What Shape Is the PDC Women’s Series In?

 

I recently found myself wondering about the current shape of the PDC Women’s Series.

Beau Greaves continues to dominate, while several familiar and experienced names remain near the top of the rankings. When the same players regularly occupy the leading positions, it can sometimes be difficult to judge how much the circuit beneath them is changing.

However, the PDC Women’s Series is only one part of women’s darts. Many players also compete regularly in WDF competitions and other events around the world, so this is not intended as an assessment of the entire women’s game.

Instead, I wanted to look specifically at what has happened within the Women’s Series.

Is its player base growing? Are new contenders moving through the rankings? Is the group behind the leading stars becoming stronger? And is the circuit producing a new generation capable of challenging the established names?

A closer look at the Women’s Series rankings, alongside the Q4QS data, offers some encouraging answers.

A Broader Player Base

When the Women’s Series began, the top end of the rankings was dominated by established names from the BDO era.

Lisa Ashton topped the inaugural standings in 2020, followed by Deta Hedman and Fallon Sherrock. Corrine Hammond, Aileen de Graaf, Lorraine Winstanley and Vicky Pruim were also among the leading names.

In that opening season, 58 players earned prize money. By 1 September 2026, that figure had increased to 129.

It is not a perfect direct comparison. The inaugural season was heavily affected by the circumstances of 2020, while the number of events and the available prize money have changed over the years.

Nevertheless, the modern rankings demonstrate how many players are now entering events, earning prize money and building experience on the circuit.

That does not automatically prove that the standard has risen at every level, but it suggests a broader competitive structure than existed during the earliest years of the Women’s Series.

The Beau Greaves Effect

Any discussion about the PDC Women’s Series in 2026 has to begin with Beau Greaves.

Since emerging as a major force, Greaves has established a level of dominance rarely seen in the women’s game.

She finished second in the Women’s Series rankings in 2022 before taking over completely, topping the standings in 2023, 2024 and 2025. She leads again in 2026, with £34,700 earned by 1 September—more than double the £17,050 collected by second-placed Lisa Ashton.

That level of dominance can make it difficult to assess the rest of the circuit.

When one player is so far ahead, everybody else can appear to be standing still. However, that is not necessarily what is happening. An alternative interpretation is that Greaves is simply setting an exceptional standard and continuing to improve faster than the field around her.

The gap between Greaves and the chasing pack is enormous, but underneath her dominance there are signs of genuine progress and considerable movement.

Familiar Names Remain Competitive

One of the most interesting features of the 2026 rankings is the continued success of several players who helped establish the Women’s Series.

Lisa Ashton is second in the current standings, while Fallon Sherrock is third. Deta Hedman occupies fifth place, with Vicky Pruim sixth and Trina Gulliver seventh.

Aileen de Graaf, Eleanor Cairns, Jo Locke, Rhian O’Sullivan, Lorraine Winstanley and Denise Cassidy are also inside the top 30.

It would be easy to point to those familiar names and conclude that little has changed. I think that would overlook two important points.

Firstly, their longevity deserves considerable respect. Remaining competitive as the circuit develops is an achievement in itself.

Secondly, established players continuing to succeed does not prevent new challengers from emerging. Both things can happen at the same time—and the movement elsewhere in the rankings suggests that they are.

New Faces Climbing the Rankings

Perhaps the clearest evidence that the Women’s Series is evolving comes from the number of players rapidly climbing the standings.

Gemma Hayter is one of the strongest examples. She moved from sixth in 2024 to fifth in 2025 and sits fourth in the current 2026 standings. She has established herself among the circuit’s leading players and also occupies fourth place in the current Q4QS rankings.

Lauryn Salter has enjoyed a remarkable rise. Ranked 60th in 2024, she climbed to 37th in 2025 before breaking into the top 20 in 2026. By 1 September, she had earned £3,750 and occupied 19th place.

Lauren Bloomfield’s progress has been even more dramatic. After finishing 103rd in 2024 with £200, she surged to 21st in 2025. She has backed that up in 2026, climbing another place to 20th and increasing her prize money to £3,300.

Jade Gofford has produced one of the biggest jumps of the current season. She was ranked 27th in 2025 but has climbed to eighth in 2026, earning £5,500 by the beginning of September.

That is not simply a small move within the middle of the rankings. It represents a breakthrough into the circuit’s leading group.

Another major success story is Joanne Oldershaw. She was 63rd in 2024 and 98th in 2025, but has exploded into the top 20 this season. Her £4,550 in prize money places her 17th in the current standings.

These are not isolated examples. Together, they demonstrate genuine movement throughout the rankings and a competitive landscape that continues to change beneath the established leading names.

Is the Chasing Pack Becoming Stronger?

One of the best indicators of progress in any sporting circuit is not simply the standard of its best player, but the quality and depth of the chasing pack.

The current Q4QS rankings reveal an increasingly dense group of Women’s Series players averaging from the mid-to-high 60s into the 70s.

Karolina Ratajska, Aileen de Graaf, Jade Gofford, Eleanor Cairns, Kim Holden, Denise Cassidy and Lauryn Salter are among those producing strong performances and competing for deep tournament runs.

The important point is not that every one of them is ready to challenge Greaves consistently. It is that there are increasingly dangerous opponents throughout a Women’s Series draw.

The prize-money standings support that impression.

By 1 September, 22 players had earned at least £3,000 during the 2026 Women’s Series season, while 58 had reached £1,000 or more.

Leading players can encounter a dangerous opponent from the opening rounds. More competitors appear capable of defeating recognised names, putting together deep runs and eventually establishing themselves among the leading group.

Competition within the chasing pack should ultimately help to raise standards throughout the circuit, even if Greaves remains some distance ahead of it.

The Next Generation

Perhaps the most encouraging sign for the longer-term future of the Women’s Series is the emergence of younger players beginning to make an impact.

Macy Gibbons is a name that immediately stands out.

Although she currently sits outside the leading group on the Women’s Series Order of Merit, her Q4QS position and performance statistics suggest considerable potential. She has recorded a strong average and win percentage, indicating that she could climb substantially as she gains more experience.

Her progress is already visible in the Women’s Series standings. After earning £200 and finishing 101st in 2025, she had climbed to 74th with £600 by 1 September 2026.

Ruby Grey is another player attracting attention. She currently sits inside the top 50 of both the Women’s Series and Q4QS rankings. Her £1,400 in prize money places her 43rd on the 2026 Women’s Series Order of Merit.

Ella Coburn is also beginning to convert appearances into prize money and ranking progress. She has risen from 104th in 2025 to 51st this season, increasing her prize money from £200 to £1,100.

Olivia Goddard is another young name beginning to appear in the standings, earning her first Women’s Series prize money in 2026.

Whether these players eventually develop into regular title challengers remains to be seen.

Progress is rarely completely smooth, particularly on a circuit where the cost of entries and travel—and the ability to commit to a full schedule—can all affect a player’s development.

However, these are exactly the type of emerging players worth following over the coming seasons.

What Do the Rankings Tell Us?

Rankings never provide the complete picture.

They reward results rather than potential, while players who enter more events naturally have more opportunities to earn money. The Q4QS data adds performance averages and win percentages, but that also depends on which tournaments and matches are available within the database.

The 2026 Women’s Series season was also still in progress when these figures were collected on 1 September.

Despite those qualifications, there are some clear trends.

Greaves remains comfortably ahead. Ashton, Sherrock and several other established stars remain extremely competitive. Behind them, however, a group of newer contenders is beginning to establish itself.

Hayter has become part of the leading group. Gofford has broken into the top 10. Oldershaw, Salter and Bloomfield have reached the top 20.

Further down the rankings, players such as Gibbons, Grey, Coburn and Goddard are beginning to create their own signs of progress.

There is experience at the top, considerable competition in the middle and emerging potential beneath it.

So, What Shape Is the Women’s Series In?

Based on the available evidence, I think the PDC Women’s Series is in a healthy and increasingly competitive position.

Its player base is broader than it was during the circuit’s earliest years. More players are earning prize money, several newer names are climbing rapidly through the standings and the group behind the leading stars appears to be developing greater depth.

The extraordinary dominance of Beau Greaves can sometimes obscure that progress.

When one player sets such a high standard, everybody else can appear static by comparison. However, the movement beneath Greaves tells a different story.

Gemma Hayter, Lauryn Salter, Lauren Bloomfield, Jade Gofford and Joanne Oldershaw all provide evidence of players making significant progress within the Women’s Series.

Behind them, Macy Gibbons, Ruby Grey, Ella Coburn and Olivia Goddard offer signs of another generation beginning to emerge.

There are still areas in which the circuit can develop. More opportunities, greater international participation and more players being able to compete regularly across a full season would all strengthen it further.

It is also important to remember that the Women’s Series is not the entirety of women’s darts. Many players continue to develop and achieve success through WDF competitions and other routes around the world.

But judged specifically on its own rankings and recent trends, the PDC Women’s Series does not appear to be standing still.

Beau Greaves may continue to take most of the headlines, but beneath her dominance there is genuine movement, increasing depth and a developing group of players hoping to become the circuit’s next leading names.