WNBA execs are spilling the tea, as the league’s annual GM survey provides anonymous predictions for expected standouts, top roster moves, and the season’s projected champion.
33% of GMs tapped Dallas guard Paige Bueckers as the best player to build a franchise around, leapfrogging 2025 nominee Caitlin Clark (20%).
Lynx rookie Olivia Miles got 73% of the 2026 Rookie of the Year vote, while execs pegged the Wings as both most improved (67%) and most fun to watch (36%).
40% chose defending champion Las Vegas to win the 2026 title, followed by New York (33%) and Atlanta (27%) — with no mention of last year’s predicted winner Minnesota.
Aces star and four-time MVP A’ja Wilson stole 60% of the 2026 MVP vote, while also picking up best defender, forward, center, and leader.
Other races were tighter, as Seattle’s Dominique Malonga and Chicago newcomer Rickea Jackson shared “most likely to have a breakout season” with 15% each. Similarly, Connecticut’s Nell Angloma and LA’s Ta’Niya Latson split “biggest rookie steal” at 21%.
The NWSL salary cap is back in the headlines, as ESPN's annual anonymous GM survey surfaced widespread concerns about the cap's impact on attracting and retaining talent on Tuesday.
A full 85% of executives from 15 of the 16 league franchises in the survey said the $3.5 million salary cap — even with its CBA-mandated yearly increase — is holding the NWSL back, as big-name players continue to seek out more lucrative European contracts.
"Right now, top talent is going only one way," one GM said. "We're not seeing players that are in top clubs in their prime coming this way…. If that becomes a trend, then that will be an issue."
The GMs also weighed in on commissioner Jessica Berman's performance as well as league expansion, the player development pipeline, other domestic and international leagues, the NWSL's strongest and weakest teams, and more.
While over half (54%) of those interviewed gave Berman's performance three to three-and-a-half stars out of a possible five, just 40% voiced support for the commissioner's longterm plan to grow the NWSL to 32 teams.
As for individual clubs, the majority said that the 2025 NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current are elevating the league the most, while 40% said this year's last-place Chicago Stars are "holding the league back," with one GM stating, "The ones at the bottom of the standings are there for a reason."