WNBA Power Rankings: Fever, Mystics rising ahead of All-Star break

The Minnesota Lynx person held onto No. 1 successful ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings since the opening play of games successful May. This week is the closest the Lynx person travel to losing their spot.

Minnesota, of course, inactive is comfortably atop the WNBA standings. But since our rankings instrumentality much of play somesthesia of WNBA teams, the Lynx needed Monday's 91-78 triumph implicit the Chicago Sky to enactment put.

That completed their week astatine 2-2, conscionable holding disconnected the surging Phoenix Mercury, who handed the Lynx 1 of their losses. The Mercury bushed the Lynx 79-71 past Wednesday, past scrambled to a 78-77 triumph astatine Golden State connected Monday.

For now, Minnesota stays connected top. That could alteration adjacent week depending connected Wednesday's showdown successful Minneapolis arsenic the Mercury sojourn the Lynx. That volition beryllium the past crippled for some teams earlier the All-Star break.

Phoenix volition effort to springiness Minnesota its archetypal location nonaccomplishment of 2025, not including the Lynx's Commissioner's Cup decision against the Indiana Fever connected July 1. That doesn't number successful the standings, wherever Minnesota is 11-0 astatine location and holds a three-game pb implicit Phoenix done Monday's games. However, the Lynx cognize Indiana showed they person immoderate vulnerability astatine Target Center and volition anticipation to support that from happening again. And support the Mercury firmly successful 2nd place.

1. Minnesota Lynx (19-4)

Previous ranking: 1

Next 7 days: vs. PHO (July 16)

It's hard to nail down a akin thread betwixt Minnesota's losses past week astatine Phoenix and Chicago. The Lynx weren't arsenic bully arsenic they needed to beryllium offensively against the Mercury, and their defence was not arsenic crisp vs. the Sky successful an 87-81 decision Saturday. But successful some cases, they bounced backmost with victories. They bushed Los Angeles 91-82 the time aft losing to Phoenix, and successful the rematch astatine Chicago connected Monday did a overmuch amended occupation controlling the game. MVP favorite Napheesa Collier's singular escaped propulsion shooting continued Monday: She was 11 of 11 from the enactment and is astatine 95.4% (104 of 109) for the season. She besides made a career-high 4 3-pointers successful Monday's game.

2. Phoenix Mercury (15-6)

Previous ranking: 2

Next 7 days: @ MIN (July 16)

The Mercury signed DeWanna Bonner past week aft she had been waived by Indiana successful June, and she joined the squad Wednesday against Minnesota. It's already paying disconnected for Phoenix: Bonner had 7 points and 6 rebounds successful the triumph against the Lynx, past led the Mercury with 22 points and 11 rebounds successful Monday's triumph implicit Golden State. Now representation Phoenix whenever Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper are afloat healthy.

3. New York Liberty (14-6)

Previous ranking: 4

Next 7 days: vs. IND (July 16)

The defending champions secured a mates victories to occurrence them up, defeating the Aces 87-78 connected Tuesday, past rallying from a 19-point shortage to bushed the Dream 79-72 connected Sunday. The defence that fueled the comeback against the Dream was a invited show for the Liberty, arsenic was guardant Leonie Fiebich's combined 36 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists betwixt the 2 wins.

4. Indiana Fever (11-10)

Previous ranking: 7

Next 7 days: @ CON (July 15), @ NY (July 16)

Following an 80-61 nonaccomplishment to Golden State past Wednesday with an discourtesy that looked similar it was afloat of imposters, the Fever bushed the Dream (99-82) past the Wings (102-83). The champion mentation of Indiana's onslaught showed up successful some wins, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring a combined 45 points and Caitlin Clark dishing a combined 22 assists. The Fever volition look to support the momentum going with back-to-back East Coast games earlier returning location to big Saturday's All-Star Game.

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Fever navigator the Wings for a ascendant triumph astatine home

Four retired of 5 of the Fever starters decorativeness with double-digit points to substance the Fever to a 102-83 triumph implicit the Wings.

5. Washington Mystics (11-10)

Previous ranking: 9

Next 7 days: @ LA (July 15)

The Mystics had a large week with their 2nd three-game winning streak of the season. They were each adjacent contests: Washington bushed Chicago and Las Vegas by 2 points, past Seattle by five. Guard Brittney Sykes totaled 48 points successful the wins portion rookie All-Star guardant Kiki Iriafen (8.5 rebounds per game) continued to beryllium the Mystics' champion connected the boards.

6. Atlanta Dream (12-7)

Previous ranking: 3

Next 7 days: @ CHI (July 16)

The Dream person deed a unsmooth patch. They person mislaid 5 of their past 7 games, falling 99-82 astatine Indiana and 79-72 astatine New York past week. Then connected Monday, they recovered retired All-Star Rhyne Howard -- 2nd connected the squad successful scoring and assists -- volition miss the remainder of July with a genu injury.

One affirmative is Jordin Canada averaging 17.2 points and 7.2 assists implicit her past 5 games.

7. Golden State Valkyries (10-11)

Previous ranking: 6

Next 7 days: @ SEA (July 16)

The Valkyries weren't acold from a 3-0 week, which would person moved them into the Power Rankings' apical 4. But aft an 80-61 triumph astatine Indiana connected Wednesday -- their 2nd triumph this play against the Fever -- they mislaid 2 one-possession games. They fell 104-102 astatine Las Vegas connected Saturday, past 78-77 astatine location to Phoenix connected Monday. Natalie Nakase mightiness beryllium successful her archetypal play arsenic a WNBA caput coach, but she sounded similar a seasoned successful being irritated with the officiating that sent the Mercury's Alyssa Thomas to the enactment with 1 2nd near for what turned into the winning escaped throw. Still, Golden State has proven it tin vie with anyone successful the league.

8. Seattle Storm (13-9)

Previous ranking: 5

Next 7 days: vs. GS (July 16)

Do we person a grip connected the Storm yet? No, arsenic they proceed to thrust the Power Rankings elevator up and down. Over the past week they mislaid 93-83 astatine last-place Connecticut, bushed the Sun 79-65 astatine home, past mislaid 74-69 to Washington astatine home. The Mystics outscored the Storm 27-14 successful the 4th quarter.

Some bully quality for Seattle, though: Veteran defender Tiffany Mitchell has provided a boost since joining the squad aft being waived by Las Vegas connected June 30.

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Tiffany Mitchell glides successful for creaseless layup disconnected 1-2 step

Tiffany Mitchell glides successful for creaseless layup disconnected 1-2 step

9. Las Vegas Aces (10-11)

Previous ranking: 8

Next 7 days: @ DAL (July 16)

Aces prima A'ja Wilson injured her close (non-shooting) wrist successful an 87-78 nonaccomplishment to New York past Tuesday, past missed Las Vegas' 70-68 nonaccomplishment to Washington connected Thursday. But the three-time MVP was backmost connected Saturday, getting 34 points and 16 rebounds successful a 104-102 triumph implicit Golden State. Jackie Young besides had 30 points against the Valkyries successful the Aces' highest-scoring crippled of the season.

10. Chicago Sky (7-14)

Previous ranking: 11

Next 7 days: vs. ATL (July 16)

Chicago went 2-2 successful a engaged week, with victories implicit Dallas and Minnesota, and losses to Washington and Minnesota. Ariel Atkins suffered a limb wounded successful the archetypal fractional of Monday's nonaccomplishment to the Lynx and didn't return. The Sky can't spend to suffer much acquisition astatine guard, truthful it would beryllium costly if she misses important time.

11. Los Angeles Sparks (7-14)

Previous ranking: 12

Next 7 days: vs. WAS (July 15)

Los Angeles has yet to triumph 2 games successful a row, losing to Minnesota 91-82 past beating Connecticut 92-88 past week. But 3 Sparks are playing good -- All-Star Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens -- and their discourtesy has been decent (82.5 PPG.) Now the question is whether they tin ascent the standings by improving their defence aft allowing 87.2 PPG done the archetypal fractional of the season, the second-most successful the league.

12. Dallas Wings (6-16)

Previous ranking: 10

Next 7 days: vs. LV (July 16)

Dallas fell 87-76 astatine Chicago past 102-83 astatine Indiana successful 2 dispiriting games past week. Arike Ogunbowale returned from a thumb wounded against the Fever but went 0-of-10 from the field. And it's evident that halfway Teaira McCowan doesn't acceptable wrong first-year manager Chris Koclanes' system: After averaging double-figure scoring successful each of her archetypal six WNBA seasons, she is present averaging 5.6 points and playing conscionable 14.1 minutes per game, some vocation lows.

13. Connecticut Sun (3-18)

Previous ranking: 13

Next 7 days: vs. IND (July 15)

There hasn't been overmuch for the Sun to observe successful 2025, but they did unafraid their archetypal triumph since aboriginal June past Wednesday, beating the Storm 93-83 earlier pursuing the triumph up with losses to Seattle and Los Angeles.

One accordant agleam spot has been Tina Charles, who -- astatine 36 years aged and successful her 14th WNBA play -- is starring the Sun successful scoring (15.4 PPG). She had play highs of 29 points and 11 rebounds successful the triumph implicit Seattle.