There is a new team atop the rankings, with the Liberty finally finding their groove. Satou Sabally is working her way back into New York’s lineup after starting the season on the sideline due to injury, and Sabrina Ionescu played her second game of the year on Sunday against the Mystics. Chris DeMarco finally has the majority of his roster back (or working back), just as his stars, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, are rounding into form. After early-season injury woes, the Liberty are collecting steam at the right time.
1. New York Liberty
Previous ranking: 4
The Liberty have won seven consecutive games and have punched their tickets to the Commissioner’s Cup final. New York beat the Dream by 14 points before blowing out the Mystics on Sunday. Stewart logged a double-double against Washington, while swatting away a career-high seven blocks. Jones has also delivered, notching 20 points, three steals and two blocks. New York’s offense is one of the most explosive in the league, but its defense is just as impressive, helping propel the team’s winning streak.
2. Las Vegas Aces
Previous ranking: 2
As I’ve stated before in these rankings, A’ja Wilson can be relied upon to deliver MVP-worthy performances night in and night out, but guard play is the difference-maker for the Aces. Chelsea Gray played some of the best basketball of her season last week, first draining nine threes and scoring 29 points against the Fire before dropping 23 points against the Lynx and going 6-for-10 from the three-point line. Then, after those two wins, she went scoreless against the Wings, and the Aces fell 96–66.
3. Minnesota Lynx
Previous ranking: 1
The Lynx blew out the Wings before narrowly losing to the Aces, then rebounded with a 107–74 win over the Fire. There was, however, a silver lining in Saturday’s defeat against the Aces. Olivia Miles scored a season-high 29 points in Las Vegas, shooting 55% from the field. The rookie has emerged as one of the most dominant guards in the league, ranking fourth in player efficiency rating (24.4), behind league veterans Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Natasha Howard.
4. Atlanta Dream
Previous ranking: 5
The Dream rebounded from their 14-point loss to the Liberty by thumping the Tempo. Atlanta has one of the best defenses in the WNBA, but its offense has been a bit inconsistent, ranking toward the middle of the league. Perhaps getting Brionna Jones, who has yet to play this season due to injury, back in the lineup could change things and free up Angel Reese.
5. Dallas Wings
Previous ranking: 3
Jessica Shepard has been sensational for the Wings this season, and had another dominant performance against the Aces on Monday night. Nearly notching a triple-double, Shepard finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Arike Ogunbowale was also critical in the 96–66 win over Las Vegas, scoring 22 points and shooting 45.5% from three. Monday’s comprehensive win served as a refresh for Dallas, putting recent losses to the Lynx and Fire in the rearview mirror.
6. Golden State Valkyries
Previous ranking: 6
Janelle Salaün played hero for the Valkyries, logging 22 points and seven rebounds to help the Valkyries pull out a four-point win over the Storm on Friday. Then, Golden State put on an impressive defensive performance, holding the Sparks to 58 points, while limiting Plum, who ranks second in the league in points per game (25.0), to nine points.
7. Indiana Fever
Previous ranking: 7
Aliyah Boston scored a season-high 34 points in the Fever’s overtime win over the Sky. She’s had a double-double in the past three games, helping Indiana close out some close contests last week. Caitlin Clark also came up clutch, drilling the game-winner against the Mystics. Stephanie White’s team isn’t yet firing on all cylinders, but finding a way to win as things come together is also an art.
8. Los Angeles Sparks
Previous ranking: 9
Plum scored a career-high 43 points in the Sparks’ 111–102 overtime win over the Mercury on Saturday before being stifled by the Valkyries on Monday night. She scored just nine points on 10 attempts before fouling out of the game. Los Angeles’s defensive woes are well-documented, so when it doesn’t have the firepower to outscore opponents, things can get ugly fast, as they did on Monday in Golden State.
9. Portland Fire
Previous ranking: 10
The Aces and Lynx may have blown out the Fire, but between those two defeats was an impressive 84–83 win over the Wings. Add that to the list of high-profile triumphs from the expansion side, which has taken down top teams, including Dallas, New York and Indiana, this season.
10. Washington Mystics
Previous ranking: 12
Sonia Citron scored a thrilling game-winner to help the Mystics secure a one-point win over the Tempo. She ended the night with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, helping lead the way for Washington while Kiki Iriafen was out with a right ankle sprain. Iriafen’s presence was missed on Sunday, with her team losing to the Liberty by 22 points. Georgia Amoore failed to score in her 16 minutes on the floor in New York, marking her second zero-point outing of the season.
11. Toronto Tempo
Previous ranking: 8
It was a disappointing week for the Tempo, falling to the Mystics in the dying seconds of Friday’s game before being thumped 102–77 by the Dream. Isabelle Harrison was ejected from Sunday’s game for a flagrant 2 foul on Atlanta star Angel Reese after an impressive start to the matchup, scoring 17 points in 19 minutes. Toronto has struggled on defense, allowing the Sun to drop 100 points on Wednesday before Atlanta’s 107-point outburst at the end of the week.
12. Phoenix Mercury
Previous ranking: 11
The Mercury lost three consecutive games, falling to the Valkyries, Wings and Sparks last week. Kahleah Copper scored a career-high 41 points against Los Angeles to go along with her 10 rebounds. Natasha Mack continued her impressive campaign with a 10-point,10-rebound double-double in Saturday’s overtime loss, but still it wasn’t enough to overcome the Sparks and blunt Phoenix’s skid.
13. Connecticut Sun
Previous ranking: 15
Speaking of slumps, the Sun have lost five games in a row. Credit to Connecticut for taking the Tempo to overtime on Wednesday after coming within nine points of the Liberty, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Sun have the worst record in the league (2–13). In a bright spot, Leïla Lacan impressed in Connecticut’s OT loss to Toronto, scoring a season-high 24 points while draining four three-pointers.
14. Chicago Sky
Previous ranking: 13
Rookie Sydney Taylor asserted herself on a big stage, scoring 30 points on 74.4% shooting in the Sky’s overtime loss to the Fever. After a turbulent week that saw Skylar Diggins call out the team’s mentality, Chicago needed a spark, and Taylor’s breakout performance was just that. However, the Sky still need to find some offensive rhythm, with the team struggling to find consistent production after Rickea Jackson tore her ACL in May.
15. Seattle Storm
Previous ranking: 14
The Storm have not won since May 24, losing eight consecutive games. While competitive athletes certainly want to win, this season isn’t exactly about wins and losses for Seattle. This campaign is instead about getting the Storm’s young, talented stars, including Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga, acquainted with one another.
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