among players in the Finals). After finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Williams' two-way play has the Valkyries in the Finals and within striking distance of winning a title. -- Andrews

3. Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 6-foot-2
Playoff stats: 19.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG

Howard has had an up-and-down playoffs. She didn't make more than a third of her shots from the field in any of the semifinal games, though she went 4-for-10 from deep in Game 3 to help the Dream close out the series. She still excels with her versatility, whether she's making 3s, getting downhill and drawing contact, facilitating for teammates or wreaking havoc on defense. -- Philippou

4. Jordin Canada, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 5-foot-6
Playoff stats: 19.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 8.8 APG

Canada, the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft, won two WNBA titles in 2018 and 2020 with Seattle. She was a backup to Sue Bird then and didn't start any of those postseason games but played valuable minutes. Now she is in the driver's seat during these playoffs, averaging almost seven points more in the Dream's five postseason games than she did in the regular season. She has also been a defensive catalyst, averaging 2.2 steals. At 31, Canada is playing her best basketball at the best time. -- Voepel

5. Veronica Burton, Golden State Valkyries

Guard | 5-foot-9
Playoff stats: 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.0 APG

Burton hasn't had the most consistent postseason run, but she has delivered some of the Valkyries' biggest shots when they've needed a bucket the most. After not scoring late into Game 2 against Las Vegas in the semifinals, Burton hit a 28-foot 3-pointer to give the Valkyries the lead with about 90 seconds left. In the first round, she also hit a dagger shot against Dallas to help come back from being down 16 to win the game -- and the series. -- Andrews

6. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 6-foot
Playoff stats: 17.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG (three games)

Gray was the Dream's top scorer in the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs but is lower on this list than she'd typically be because of her limited availability in the postseason. She went down with an injury to her left (shooting) hand in the first half of Game 1 of the semifinals and hasn't played since, though she was questionable going into Game 3. Gray disclosed this week that she underwent a minor procedure for the injury and is still considered day-to-day. She told reporters Thursday she was hopeful about her availability for Game 1. -- Philippou

7. Tiffany Hayes, Golden State Valkyries

Guard | 5-foot-10
Playoff stats: 13.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.3 APG

The 14-year veteran has provided the offensive punch off the bench that the Valkyries have needed. Her 13.3 points per game during the playoffs, after a 9.0 regular-season average, ranks No. 3 on a team known more for defense than offense. She dropped 21 points in a Game 1 win over the Wings in the opening round, then went for 18 in the Game 3 series clincher. Hayes scored 21 points in less than 17 minutes in the Game 2 semifinal against Las Vegas. -- Copeland

8. Kiah Stokes, Golden State Valkyries

Center | 6-foot-3
Playoff stats: 3.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG

One of the ultimate "stats don't define her" players, Stokes' value is in how well she fills the exact role she's asked to play. Still, one stat stands out: She has averaged almost four more rebounds in the playoffs than the regular season. She is a textbook solid defender who benefited from guarding A'ja Wilson in practice during their five years in Las Vegas. While there, Stokes won three WNBA championships. During the Valkyries' semifinal series sweep, Stokes used her experience to make things tough for Wilson and the Aces. Now she will try to do the same against Reese and the Dream. -- Voepel

9. DeWanna Bonner, Atlanta Dream

Forward | 6-foot-4
Playoff stats: 13.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.6 APG

After starting the season in Phoenix, Bonner joined the Dream with five games left in the regular season and has been a seamless fit so far for Atlanta, which desperately needed more depth entering the postseason. The two-time WNBA champion has slotted into the starting five since Gray went down with her injury and has hit double figures in four of Atlanta's five playoff games, including a 23-point outing in Game 1 of the semifinals. -- Philippou

10. Kayla Thornton, Golden State Valkyries

Forward | 6-foot-1
Playoff stats: 10.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.5 APG

Known for her 3-point shooting and perimeter defense abilities, Thornton has raised her game in the postseason. She's averaging more than three points more per game than the regular season and her 3-point percentage has climbed from 34.7% to 42.3%. This is the most productive the 11-year veteran has ever been in the postseason, scoring 16 points with three triples in Game 2 against the Aces and putting up 18 points and nine rebounds in the Game 3 closeout to advance to the Finals. Those points were the second- and third-most of her playoff career. Four of Thornton's five double-digit playoff scoring games have come in 2026. -- Copeland

11. Cecilia Zandalasini, Golden State Valkyries

Forward | 6-foot-2
Playoff stats: 8.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG

Zandalasini's performance in Game 1 of the first round against the Wings illustrates how important she is for Golden State and how dangerous she can be as a floor spacer. She scored 22 points in that game, knocking down 4 of 5 3-point attempts. This is what she does best: hit important shots and provide momentum-shifting stretches. She is shooting 42.1% from beyond the arc in the postseason, while also playing an important role as a rebounder. -- Andrews

12. Naz Hillmon, Atlanta Dream

Forward | 6-foot-2
Playoff stats: 5.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG

Hillmon's scoring might be a bit down from her regular-season numbers (9.1 PPG) but she has still made an impact for the Dream in the playoffs -- especially defensively, where she made life difficult for Breanna Stewart in the semifinals. -- Philippou

13. Kaila Charles, Golden State Valkyries

Guard/forward | 6-foot-1
Playoff stats: 6.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.8 APG

Golden State is the fifth WNBA team Charles -- a second-round draft pick in 2020 -- has played for, and it has been the best fit for her. Charles has played in every game this season, and her stats are almost identical between the regular season and postseason. She personifies the team chemistry and willingness to play however many minutes she is given with the same energy. It's part of what has made her a fan favorite in the Bay Area. -- Voepel

14. Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State Valkyries

Guard | 5-foot-9
Playoff stats: 6.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.2 APG

Chen's minutes have dipped in the playoffs, but she has made the most of limited opportunities. Getting 17 minutes in Game 1 against the Wings, she scored eight points with two rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers. In Game 1 against the Aces, Chen scored a playoff career-high 11 points in 22 minutes, also grabbing three rebounds. Starring in her reserve role, the second-year guard has been the loudest and most animated supporter of her teammates while on the bench. -- Copeland

15. Isobel Borlase, Atlanta Dream

Guard | 5-foot-11
Playoff stats: 5.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.8 APG

The Dream drafted "Izzy" in the second round in 2024 out of Australia at age 19, knowing she would need some time to develop before joining the WNBA. Atlanta's plans for her have worked out. The rookie, who turned 22 in September, appeared in all 44 games in the regular season, averaging 4.8 points and 13.0 minutes. In the postseason, she has played a similar role, giving the Dream important minutes off the bench, especially with fellow guard Gray having sat out most of the semifinals. -- Voepel

>> Home