WNBA Weekly Ratings for September 21, 2026

The WNBA is back after pausing following the August 30 games for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. League play resumed September 17, the regular season ends September 24, and the playoffs begin Sunday, September 27, 2026, according to the WNBA’s World Cup guide.

Golden State returns to this week’s update at No. 1 in both of my rating systems. Minnesota remains second, but Atlanta is making the race behind them more interesting. With only a few days left before the postseason, the differences in how these teams score and defend are worth a closer look.

This update compares the September 21 ratings with my August 31 weekly report, which captured where teams stood entering the World Cup break. The changes reflect the return to league play after the pause. These are model rankings, not playoff seeds.

WNBA Regular Season Power Ratings

What Changed Since the End of August?

Golden State entered the break ranked first, with Minnesota second. Both hold those positions on September 21. Atlanta moves past Las Vegas into third, while New York replaces Dallas in the top five.

These four teams remain in the top five after the break. Las Vegas improves its rating but loses a position because Atlanta improves more. New York enters the latest top five at 101.916; Dallas, fifth at 101.656 entering the break, is now sixth at 101.826 in the full report. Dallas also improves despite dropping a place.

September 21 Full Rankings

Golden State leads with a 103.144 rating, ahead of Minnesota at 102.794. That 0.350-point gap is still small, but it has widened from just 0.083 in the August 31 update. The Valkyries’ defensive performance continues to carry them to the top of the model.

Atlanta moves from fourth to third, edging Las Vegas by only 0.024 rating points. New York climbs to fifth while Dallas slips to sixth. Indiana and Washington remain seventh and eighth.

The rankings are not based on wins alone. In this report, Las Vegas has one more win than Atlanta, yet the Dream sit slightly higher in the model. Atlanta has a +258 scoring margin compared with the Aces’ +179, with nearly identical strength-of-schedule ratings. That gives some context for why the two teams can appear in a different order than their records suggest.

Washington also deserves attention. The Mystics’ rating has improved from 100.404 to 100.698 since the last weekly post. They remain eighth, with a 2.156-point cushion over ninth-place Phoenix in the model.

WNBA Regular Season Elo Ratings

The two systems now agree on the entire top five: Golden State, Minnesota, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and New York. Golden State’s Elo lead over Minnesota has grown from less than one point before the break to 20.704 points in this report.

Indiana is the biggest mover near the top compared with August 31, falling from third to sixth in Elo. The Fever still rank one place above Dallas here, reversing their order in the power ratings. Washington remains eighth, but its Elo rating has increased from 1472.593 to 1514.148.

Agreement between the models makes Golden State the clear starting point for this week’s discussion. It does not make the Valkyries a guaranteed postseason winner. Their offense and defense tell very different stories, and playoff matchups will put both to the test.

WNBA Regular Season Adjusted Scoring Offense

Indiana remains first in adjusted offense at +10.225, scoring that many points per game above what its opponents typically allow. The Fever lead second-place Atlanta by 5.765 points, even after slipping from +10.612 in the previous weekly update.

Atlanta moves ahead of Minnesota into second. Las Vegas stays fourth and New York fifth, giving all three teams chasing the leaders a top-five offense.

Golden State remains 14th offensively at -5.553. That is the biggest question in the profile of the team ranked first overall: can the Valkyries generate enough scoring when their defense cannot fully control a game?

WNBA Regular Season Adjusted Scoring Defense

Golden State’s adjusted defense is now +13.022, meaning the Valkyries hold opponents that many points below their usual scoring average. That is an improvement from +12.419 before the break and puts them 9.273 points ahead of second-place Washington.

Dallas remains third defensively. Atlanta moves ahead of Minnesota into fourth, giving the Dream a top-four ranking on both ends of the court. That balance is the strongest reason to keep an eye on Atlanta as the playoffs approach.

What I’m Watching Before the Playoffs

Golden State and Indiana continue to offer the sharpest contrast: the Valkyries rank first on defense and 14th on offense, while the Fever rank first on offense and 13th on defense. Their strengths are substantial, but each has a weakness that could matter in a series.

Atlanta’s improvement since the end of August stands out. The Dream are second on offense, fourth on defense, and third in both overall systems. Minnesota remains ahead of Atlanta in both models, with a third-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense, so the Lynx are still firmly in the conversation at the top.

The final regular-season games will settle the bracket. Once the matchups are set, I will be looking at how these offensive and defensive profiles fit together. For now, Golden State holds the top spot, Minnesota is the closest challenger, and Atlanta has strengthened its case heading toward September 27.

See the complete ratings and reports on my 2026 WNBA season page.