Golden State Valkyries have the best defensive rating in the WNBA
Golden State Valkyries have the best defensive rating in the WNBA in the 2026 season at 100.6, against a league average of 109.1, as of October 5, 2026.
One number, the league’s average beside it, and the top 15. Every figure here is from the 2026 season.
The number
8.5 below the league average of 109.1. Points allowed per 100 possessions. Lower is better. On its own a figure is only a size, which is why the league's number sits beside it.
| # | The rest of the board | Defensive rating | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden State Valkyries 32-12 | 100.6 | 32-12 |
| 2 |  Atlanta Dream 30-14 | 104.5 | 30-14 |
| 3 |  Washington Mystics 28-16 | 105.0 | 28-16 |
| 4 |  Minnesota Lynx 33-11 | 105.4 | 33-11 |
| 5 |  Las Vegas Aces 31-13 | 107.2 | 31-13 |
| 6 |  Dallas Wings 27-17 | 107.8 | 27-17 |
| 7 |  New York Liberty 26-18 | 108.7 | 26-18 |
| 8 |  Chicago Sky 16-28 | 110.1 | 16-28 |
| 9 |  Indiana Fever 28-16 | 110.3 | 28-16 |
| 10 |  Seattle Storm 8-36 | 110.5 | 8-36 |
| 11 |  Phoenix Mercury 16-28 | 110.6 | 16-28 |
| 12 |  Connecticut Sun 11-33 | 110.8 | 11-33 |
| 13 |  Los Angeles Sparks 16-28 | 112.0 | 16-28 |
| 14 |  Portland Fire 17-27 | 114.6 | 17-27 |
| 15 |  Toronto Tempo 11-33 | 118.4 | 11-33 |
Source: Basketball Reference, 2026 season. League average across all 15 teams. Lower is better, so the table runs lowest first. The lead is 2.0 standard deviations (sd) above the field: the unit the directory ranks leads by, because it lets a rate and a speed share one list. Measured (); the boards refresh twice a day.