1. Las Vegas Aces – The return of Chelsea Gray means that it’s time for the Aces to take their rightful place at the top of the Power Rankings. They have won every game that she has played in by double-digits going 4-0 over this period. Even in A’ja Wilson’s worst game of the season where she had 11 points on 4/15 shooting, the Aces still beat the Mystics by 11 points. This had a lot to do with Gray who had 22 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. She looks like she has already shaken off the little rust she had. Jackie Young has enjoyed having less of the play-making burden. Since Gray’s return, she has had 3 out of 4 games with at least 20 points. She scored 32 points against the Storm and 26 against the Mystics. Wilson’s dominance outside of the last game has also continued. She notched at least 25 points in the three previous games. Even though the Aces are just 10-6 I have seen enough to move them to the number one spot. As I predicted in an earlier article, the Aces will go undefeated for the rest of the season if Gray can stay healthy. The Aces move up 3 spots in the rankings on this week’s WNBA Power Rankings.

2. Minnesota Lynx – The Commissioner’s Cup champions bounced back after a surprising loss to the Dallas Wings with a 70-62 victory over the Chicago Sky. With the starters playing heavy minutes in the Cup final, an out-of-character loss is acceptable after such an amazing accomplishment. The Lynx sit at an impressive 14-4 on the season and are 3rd in the Western Conference. This is thanks to their dominance on both sides of the ball, ranking top three in many offensive and defensive categories. The Lynx are 1st in assists per game, 1st in blocks per game, 3rd in defensive rating, 1st in offensive rating, 2nd in steals, 1st in three-point percentage, and 2nd in field goal percentage. Also, Napheesa Collier is playing at an MVP level, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, the best rebounding season of her career. This is as well-rounded as a team as there is in the WNBA which is why they move up to the 2nd spot on the Power Rankings.

3. New York Liberty – They couldn’t win back-to-back Commisioner’s Cups but the Liberty remain one of the scariest teams in the league. They bounced back with an 81-75 win against the Dream, are 16-3 on the season, and are in 1st place in the Eastern Conference. The Liberty are loaded with talent, having three of the most offensively gifted players in the league in Ionescue, Jones, and Stewart. They also have one of the best two-way players in the league in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Lastly, Courtney Vandersloot is back in the mix after missing 8 games for personal reasons. She had 7 assists last game, clearly starting to feel back to her old self, a welcomed site for the Liberty who look to push for a title with their super-team. The Liberty dropped from the 1st spot to 3rd but remain a title contender.

4. Connecticut Sun – After a hot 9-0 start to the season the Sun have started to cool off slightly and now find themselves at 15-4. They are just 2-3 over their last 5 games with a loss to the 7-10 Atlanta Dream and an overtime win against the 4-15 Washington Mystics. The Sun are struggling to score, only putting up 80 or more points in 2 out of their last 5 games. The core of Thomas, Bonner, Jones, and Carrington have proven to be elite but this recent stretch has exposed some cracks in their offense. The Sun have dropped 2 places in the rankings but I believe in the end they will give the top teams a lot of trouble. Alyssa Thomas, the league’s leading assister is too good to let the Sun slip too far. With more consistency from DeWanna Bonner the Connecticut Sun will give the top teams a lot of problems. 

5. Seattle Storm – Earlier in the season after they smoked the Aces by 13 points away from home, A’ja Wilson called the Storm a super-team. They have fallen slightly short of that expectation but are an impressive 13-6. Their starting lineup is extremely impressive with three all-stars from last season in Loyd, Magbegor, and Ogwumike, as well as 6 time all-star Skylar Diggins-Smith. This group has won 4 out of their last 5 games, bumping them up a spot into 5th on the Power Rankings. The Storm were close to cracking the top 4 but due to 2 of the wins being against the Dallas Wings and one against the Indiana Fever, I need to see more before I can put them one spot higher. 

6. Indiana Fever – They can be one of the most frustrating watches in the WNBA but the Fever have been a lot better recently. Their record has improved to 8-12 and they had a notable win against the Phoenix Mercury their last time out. Aliyah Boston and Nalyssa Smith look much more comfortable, settling into their new roles. While Coach Sides makes some questionable decisions she’s done a good job getting Boston much more involved. As a result, they are 5-2 in their last 7 games and 4th in the Eastern Conference. It would be great to see Caitlin Clark get more shots up but the Fever have a lot to be happy about this year. The Fever move up two from their last ranking. 

7. Phoenix Mercury – This is one of the most talented teams in the league but unfortunately, they are unable to put together a streak of consistent high-level play. The Mercury are one game under .500 after their most recent loss to the Sun, putting them at 9-10 on the year. They have shown glimpses of greatness, beating the Sun, Liberty, and Aces but the loss to the Fever exemplified their up-and-down nature. The Mercury came out completely flat in the second half and followed up that tough loss with a double-digit loss to Connecticut, moving them down 2 spots from their previous ranking.

8. Washington Mystics – This is one of the best-worst teams that I’ve ever seen. They are only 4-15 on the season but no team is happy to see them on the schedule. Brittany Sykes and Shakira Austin have missed the majority of the games but led by Ariel Atkins and Stefanie Dolson the Mystics have been competitive. Stephanie Dolson deserves an individual shout-out. She is averaging double-digit scoring for the first time since 2017 and after never averaging even one three-pointer made per game, she is currently averaging 2 while leading the league in three-point field goal percentage. The Mystics record doesn’t reflect that but they have been a part of numerous close games, most recently taking the Sun to overtime. They’ve beaten the Dream, Sky, and Wings helping them move up to 8th on the rankings after being 9th on the previous list. 

9. Chicago Sky – This team is full of potential, however, it isn’t translating into many wins. Angel Reese has been a pleasant surprise, leading the league in rebounding and most recently being crowned the WNBA Rookie of the Month. Many said that her game wouldn’t translate to the WNBA level and she is proving all of the doubters wrong. Rookie big Kamilla Cardoso has shown glimpses of greatness and will continue to get better every game. Unfortunately, Marina Mabrey has slowed down and they will need her to step up if they are going to improve this season. During this slow period for Mabrey, Chennedy Carter has carried a lot of the offensive load. She is one of the most electric players in the league. The Sky are currently 6-11 and move up one spot on the Power Rankings. I expect things to start to click more after the all-star break.

10. Atlanta Dream – This is the most chaotic team in the league. The only reason that their rank is not lower is because of their 7-10 record. Coach Tanisha Wright and Cheyenne Parker are not seeing eye-to-eye and over the last 5 games, Parker has only played more than 20 minutes one time. Rhyne Howard, the star player of the team was out for 4 of those games and the Dream could have used Parker’s offensive prowess. They have failed to hit the 80-point mark at all in their last 6 games and the frustration is mounting. Their offense is not running on all cylinders and Tina Charles is the only consistent scorer currently. For the number of big names on the team, the Dream are having an unsuccessful season and they don’t seem to be playing with any joy in my opinion, it starts with the coach. The Dream move down three spots this week.

11. Dallas Wings – The Wings have lost 9 out of their last 10 games. They also have lost their last two games, both against the Storm by 20 or more points. Their defense is non-existent, giving up at least 90 points in the last 4 out of 5 games. If at full health they would have a better chance at keeping games close as they do have some offensive firepower. Arike is one of the best pure scorers in the league and Natasha Howard has returned from the IR but will need time before she can put out consistent performances. They continue to play without Satou Sabally, likely their best all-around player, and Maddy Siegrist who has made major leaps this season. The only positives that the Wings have going for them are that Arike is 2nd in points per game and has improved her playmaking abilities. I see the Wings continuing to struggle because their defense doesn’t seem to be a priority.

12. LA Sparks – Due to a combination of unfortunate injuries and poor play, the LA Sparks are currently the worst team in the WNBA. Cameron Brink is out for the season with a torn ACL and Lexie Brown is out indefinitely as she deals with Cron’s Disease. The only sources of hope remaining on this Sparks team are Dearica Hamby and rookie Rickea Jackson. Hamby is 4th in rebounds per game, has the 5th highest three-point percentage, and 4th in minutes played with a staggering 35.2 a game. Unfortunately, as a team the Sparks rank towards the bottom in many statistical categories. They are scoring the 2nd fewest points per game, commit the 2nd most turnovers, and get the 2nd fewest rebounds per game. Things don’t get better on the defensive side of things. The Sparks are giving up the 3rd most points, 2nd most assists, and get the fewest turnovers in the league. They currently sit at 4-14 and can look forward to the fact they have a high chance at the number one pick and Paige Buecker’s sweepstakes. 

If you prefer a visual representation of the Power Rankings, check out this tier list below. There are a lot of great teams this year in the WNBA and things are bound to change as we get deeper into the season. However, for now, the Aces are on top.