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As the Las Vegas Aces dribbled out the final seconds of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, ESPN announcer Ryan Ruoco summed up the scene perfectly: “A dynasty declared.”
The Aces, behind a monster performance from A’ja Wilson, who was voted Most Valuable Player for the season, Defensive Player of the Year, and WNBA Finals MVP in the same season, won their third championship in the past four seasons.
Now the attention turns to next season and four teams are in their own tier when it comes to WNBA Championship odds for 2026.
2026 WNBA championship odds
The reigning champion Aces are co-favorites with the Minnesota Lynx (+350), the championship runners-up in 2024.
The Indiana Fever are just behind those two teams (+390) with the New York Liberty (+480) trailing them. This year’s runner-up, the Phoenix Mercury (+850), are the last team with odds shorter than 10-1 to win the WNBA championship.
This offseason will be the most significant in the recent history of the WNBA and wagering on a champion a year out may be tougher than usual.
The most pressing issue is the negotiation happening around the new collective bargaining agreement. The spotlight on those negotiations increased exponentially after Lynx star and Napheesa Collier’s explosive comments about WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s leadership.
The player’s association, of which Collier is the vice president, is asking for higher salaries and increased revenue sharing as part of the ongoing negotiations and many of the top players in the league will be unrestricted free agents so they can sign more contracts if they can negotiate for more money. If the players and the league can’t meet their Oct. 31 deadline, a work stoppage could halt the normal business of the offseason.
The other significant change this offseason is the expansion draft. Two more teams, the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo, will join the league next season after the Golden State Valkyries expanded this season.
In an environment full of unknowns, there are two teams that stand out as interesting bets to win it all next season.
The Aces have been too dominant over the past six season not to be considered for another title. Wilson is an unrestricted free agent, but it would be shocking to see the Aces let the best player of her generation (maybe ever) walk out the door for any reason.
The other interesting team: the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark missed most of the season with various different injuries and the Fever still made the playoffs and pushed the Aces to the brink of elimination in the semifinals. If we get a full season of Clark on the floor, the Fever could be much more dangerous.
The Pick(s): Aces (+350) | Fever (+390)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
