The Early WNBA Standings Reveal A New League Order

We run through the early WNBA 2026 standings and react to who’s rising fast and who’s falling short of expectations. We also dig into why expansion teams look playoff-ready already and what that could mean for the MVP and Rookie of the Year races. 
• The current top eight and why early records matter 
• The Sparks frustration and the role of injuries 
• Valkyries Fire and Tempo looking like playoff teams 
• What expansion success says about the rest of the league 
• Lynx leading without their best player plus point differential 
• Olivia Miles as a Rookie of the Year front-runner 
• Dream chemistry with Angel Reese Jordan Canada and pending Brionna Jones return 
• Wings surprise start and Paige Bueckers entering MVP talk 
• Aces seeding context and how team help affects MVP cases 
• Liberty expectations and why the standings need to rise soon 
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Transcript

Welcome And Subscribe Request

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's up everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show get a bucket. I'm your host, Train as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Today we're going to talk about the WNBA 2026 updates. But before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment on anyone who's anyone about the show. I'm trying to get the ratings up a little bit, you know, just a little bit. And if you wonder where you heard this before, that's because you've been listening to me Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. So I greatly

Early Top Eight Standings

SPEAKER_00 0:23

appreciate you. Now, let's go ahead and list off the top eight of the WNBA. Currently, because it's still early, ladies and gentlemen. We're only about what, nine games in. You know what I'm saying? Maybe even ten lem. Yeah, about a lemon, something right, something around that time frame. Games played. We got the following in order from one through eight. The Minnesota Lynx at number one, the Atlanta Dream, number two, the Dallas Wings, number three, Las Vegas Aces, number four, the Golden State Valkyrie, number five, New York Liberty, number six, Portland Fire, number seven, Toronto Tempo, number eight. Everybody else, get in where you fit in. Now, I'm gonna just be honest with you, ladies and gentlemen. Off the break, what I personally recognize is my spark's still not in this damn listing. That is it, it's heartbreaking. It really, truly is. Like, you know, if the season were to end the day, which again, we're about a quarter of the way through WNBA season, it's crazy. Time flies when you're having fun. But that's what we're looking at right now. My spark's not there. That hurts. That really truly does. I understand we have some injuries, ladies. Yeah, we just gotta do better. End of day. We still have enough talent to not be where we are, but it is what

Expansion Teams Spark Fast Starts

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it is. What I also realized is the three newcoming organizations, if the season were to end the day, would be in the playoffs. Now, remember, these teams just assembled the Valkyries last season and then the fire and the tempo this past, like this for this season. I don't know whether it's because they drafted players who were already, you know, professionals and they got a chip on their shoulder because technically, you know, they were given the boot. Like technically, right? Technically. Like the teams didn't say, nah, you can't have this player right here. They were like, I guess you can have these players. So that maybe they're feeling a little slighted, right? Maybe that's the reason why they've gotten to an early start. Or maybe this is just them. I mean, look, the Valkyries look pretty impressive at 6-3. I'm not gonna lie to you. They pretty good. They're pretty decent. And their starting five is not bad. And they're their their bench could be forming up something decent. The tempo, I ain't mad at they tempo and the fire. I mean, they are they are they got some embers on their squad, but that's when I'm seeing the three new teams, ladies and gentlemen, could be in the playoffs. And what would that say for the rest of the WNBA? Like, I didn't mention the Mystics, but granted, they're young, right? Heard you. They also have three all-star caliber players on their team. So I would look at that as a knock against them. Same thing with the fever, by the way. And the fever have more established players on their team. My sparks as well. Y'all, yeah, we've already talked about that. The Phoenix Mercury. Similar thing. Because again, you still have an Alyssa Thomas, a Dawanabon, or a Khalia Copper. Like, we have those expectations of you all to replace maybe not the Valkyrie, but the fire and the tempo. I think that goes without saying.

Lynx Lead Without Their Star

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Now, some other things to note, ladies and gentlemen, the Minnesota Lynx, without their best player, number one right now. That's not bad. That's not bad. Could we actually talk about Olivia Miles as the front runner for the rookie of the year race? Right now, it looks that way. Because again, I wouldn't say she's leading this team, but she is without a doubt the floor general for this team right now. And again, ladies and gentlemen, without their best player, the Minnesota Lynx are number one at 7-2. That's not bad at all. That's not bad at all. So again, ladies and gentlemen, oh, by the way, they have the best point differential in the league. So, I mean, that's something to note, too. Now, the Atlanta Dream

Dream Chemistry And Angel Reese Growth

SPEAKER_00 4:20

at number two, right? They I gotta look at their schedule again to see exactly who they've been playing. But six and two is nothing to scoff at as well, too. And keep in mind, they've been here a large part of the season. The early season, I'll give you, but a large part of the season, they've been here. So that's something to note as well, too. With that, will that carry over into the playoffs? What would their seating look like when the playoff happens? Because Ryan Howard, Alicia Gray, you're looking pretty smooth. But Angel Reese is looking pretty stellar out there on the court as well, too, ladies and gentlemen. I think they have been able to unlock something of Angel Reese. And I do like Jordan Canada on their team, being able to control the point guard duties, if you will. So they have a good team around them. I am curious about the bench, and I am curious what Breonna Jones looks like once she returns. But, ladies and gentlemen, this Atlanta Dream Team, they do look like they're pretty good. I'm not I'm not I'm not gonna say the dream team, but you know what I'm saying, they looking alright.

Wings Surge And MVP Debate

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Now, another team that is surprising me, kind of sort of. Yeah, kind of, is the Dallas Wings. Keep in mind, I'm I'm I'm I'm oh my god, I'm a big Paige Beckers fan. Like, I'm really truly a Paige Beckers fan, bro. And I was not expecting them being a three seed right now. If this were the if this were to hold out for the remainder of the season, we gotta talk about Paige Beckers in the MVP discussion. Because she is the reason why her team is right here. Like Olivia Miles isn't quite there yet, right? Like, we still gotta see a little bit more out of her. Because keep it a buck, what you held Natasha Howard has been hooping for the Minnesota Lynx as of right now, bro. She has been hooping, ladies and gentlemen. So I can't give it to Olivia Miles completely. I can give it to Paige Beckers. Yes, she got a Rikay. Yes, AZ Pho has been doing a lot. You know what I'm saying? She's been playing solid. But Paige is clearly, definitively, without question, the leader of the team, the best player on the team. For the Lynx, we could talk about Courtney Williams. We could talk about Kayla McBride, aka Kayla McBuckets, aka Kayla get a bucket. You know what I'm saying? Like, and again, like I told you, Natasha Howard, aka Tosh. Like she, I can't give it to Olivia for sure. I could give it to Paige. Or even a Ryan Howard or an Alicia Gray for MVP. That could be what we're talking about right now. Maybe I think more so Alicia, because Alicia's been playing more consistently. But the point is, ladies and gentlemen, these three teams, they could be boasting an MVP caliber player. And

Aces Liberty Pressure And Contenders

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I'm looking forward to seeing it. Now, the Ace is at number four. I think that kind of drops Asia's rank. You know what I'm saying? Like we've seen her there before. We understand she's valuable, but her team is pretty daggone pretty good too. Like Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, ladies and gentlemen. It's a couple of people on there on her team. And I think you have more help for the aces than you do the wings. The dream may be another discussion. The Lynx, I don't know. It could have more help on the aces than it does on the Lynx, meaning Asia has more help. But again, let's wait to see because also when Fee comes back, Lynx could look a little bit different. So, you know, we'll wait and see what happens. I also got to point this out too, because you know, the Valkyries, they had six and three as well. Hell, so if they if any of these teams I just mentioned lose a game, Valkyries slide right on up into the standings, just to be honest with you. So that one's gonna be interesting to note because I really do like the Valkyries. They do look like a playoff team, honestly. Now, the Liberty, I understand you guys are still trying to get your bearings together, right? I understand you still have team injuries and all that good stuff. I hear you. I genuinely do. But at some point in time, I do need to see y'all get a little higher in these standings. Now, it's early. Remember, it is early. They only a game and a half back away from like the best team. So that's definitely doable to climb up these rankings. But we need to see it at some point in time. Because y'all have way too much talent to be this low in the standings, personally. So that's why I'm waiting to see from the New York Liberty. Because I got championship aspirations for both them and the Aces. Other teams still got to prove it for me. The Lynx, they're starting to look like I can move them into that contending sex, like tier, along with the dream. And I think those are the other two teams that I have questions about. Some other playoff contending teams, but again, they got to get into the thick of the things because I had the fever, I had the mystics, my sparks should have made it. Mercury, I had at the bottom. Again, it's very early, ladies and gentlemen. But I got some expectations for people, and some people

Commissioner Cup Note And Signoff

SPEAKER_00 9:08

aren't making them. Meanwhile, other people are exceeding my expectations. Kudos to the new three teams. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that does conclude the end of the WNBA update. Yeah, I could have talked about the NBA playoffs, NBA finals. We're gonna save that for another time. Because this one mattered a little bit more for me. And I'm telling y'all right now, there's a lot of entertainment going on in the W for sure. So you gotta stay tuned. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, like I said, that does conclude the end of the episode. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone, one, about the WNBA, and two, about my show. Because, you know, the WNBA, they got the Commissioner Cup going, champ. They got the oh my gosh, they have the Commissioner Cup taking place. So hope y'all are enjoying it. But ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, hope you all have a good one. Please like, subscribe, comment on anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Sherry. I'm the host of Get a Bucket. I hope you're all having a good one. Take care.