Las Vegas Aces Look to Maintain WNBA Dominance, But Competition Intensifies
The Las Vegas Aces, led by A’ja Wilson, cemented their legacy by winning their third WNBA title in four seasons, culminating in a sweep over the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 Finals. However, bookmakers are already focused on the 2026 season and predict a change at the top. The Minnesota Lynx emerge as favorites to win the WNBA title in 2026, with odds of +225 on ESPN BET. Other sports betting sites also favor the team led by Napheesa Collier, although with higher odds, reaching up to +350 on FanDuel.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, remains in second place at other sportsbooks.
Among the teams with high expectations are the Indiana Fever, who are tied with the Aces in second place with odds of +250 on ESPN BET. Indiana had a surprising run to the WNBA semifinals, almost eliminating Las Vegas in five games, despite key injuries to Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, among others. The New York Liberty, WNBA champions in 2024, are also in the mix of favorites, but the odds vary greatly from one sportsbook to another, ranging from +330 to +700.The highest odds belong to expansion teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, both with odds of 250-1 for the 2026 title on ESPN BET. 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’s value in betting on expansion teams.
