Less than two weeks before the month-long Olympic break, the Las Vegas Aces are separating themselves as the team to beat in the WNBA. They’re looking like the franchise we feared most after reaching the Finals in 2020 without Chelsea Gray, Liz Cambage or Kelsey Plum. An overtime 95-92 win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday showed how many ways the Aces can knock out even the strongest competition.
In the team’s second win over the Storm this season, A’ja Wilson double-doubled with 22 points and 11 rebounds, Gray scored 21 points — including the go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds to play — with seven assists, and Plum came off the bench for 15 points. Breanna Stewart’s brilliant 35-point afternoon on 14-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds wasn’t even enough to contend with Vegas’s absurd depth, which includes two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Dearica Hamby.
Let’s look at all 12 of the WNBA’s teams power-ranked by their performance so far, factoring in injuries and their potential at full strength.
1. Las Vegas Aces (12-4)
The rest of the league should definitely be worried, though the Aces aren’t perfect. A one-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx on a masterclass Sylvia Fowles performance on Friday proved Vegas’s flaws are exploitable. Still, it’s impossible to ignore their dominance so far, out-scoring opponents by 13.3 points per 100 possessions — best in the league. Plus, they now own the tie-breaker over the Storm (2-1).
2. Seattle Storm (12-4)
While the Aces are the team to beat, Sue Bird, Jewell Loyd and Stewart aren’t far behind. Their first two meetings against Vegas were lopsided in both directions, and their most recent game — a three-point overtime match — was the likelier representation for where both teams stand. Seattle is still damn good.
3. Connecticut Sun (11-5)
SHE’S BACK. Jonquel Jones is the best player in the WNBA right now and a 23-point, 16-rebound showing in just three quarters of a dominant win over the Washington Mystics reminded us of that fact. The Sun went 2-3 in the five games Jones missed to compete at EuroBasket, and that could cost them a top-two seed in the playoffs. It’d also mean a single-elimination game. But with the way DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, and Natisha Hiedeman are playing, they’re built to compete with the teams at the top. On Friday, they knocked off the Sky even without Jonquel.
4. Chicago Sky (10-8)
They’re 9-1 when Candace Parker plays, so you can do the math of what the Sky’s record might look like if she’d been healthy all season. But the Sky are rolling with help from recently-named All-Stars Courtney Vandersloot and Kahleah Copper. Five of the team’s last six wins have come by double-digits.
5. Minnesota Lynx (8-7)
The Lynx are still finding their way through various injuries and late arrivals, and a win over the Aces last week was big-time featuring huge showings from not only Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier, but mid-season pickup Layshia Clarendon, who’s been a brilliant addition to fill the starting point guard void. The Lynx are a team to watch out for after the Olympic break once key players, including Aerial Powers and Natalie Achonwa, return to full health.
6. Dallas Wings (8-9)
Here is where the WNBA’s drop-off starts between the teams we know we’ll see in late September and the ones there’s less reason to be confident in. The Wings have shown clear improvement on both end of the floor this year, with Marina Mabrey and Satou Sabally playing better than ever and Arike Ogunbowale being Arike Ogunbowale. There are loads of questions to be asked about whether the team can hold up defensively, but some nights, they can simply shoot their opponent out of the gym, and that’s a scary thought for single-elimination playoff competition.
7. Washington Mystics (7-9)
They played with just six healthy players on Tuesday, so we’ll cut them some slack for a three-loss stretch. Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen and Elena Delle Donne are all still sidelined to injury. The good news is Tina Charles is amazing enough — even against Jonquel Jones — to give the franchise a glimmer of hope for what could be. I’m still buying stock in Washington as a team that could benefit the most from the Olympic pause.
8. Phoenix Mercury (7-8)
The Mercury beat the Sparks easily on Sunday, and played a close game to a competitive Lynx team next. With Diana Taurasi back in the rotation, that’s to be expected. Still, something’s missing in Phoenix despite Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and Brianna Turner playing well. I’m not so convinced they’ve upgraded enough at the forward spot from last season to make a significant postseason push.
9. New York Liberty (8-9)
The Liberty cut long-time veteran Kiah Stokes this week in a decision that must (hopefully) mean Natasha Howard is close to a return. New York needs her back soon if it stands a chance of securing a playoff spot. Betnijah Laney can only carry the team so far, and as incredible as rookie Michaela Onyenwere has been, the team needs a boost down low. The Olympic break could be a blessing for the Liberty, too, as Sabrina Ionescu is clearly not at 100 percent either.
10. Atlanta Dream (6-9)
The Dream and Sparks are interchangeable here as fringe-playoff teams so injured that it’s tough to judge where they really stand. Tiffany Hayes will hopefully return for Atlanta after the mid-season stoppage, and Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike could be headed for the same path for L.A. We’ll give Atlanta the edge here considering they followed a blowout loss to the short-handed Liberty with a four-point win against them this week.
11. Los Angeles Sparks (6-9)
The Sparks played the Mercury competitively this week and then were dismantled by the Aces. It’s great seeing Erica Wheeler and Amanda Zahui B play All-Star-caliber ball, but L.A. is clearly a few pieces short — including their most important player, Nneka Ogwumike. She’ll be back this season, though, so don’t write this team off.
12. Indiana Fever (1-15)
Cutting their No. 3 pick from 14 months ago was a new low for the league’s worst team. The Sparks wisely scooped up Lauren Cox three days later and in one game, she’s already seen a season-high in minutes. If the season ended today, Indiana would have the second-worst net rating in the WNBA’s 25-year history. The time for the Fever to play their young players big minutes and assess how to properly rebuild was weeks ago.
