WNBA Power Rankings: Every team's MVP this season
WNBA Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's basketball editors.
In this edition, we're celebrating the league's elite by identifying a Most Valuable Player for each team with a week left in the regular season.
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ATL | CHI | CON | DAL | GSV | IND | LV | LA | MIN | NY | PHX | SEA | WSH
1. Minnesota Lynx (32-8)
Previous: 1
Napheesa Collier: Few players affect the game on both ends as much as Collier. The UConn product leads the WNBA in scoring (23.5 points per contest) and ranks in the top five in both steals (1.7) and blocks (1.6). After finishing second in league MVP voting a year ago, she's widely considered the favorite this season.
2. Las Vegas Aces (26-14)
Previous: 3
A'ja Wilson: The Aces looked like anything but contenders after a WNBA-record 53-point home defeat to the Lynx. They've since rattled off 12 straight wins, with Wilson averaging 26.8 points, 12.4 boards, two blocks, and 1.5 steals during that span. The three-time WNBA MVP recently became the first player in league history to register at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in one contest.
3. Atlanta Dream (26-14)
Previous: 2
Allisha Gray: Not to discount similar winning contributions from Rhyne Howard, but Gray gets the edge for Dream MVP thanks to a stellar August. The 30-year-old put up 19.4 points per game in 12 starts, helping her side go 9-3 and lock up a playoff spot well ahead of last year's pace.
4. Phoenix Mercury (26-14)
Previous: 5
Alyssa Thomas: The Mercury point forward is having arguably her best campaign. Thomas recently registered her seventh triple-double of the year, breaking her own WNBA single-season record from two years ago when she was runner-up for MVP. The six-time All-Star also surpassed Caitlin Clark's league mark for the most points assisted in one campaign.
5. New York Liberty (24-17)
Previous: 4
Sabrina Ionescu: As Breanna Stewart missed three weeks with a bone bruise in her knee, Ionescu put in some of her greatest performances to prevent the season from spiraling. Her season-best 36 points and 11 assists against the Sun on Aug. 3 stopped a four-game skid and helped the Liberty collect themselves. New York then went 5-4 before Stewart's long-awaited return.
6. Indiana Fever (21-20)
Previous: 7
Kelsey Mitchell: Caitlin Clark can't realistically be MVP after playing just 11 games, though Mitchell would likely have a strong case even if Clark had remained healthy. The 28-year-old's been critical while her team's been frequently shorthanded; in 18 games since the All-Star break, Mitchell's averaged 22.3 points - topping 25 in eight contests - and kept the Fever in control of their playoff hopes.
7. Golden State Valkyries (22-18)
Previous: 6
Natalie Nakase: The Valkyries have exceeded all expectations in their inaugural campaign, and Nakase deserves her flowers. The first-year head coach helped Golden State set a new WNBA record for wins by an expansion team in its debut season. She's got the franchise in line for a playoff berth despite losing All-Star forward Kayla Thornton for the remainder of the year.
8. Seattle Storm (22-20)
Previous: 8
Nneka Ogwumike: At 35, the 2016 MVP continues to shine in her second year in Seattle. Ogwumike not only leads the Storm at 18.3 points per game, she's started all 42 games to date. Seattle is 7-3 when she scores 24 or more, though her best performance - 37 points in 46 minutes against the Sparks - ended in a narrow loss.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (19-20)
Previous: 10
Kelsey Plum: Offseason acquisition Plum transformed the Sparks into one of the league's most potent offensive units. The ex-Aces guard continues to torch opposing defenses with her change of pace, outside shooting, and ability to draw fouls. She's also given Los Angeles the facilitator it sorely lacked last year, averaging a career-high 5.8 assists.
10. Connecticut Sun (10-30)
Previous: 12
Tina Charles: The 36-year-old probably expected a more competitive squad when she returned to Connecticut 12 years after leaving her first WNBA franchise. The eight-time All-Star has done what she can: She ranks first on the Sun in scoring (16.4 points), second in rebounding (6.0), and first in made shots per game (6.0). It just so happens that the Sun rank second last in the league in all three categories.
11. Washington Mystics (16-25)
Previous: 9
Sonia Citron: Since shipping Brittney Sykes to Seattle in early August, the Mystics have been led by their two star rookies in Citron and Kiki Iriafen, both of whom could make a claim to Washington's MVP amid another rebuilding year. Citron, however, has been marginally more impactful considering the Mystics' net rating takes its largest dip - a massive 12.6-point swing - when the ex-Notre Dame guard sits.
12. Chicago Sky (9-30)
Previous: 13
Angel Reese: Chicago's offense fell apart when Reese was recently sidelined, averaging only 66.7 points and going 1-6 without the two-time All-Star. The Sky are scoring 8.4 more points per 100 possessions this season when she's been on the floor. Reese has flourished in a point forward role, posting 3.7 dimes per contest and a 20.5% assist percentage across 29 appearances.
13. Dallas Wings (9-32)
Previous: 11
Paige Bueckers: The UConn product will likely be among the faces of the league for years to come. Bueckers became the 10th rookie to start a WNBA All-Star Game and dropped a career-high 44 points against the Sparks in August to tie the single-game scoring mark by any first-year player. The No. 1 overall pick also ranks top 10 league-wide in points, assists, and steals.