WNBA Power Rankings: The Liberty emphatically dethroned the Sun and their undefeated record (2024)

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Previous Week’s Ranking: 12

The Washington Mystics are STILL winless. Their 0-12 start continues to be the worst start in franchise history.

It’s all sad, really. It’s not because they aren’t trying. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. They’ve been in a lot of their games, even leading into the fourth quarter. But they just can’t finish matchups without the help of Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin, two starters who are both out with injuries.

If Mystics fans want something to be happy about, rookie Aaliyah Edwards has been BALLING. During her last four games, she’s averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds, including a 23-point and 14-rebound (AND FOUR BLOCKS!) breakout performance against the Sky.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:11

The Indiana Fever finally had several days off from their hectic schedule ― just long enough for the unhinged Chennedy Carter discourse to continue and everybody to be up in arms over Caitlin Clark not making the Team USA 5×5 team. You know, normal stuff. *deep sigh*

Anyway, they picked up a third win, something they really needed. Their offensive ball movement has been so much better as of late. A lot of that has to do with the team trusting each other more. But also, they’ve finally had time to actually, you know, work on it. (What a concept! I know.)

The Fever are still at the bottom, but now we’ll see if their improvement offensively can earn them some respectable quality wins.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:8

As fantastic as Arike Ogunbowale is playing right now, she cannot save the Dallas Wings.

The Wings had a horrific week. They lost three straight games and have now lost five of their last six matchups, including a double-overtime thriller on Sunday that they let Phoenix run away with. WOOF.

Truthfully, I’m not totally surprised. Without Satou Sabally (or Natasha Howard and Jaelyn Brown, for that matter), it was only a matter of time before Dallas snapped back to reality.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:9

The Chicago Sky are in a hard spot.

They didn’t have the best week (they went 1-2), and injuries are forcing their offense to look rather disjointed at times. Rotations have to be continually switched, and Chicago feels very boom or bust.

They do have some great pieces to work with that can help provide a spark ― Chennedy Carter has a solid case for Sixth Player of the Year going, and Kamilla Cardoso has been tremendous ― but they’re going to need more.

Ultimately, I think it may take Chicago some time to get fully off the ground. They haven’t won back-to-back games since May 18 and May 23.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:10

How about those Los Angeles Sparks?!

I’ve said for a few weeks now that I’m really high on the rebuild head coach Curt Miller is creating in Los Angeles, and I meant it.

Dearica Hamby is definitely leading the Most Improved Player candidate list; Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson look every bit like top draft picks, and when Lexie Brown and Aari McDonald get going, WATCH OUT.

The Sparks also picked up a really solid and convincing win against the Las Vegas Aces. They were down by as much as 14 points before they pulled themselves back up and withstood every shot that Las Vegas threw at them. Impressive stuff.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:5

*DEEEEEEEEP SIGH*

The Atlanta Dream make me want to pull out what little hair I do have. They are one of the more underrated teams in the league, led by superstar Rhyne Howard, and yet, they don’t have much to show for it this season.

They were run out of the gym by the Connecticut Sun and the New York Liberty and then turned around and dished out some of the most beautiful ball movement I’ve seen all season against the Chicago Sky. Sure, Atlanta. Whatever works.

PULL IT TOGETHER, PLEASE.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:7

BRITTNEY GRINER IS BACK. I REPEAT ― BRITTNEY GRINER IS BACK.

It’s so good to see her back on the court and doing all types of BG things after being out with a foot injury. Things certainly felt like the Phoenix Mercury were just a hair shy of looking like what they imagined when they grabbed Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud during the offseason.

Phoenix lost badly to Seattle this week, but they ended the week with two impressive wins against Minnesota and the Wings. Griner’s presence makes such a difference on the floor, and it shows. You love to see it.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:3

The Las Vegas Aces are going THROUGH IT.

Chelsea Gray is STILL out. Jackie Young has also missed time due to illness. Granted, Kate Martin did a bang-up job in her first WNBA start as she stepped in for Jackie, but send help ― immediately.

I’ve been saying it for weeks, but it’s not just that the Aces are missing players. It’s that they are missing players, and they are letting teams easily carve them up. I don’t think that’s exactly a sustainable model for SUCCESS. You cannot skate by with just your offensive prowess alone. (Although A’ja Wilson is trying her DARNDEST.)

I’m not “alarm bells” concerned because it’s the Aces. They will figure it out. BUT I have to call it like I see it. This is UGLY by their standards.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:6

Here come the Seattle Storm.

The Storm recently had an amazing six-game winning streak. During that streak, they held teams to just 77.5 points per game and 38 percent shooting. WHEW. THAT IS FILTHY.

Unfortunately, they just cannot get past Minnesota. Three of their four losses have come at the hands of the Lynx. Once they figure out why Minny gives them nightmares, they are going to be a PROBLEM.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:2

There’s been a lot of chatter about what Napheesa Collier is doing on both ends of the floor. But Kayla “MCBUCKETS” McBride is showing out, and we need to get into it.

Per the WNBA’s site, McBride is shooting 51 percent (!!) from 3-point range this season. She also leads the WNBA in 3-pointers made with 43. That’s more than Kahleah Copper, Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi and Sabrina Ionescu, who are known 3-point specialists. What Kayla is doing is unequivocally mind-boggling and is not getting talked about enough in the discourse about the league’s top teams.

To no one’s surprise, the Lynx lead all teams in perimeter shooting with 10.6 made 3-point shots a game and are shooting a blistering 40.5 percent beyond the arc.

It’s a huge reason why they are having so much success, and everybody needs to keep their head on a swivel.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:1

Do not pay any attention to last week’s power rankings where I said the Sun might not lose any remaining games in the month of June. To be honest, I wasn’t totally bought into that prediction, but I went with it because I felt like the Sun would do what they have been doing ― figuring it out.

But there is only so much figuring it out you can do before you run into a wall. The New York Liberty were the wall. They completely exposed a lot of Connecticut’s flaws and then made them made for it, something other teams couldn’t seem to do. (I mean, Sabrina Ionescu completely cooked them for 24 points, five assists and two steals, and Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart jumped in to help.)

Despite the loss, there shouldn’t be anyone panicking over the Sun. If they somehow go on a downward spiral after this, perhaps I’ll worry then. But they still have an elite defense with a killer starting five. They’ll be fine.

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Previous Week’s Ranking:4

OKAY, FINE, New York Liberty. You’re the best team in the league right now.

I feel really gross saying that out loud because I was side-eyeing half of their wins coming against the league’s worst teams. But then, they rattled off seven wins ― including taking down the undefeated Connecticut Sun ― and completely shut me up.

The Liberty have figured out their offensive struggles. Whatever was happening in the beginning of the season is seemingly gone now. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu are rolling and making things happen.

Also, Jonquel Jones has really come alive after a season that was likely underwhelming for many Liberty fans. Finally, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is the glue that just holds it all together. Her game is so COLD, and a lot of what she does will not show up on the stat sheet.