WNBA Power Rankings: Mercury rising as Liberty cool off
WNBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.
In this edition, we're examining a busy stretch of the schedule as the 2025 regular season surpasses the quarter mark.
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ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GSV | IND | LV | LA | MIN | NY | PHX | SEA | WSH
1. Minnesota Lynx (12-2)
Previous: 2
The two-loss Lynx vault to the top spot in the rankings, though all eyes are on MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier and a back injury that's kept her out for the last two games. And if the season-low 64-point showing in the loss to the Mystics is any indication, Minnesota need Collier back sooner than later
2. Phoenix Mercury (11-4)
Previous: 4
The Mercury may object to all the talk of a Lynx-Liberty hegemony. Their five straight wins, including New York's only home loss, have kept them right on the heels of last year's finalists at the top of the table despite the roster turnover. Offseason addition Satou Sabally has been a big reason why the Mercury are exceeding all expectations.
3. New York Liberty (10-3)
Previous: 1
After a 9-0 start, the Liberty have lost three of four, including a defeat to Indiana in which they conceded 102 points. Finals MVP Jonquel Jones is out four-to-six weeks due to an ankle sprain suffered against the Mercury, and her absence was immediately felt - New York was outrebounded 42-32 in the home loss.
4. Atlanta Dream (10-5)
Previous: 3
Are the Dream title contenders or on the fringe of the upper echelon? It's not immediately clear, and while they have won 11 of 14, one of those three defeats came at the hands of the Liberty when they coughed up a 17-point second-half lead and chance at a spot in the Commissioner's Cup finale. They also shot 15-of-64 (23.4%) in Tuesday's loss to the Mystics.
5. Seattle Storm (9-6)
Previous: 5
The Storm have dropped just two of eight games since their June 1 loss to the Aces, even though only 13.8% of their points have come via free throws. Instead, Noelle Quinn's squad has forced opponents to commit 17.3 turnovers per game in June while averaging just 13.4 of their own - both rank second in the league this month.
6. Golden State Valkyries (7-6)
Previous: 9
The Valkyries are a nuisance to play against, which is a credit to rookie head coach Natalie Nakase. Her empowerment of career role players has pulled the most out of a limited roster, and she's installed a coherent identity: Golden State defends well and is a menace on the boards with a league-high 37 rebounds per game.
7. Indiana Fever (7-7)
Previous: 6
Caitlin Clark shot a combined 1-of-17 from deep in the Fever's back-to-back losses to the Valkyries and Aces, putting Indiana at 1-3 on the season when she fails to hit more than a pair of threes. Even the best stars' shots will occasionally go cold, but the Fever need better than a 63.7 assist percentage - the second-worst mark in the W - to offset those nights.
8. Las Vegas Aces (6-7)
Previous: 7
Though they dropped her first game back against the Storm, the Aces are surely relieved to have A'ja Wilson back after spending three games in the league's concussion protocol. Their net rating falls by 7.9 points during her off-court minutes, the steepest on-off differential produced by any player who's played at least 50 minutes this season.
9. Washington Mystics (7-8)
Previous: 8
The Mystics remain a work in progress, but they're easy to get excited about, especially after the thrilling 91-88 overtime win over the Wings in which stellar rookie Sonia Citron got the last laugh against college rival Paige Bueckers with a clutch game-winning triple.
10. Chicago Sky (4-10)
Previous: 11
Chicago is in desperate need of a scorer that they can rely on. The Sky are the only team without a single player averaging at least 15 points, and just one of two teams - the other being the Mystics - without someone hitting at least two threes per game.
11. Dallas Wings (4-12)
Previous: 13
The Wings are more competitive than their record suggests. It helps that they boast a league-best 14.2 second-chance points per game and are among the top rebounding sides. It also doesn't hurt that Bueckers leads the WNBA in scoring in June (20.6 PPG). There are some positive signs amid a full-scale rebuild.
12. Los Angeles Sparks (4-11)
Previous: 10
Even accounting for their loss in Chicago on Tuesday, the Sparks still oddly boast a better road record than they do in L.A., where they're still searching for a second win. They'll have a solid opportunity for one when they host the Sky on June 29, but they'd have to wait until a three-game homestand leading into the All-Star break if that proves unsuccessful.
13. Connecticut Sun (2-12)
Previous: 12
The Sun are on a six-game losing streak, a stretch capped by a 37-point defeat to the Mystics and a beatdown against the expansion Valkyries. They also own the league's worst offensive (91.4) and defensive ratings (111.8), resulting in a negative-20.3 net rating. It's rough in Connecticut.