The WNBA season is approaching the halfway point, with All-Star festivities set to take place on July 19 in Indianapolis. As teams head toward the break, squads are battling it out to be in pole position as no one wants to marinate in disappointment during their time away from the court.
So, who’s looking good?
The Minnesota Lynx are leading the pack and are hunting for their first title since 2017. Elsewhere in the league, the reigning champion New York Liberty are dealing with tumultuous times without Jonquel Jones.
But what about the rest of the landscape? Here’s this week’s power rankings.
13. Connecticut Sun (3-16)
Last Week: | Upcoming LAS (7/13), IND (7/15)
Connecticut was finally able to secure its third win of the season thanks to some vintage play from Tina Charles, who scored 29 in the victory. Rookie Saniya Rivers also displayed her playmaking, dishing out 7 dimes in the win.
12. Dallas Wings (6-15)
Last Week: | Upcoming IND (7/13), LVA (7/16)
Dallas had been on an impressive run lately especially after acquiring Li Yueru from the Seattle Storm, but after an upset win against the Phoenix Sun, the Texas team’s wings may have been clipped. The squad has lost two straight, including by 30 in their rematch with Phoenix.
11. Los Angeles Sparks (6-14)
Last Week: | Upcoming CON (7/13), WAS (7/15)
The Sparks are working back to full health and find themselves in more competitive games. All-Star Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby make up one of the league’s highest-scoring duos, and their one-two punch is as fearsome as any. They were within striking distance in games against the reigning champ New York Liberty and the team with the league’s best record, the Minnesota Lynx.
10. Chicago Sky (6-13)
Last Week: | Upcoming: MIN (7/12), MIN (7/14), ATL (7/16)
The Chicago Sky have been a much more competitive team as of late with narrow loses to the rising Washington Mystics and league-leading Lynx preceding their win against the Dallas Wings. Bec Allen and Rachel Banham have found their shooting touch lately, with Allen’s 27 points helping to knock off Dallas.
9. Las Vegas Aces (9-11)
Last Week: | Upcoming: GSV (7/12), DAL (7/16)
Right as the Las Vegas thought it was figuring it out and getting to the .500 mark, A’ja Wilson was sidelined with a sprained wrist.
The Aces were already having a tough time with A’ja on the court and she leads the Aces in every statistical category. The Aces simply need her prowess on both sides of the ball to thrive. The Wilson-less Aces let the Washington Mystics go on 12-2 run at the tail end of a game they lost by two points.
8. Indiana Fever (9-10)
Last Week: | Upcoming DAL (7/13), CON (7/15), NYL (7/16)
Indiana had an up-and-down week after winning the Commissioner’s Cup. Caitlin Clark returned to the lineup against the Golden State Valkyries, but her return was spoiled by a double-digit loss to the rising expansion team.
7. Washington Mystics (10-10)
Last Week: | Upcoming SEA (7/13), LAS (7/15)
The Mystics’ rise has been nothing short of magical. The addition of All-Star rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron has the team’s future looking bright. Though she may not have been selected to this year’s team, Brittney Sykes has been playing at an All-Star level for Washington, locking down on the defensive side and scoring at a career rate.
6. Atlanta Dream (12-7)
Last Week: | Upcoming NYL (7/13), CHI (7/16)
Atlanta’s All-Star duo of Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray are joining Team Collier for the festivities in Indianapolis. The Dream representatives are first and second in the league, respectively, in made threes, but it was Naz Hillmon’s three-point shooting that helped lift the squad against the surging Valkyries.
5. Seattle Storm (12-8)
Last Week: | Upcoming WAS (7/13), GSV (7/16)
Right as the Storm were about to rain on everyone’s parade, the Sun came out to shine. After huge wins against two of the top teams in the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty, Seattle fell short to a rebuilding Connecticut Sun team led by the legendary Tina Charles. Though it was a shocking upset, it should be an aberration for one of the most complete teams in the WNBA.
4. New York Liberty (13-6)
Last Week: | Upcoming ATL (7/13), IND (7/16)
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag with Jonquel Jones out. The Liberty still have a high-powered offense that loves to knock down the three-ball, led by MVP candidate Breanna Stewart, who can score from anywhere, and Sabrina Ionescu, who has been one of the most prolific shooters this season. They rest of the roster is also capable of contributing on any given night, but New York still misses Jones’ rebounding and overall efficiency.
3. Golden State Valkyries (10-9)
Last Week: | Upcoming: LVA (7/12), PHX (7/14), SEA (7/16)
The Golden State Valkyries continue to add to the history books with their first All-Star in Kayla Thornton.
Thornton leads the team in points and rebounds and has some of the quickest hands in the WNBA on the defensive end. She also brings championship DNA and resilience to from her championship run with the Liberty last year. While the forward certainly deserves her flowers, the rest of the squad is filled with key contributors who help the team’s relentless rebounding and perimeter attack.
2. Minnesota Lynx (18-3)
Last Week: | Upcoming: CHI (7/12), CHI (7/14), PHX (7/16)
Minnesota is rampaging through the league, having lost only once since their defeat in the Commissioner’s Cup Final. Napheesa Collier looks like the runaway MVP and Courtney Williams is playing like the All-Star she is, but Minnesota has weapons at every position and depth to match.
1. Phoenix Mercury (14-6)
Last Week: | Upcoming GSV (7/14), MIN (7/16)
Phoenix has been one of the best teams in the league and just added another weapon in the great DeWanna Bonner. In Bonner’s return to Phoenix, her fiancee, Alyssa Thomas, starred, dropping a career-high 29 points in a win against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.
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