One player can change the entire trajectory of a franchise.
Look no further than the Dallas Wings and Indiana Fever, whose rapid turnarounds followed the arrivals of No. 1 draft picks Azzi Fudd (2026) and Paige Bueckers (2025) in Dallas and Caitlin Clark (2024) and Aliyah Boston (2023) in Indiana.
But if you could just choose one, which cornerstone superstar would be the best for a franchise to build around? That’s the question the WNBA asked general managers in its annual WNBA GM Survey ahead of the season.
Bueckers was named the top choice among general managers, raking in 33% of the vote. Clark and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson tied for second with 20% of the vote, while Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga finished third with 13%. (New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier also received votes in the WNBA GM survey).
With the league’s 30th season rapidly approaching the halfway point, the question deserves to be asked again. Who is the best player to build a franchise around? USA TODAY Sports breaks it all down in this week’s WNBA power rankings, released every Tuesday this season:
1. Minnesota Lynx (15-4)
Previous rank: 2 (⬆ 1)
Who is the best player to build a franchise around? G Olivia Miles
At first glance, most folks might choose Napheesa Collier from the Lynx in this exercise, and it would be hard to argue with them. Collier is a five-time All-Star, a former Defensive Player of the Year and just the second WNBA player to join the 50-40-90 club. But Collier is also turning 30 this season and has yet to play a game due to offseason ankle surgery.
So let’s consider Miles, the 23-year-old rookie point guard who already looks like an MVP caliber player in her first WNBA season. In the absence of Collier, Miles has been the bus driver for the Lynx, powering them to a WNBA-best 15-4 record so far this season. The New Jersey native ranks 10th in the league in scoring, eighth in assists, second in win shares and sixth in defensive rating. It feels like Miles is just scratching the surface of where her potential could take her.
2. Las Vegas Aces (14-5)
Previous rank: 1 (⬇1)
Who is the best player to build a franchise around? C A’ja Wilson
This one is easy. Wilson is, without question, the best player in the WNBA right now. She took home her fourth MVP award last season, which is more than any other player has ever won in the league’s history. She’s a three-time champion, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champ and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. And the 29-year-old product from South Carolina shows no signs of slowing down as she currently leads the league in scoring with 25.7 points per game.
3. Golden State Valkyries (13-7)
Previous rank: 6 (⬆3)
Who is the best player to build a franchise around? F Gabby Williams
Gabby Williams is the personification of Valkyries’ basketball: Tough, gritty and defensively sound. Williams leads Golden State in scoring with a career-high 15.8 points and 1.5 steals per game in her first season in the Bay Area, one year after leading the WNBA in steals and picking up her first WNBA All-Defensive First Team nod.
4. New York Liberty (12-8)
Previous rank: 5 (⬆1)
Who is the best player to build a franchise around? C Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP and two-time league MVP. Need I say more? In her 10th season in the league, Stewart is leading the Liberty in points (19.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.3), while ranking second in rebounds (8.5). Stewart has scored double-digits in all but one game this season and has recorded seven double-doubles.
5. Atlanta Dream (12-7)
Previous rank: 3 (⬇2)
Who is the best player to build a franchise around? G Allisha Gray
It’s hard not to pick Rhyne Howard in this scenario. Howard was drafted in 2022 to be the face of the franchise and is one of the best two-way players in the league. That said, Gray has risen the ranks and become one of the top players in the WNBA over the last two seasons. She does a little bit of everything on both sides of the ball (18.4 ppg on 45% shooting, 1.6 spg) at a high level, and Gray can be an MVP-level player year after year.
6. Indiana Fever (10-7)
Previous rank: 8 (⬆2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? C Aliyah Boston
We’re seen firsthand what Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark have done for the Fever franchise, leading Indiana back to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2016. Boston is averaging a career-high 17 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while shooting 50.2% from the field. And the 6-foot-5 center has been developing her 3-point shot. She’s shooting a career-high 42.6% from deep and her 20 made 3-pointers surpasses last year’s total (6) only 18 games into the season. Plus, Boston is as reliable as they come. She’s only missed one game through the first four seasons of her WNBA career.
7. Dallas Wings (11-6)
Previous rank: 4 (⬇3)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? G Paige Bueckers
Back in May, 33% of general managers in the WNBA picked Bueckers as the player they would start their franchise with. It’s difficult to argue with that selection as the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year is having a strong sophomore campaign, averaging 19.9 points, 5.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51% from the floor. The 24-year-old UConn product became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists, and last year set the single-game rookie scoring record by dropping 44 on the Los Angeles Sparks.
8. Washington Mystics (9-9)
Previous rank: 7 (⬇1)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? G Sonia Citron
The 22-year-old from Notre Dame continues to look like a franchise cornerstone for the Mystics. She’s second in the league in minutes played per game this season with 34.6 and has also emerged as one of the best free throw shooters in the WNBA. Citron was an All-Star as a rookie last season and is playing at a level deserving of a second nod this year. She’s averaging 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season. The Mystics are 5-2 on the season when she scores at least 20 points.
9. Toronto Tempo (9-10)
Previous rank: 11 (⬆2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? G Marina Mabrey
The version of Mabrey that has shown up this season is the one that many have been waiting for. Mabrey has proven that her offseason work on her shooting and footwork is paying off. She’s fourth in scoring (21.2 points a game) and leads the league in 3-pointers (64). Mabrey is not the strong two-way player that you would hope she can be, but she’s willing to defend, and that likely gets some grace because her scoring ability is high.
10. Phoenix Mercury (7-13)
Previous rank: 12 (⬆2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? F Alyssa Thomas
When it comes to selecting a franchise cornerstone, there’s really no wrong answer between Kahleah Copper or Alyssa Thomas. Copper led the Chicago Sky to its first championship in 2021, which she hopes to do in Phoenix after falling just short in the 2025 WNBA Finals. But Thomas’ defensive prowess sets her apart with seven WNBA All-Defensive nods. The six-time All-Star leads the league in assists (8.4) this season and her 25 career triple-doubles is second to none. (No other player WNBA history has more than four). Thomas finished top five in voting the last four seasons. That speaks for itself.
11. Los Angeles Sparks (8-10)
Previous rank: 9 (⬇2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? G Kelsey Plum
Truthfully, it’s hard not to select Nneka Ogwumike. The 10-time All-Star and 2016 MVP is consistently good and has been a career shooter of 50-plus % from the field. However, at nearly 36, Ogwumike doesn’t have as many years left in front of her. At 31, Plum, a four-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion, is not only a top scorer (23.9 ppg), but she’s also a reliable facilitator if asked (6.4 apg).
12. Portland Fire (8-12)
Previous rank: 10 (⬇2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? G Carla Leite
Leite has that big-dawg mentality that you just can’t teach. She’s a 3-level scorer who has zero fear and can be depended on for a timely basket or a game-winner. Leite has proven that if you put the ball in her hand, good things happen. She’s averaging career highs in points (15.3), rebounds (2.3), assists (5.7) and field goal percentage (43.5).
13. Seattle Storm (5-15)
Previous ranking: 15 (⬆2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? C Dominique Malonga
Dominique Malonga has been limited to 12 games this season, but her impact is undeniable. Malonga is superb on both sides of the ball and leads the Storm in points (17.4), rebounds (7.6) and steals (1.3) per game. She recorded a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds in the Storm’s 112-110 OT win over the Dallas Wings on June 22 and followed that performance up with double-doubles in both of the Storm’s wins over the Liberty and Dream last week. The scary part is we haven’t seen Malonga reach her full potential yet.
14. Chicago Sky (6-13)
Previous rank: 14 (⬌)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? C Kamilla Cardoso
The Sky have proven that their best games come when they start and end with Kamilla Cardoso. The 6-7 center has increased responsibilities this season and hasn’t missed a beat. Her production is up across the board, and she’s become a much more consistent defender, which was a knock on her the first two seasons in the league. The 25-year-old is averaging nearly a double-double (14.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg) on just under 60% shooting from the field, plus 1.6 blocks per contest.
15. Connecticut Sun (4-15)
Previous ranking: 13 (⬇2)
Who’s the best player to build a franchise around? F Aneesah Morrow
The Sun don’t have a whole lot to be optimistic about these days, but Morrow looks like she is developing into a player who could have a long career in the WNBA as a meaningful contributor. In her second season, the seventh overall pick out of LSU is nearly averaging a double-double, piling up 11.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She leads the league in rebounding percentage with a 25.2% clip and is also 25th in the WNBA in defensive rating. Morrow is emerging as a great rebounder and a reliable defender, which will keep her in WNBA rotations for years to come.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA power rankings: One player from each team to build franchise around
