Las Vegas Aces Look to Maintain Their WNBA Dominance, But Competition Intensifies
The Las Vegas Aces, led by A’ja Wilson, solidified their legacy by winning their third WNBA title in four seasons, culminating in a sweep over the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 Finals. However, experts are already anticipating the 2026 season and envisioning a new contender with MVP potential. The Minnesota Lynx are shaping up as the favorites to win the WNBA title in 2026, with odds of +225. Other betting sites also favor the team led by Napheesa Collier, although with slightly higher odds, reaching up to +350.Not all major sportsbooks see Minnesota, which fell to Phoenix in the 2025 semifinals, snatching the crown from Las Vegas next season. BetMGM has the Aces as favorites for the 2026 title with +300, while the Lynx have the third-best odds with +400. Las Vegas, on the other hand, is in second place in most sportsbooks.
In most odds lists, the Indiana Fever are also in a favorable position, tied with the Aces in second place with odds of +250. Indiana had a surprising run to the WNBA semifinals, competing closely with Las Vegas in five games despite key injuries to Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, among other players. The Fever are consistently one of the most popular future bets among the betting public and represent a significant risk for bookmakers. The New York Liberty, WNBA champions in 2024, are also in the mix of favorites, but the odds vary considerably between different bookmakers, ranging from +330 to +700. The Mercury, runners-up this season, are just behind the Liberty in most odds lists, but also present a wide range of odds, between +700 and +1100. The highest odds in the table correspond to the expansion teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, both with odds of 250-1 for the 2026 title. While expecting a championship from either of those franchises in their first WNBA seasons might be ambitious, the Golden State Valkyries (+6000) proved that there is value in betting on expansion teams. The Valkyries surpassed their preseason win total of 8.5 by the middle of their inaugural season and made the playoffs despite odds of +1300.
