The Indiana Fever, even without Caitlin Clark, eliminated the Atlanta Dreams from the WNBA playoffs during the 2025 season. They went on to push the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, to a full five-game series in the semifinals.
Naturally, with Clark fully healthy again, many would assume that the Fever have the better team compared to the Dream heading into the 2026 campaign.
ESPN's ranking of the top 50 WNBA players entering the new season, however, suggests otherwise.
According to the ESPN rankings, the Fever have three players in the top 10. In fact, all three are in the top 15.
Clark is at No. 10, followed by Kelsey Mitchell at No. 11 and Aliyah Boston at No. 14. All three were All-Stars in 2025, with Mitchell and Boston even finishing in the top six in MVP voting.
In comparison, though, the Dream have six players in the top 50, two of whom are in the top 15. Allisha Gray is ranked seventh, while Rhyne Howard is ranked 13th.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Angel Reese, Clark's biggest rival who was traded to Atlanta from the Chicago Sky this offseason, is at No. 22.
Dream players Brionna Jones (30), Jordin Canada (41) and Naz Hillmon (49) all made it to the top 50 as well.
Considering that the Dream finished third in the WNBA standings with a 30-14 record in 2025, it's safe to expect them to make major improvements in 2026.
As for the Fever, it will be interesting to see how much they can improve, especially with all their key players healthy.
