WNBA: Las Vegas Aces Open the Offseason at No. 3 After the Valkyries Win the Title
Golden State beat Atlanta in Game 7 on Saturday to win the WNBA championship, and ESPN's first 2027 power rankings put the Aces third after a 31-13 season — with Jackie Young's free agency the first question of the winter.
The Golden State Valkyries clinched the WNBA championship on Saturday with a Game 7 victory over the Atlanta Dream, according to TSN's report of ESPN's Way-Too-Early Power Rankings for 2027, which project Golden State to start next season at No. 1.
The Las Vegas Aces open those rankings at No. 3. Las Vegas went 31-13 in 2026 and lost in the semifinals to Golden State, a result the rankings note looked less surprising once the Valkyries went on to win the title — though by the standards built behind five-time MVP A'ja Wilson, the season still felt a bit like a letdown.
The Aces' first offseason question is their backcourt core. Wilson and guard Chelsea Gray are signed for next season, but guard Jackie Young is a free agent, and the rankings identify bringing her back and adding depth as important keys before free agency, trades and April's draft reshape the league.
