rewrite this content and keep HTML tags (remove this from content : rewrite this content and keep HTML tags)
The calendar has turned to July, we’re just a couple of weeks out from the All-Star break, and the standings, much like the weather, are hotter than ever. Five teams are within five games of first place, and just 3.5 games separate the 6-12 seeds. This week it’s been nothing but stars, stripes, and starting fives across the league, united we hoop from sea to shining three.
As a reminder, the rankings below are an aggregate of the Winsidr team. We poll our team to vote regularly throughout the regular season on where each team stands. We display each team with its current record and its record since the last edition of our power rankings.
Enjoy!
13. Connecticut Sun (2-16) — 0-4 since PR Vol. 3
The Sun continue through another brutal stretch of the season, having lost 10 consecutive games. There hasn’t been a whole lot to love about how the Sun are playing, but the growth of and experience gained by their young players represent a bright spot.
12. Chicago Sky (5-12) — 2-2
The Sky have spent much of the past couple of weeks beating up on the Los Angeles Sparks, sprinkling in a loss to the upstart Golden State Valkyries and the Minnesota Lynx. It hasn’t always looked easy this season for this team, but the “Mebounds” queen Angel Reese has really found her groove lately, leading the league in rebounding, showing off new playmaking skills, and being named to her second All-Star Game.
11. Los Angeles Sparks (6-13) — 2-3
The Sparks are riding an inconsistent streak, beating the Indiana Fever twice in the past couple of weeks while also losing twice to the aforementioned Sky. All eyes await the return of Cameron Brink, but until then, finding greater stability in their play will be their priority.
10. Dallas Wings (6-13) — 3-1
The Wings have played much better of late, beating a good Atlanta Dream team and the Phoenix Mercury. It finally looks like the team has found its chemistry, and while playoffs aren’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, the team is emphasizing collective growth and development. The next couple of weeks should be telling, as they face the Mercury again on the road, the Las Vegas Aces, and the Seattle Storm.
9. Washington Mystics (8-10) — 2-2
The Mystics, as expected, have had inconsistencies over the past couple of weeks, as their youngsters continue to learn what it takes to win in the WNBA. They followed a couple of nice early wins against the Lynx and Aces with losses at Dallas and Minnesota. The team is playing with house money, competing for a playoff spot in a year when they were expected to be at the very bottom, while their two young stars have been named All-Star reserves.
8. Las Vegas Aces (9-9) — 2-2
The Aces have maddeningly played below where we’ve come to expect them for the past few years. The Jewell Loyd integration project has finally started to bear fruit, but still feels clunky at times. Perhaps this team really misses Kelsey Plum more than they’ll let on, maybe team chemistry’s clock is truly undefeated, even for a squad like the Aces, but a loss to the Mystics, and especially a defeat at the Mercury, sting as this team is stuck in neutral.
7. Indiana Fever (9-9) — 3-2
No one is really sure what to make of this team right now. They look good with Caitlin Clark in the lineup, then they don’t. They look good with Clark out of the lineup, then they don’t. They beat the Storm, Aces, and Lynx on the road, but lost to the Sparks at home. It’s still decently early, and Clark’s in-and-out routine has been frustrating, but will the real Fever team please stand up?
6. Golden State Valkyries (9-8) — 2-2
In writing my season preview, I, like many, was lower on the potential of the Valkyries in their inaugural season. Call it a lack of knowledge about the international players or the team lacking a true star, but I didn’t believe this team would win many games. Boy, was I wrong and am very glad to have been. The Valkyries play some of the most competitive basketball in the league, routinely playing close games, evidenced by their narrow three-point loss to the New York Liberty. Despite releasing Julie Vanloo last week, Golden State is playing with confidence and connectivity.
5. Atlanta Dream (11-7) — 1-3
The league’s biggest surprise this side of California, the Dream have taken to coach Karl Smesko’s system beautifully. Maybe they were a team taking advantage of a cushier early schedule, as they’ve struggled a bit with a tougher crop of teams of late. The proverbial “mid-season struggles to grow as a team” games are well underway, so how this team responds as they continue through a daunting portion of their schedule will be must-watch television.
4. Seattle Storm (12-7) — 3-2
After playing some terrific basketball through much of June, the team slightly stumbled closing out of the month, going 2-2 with losses to the Fever and Dream. Despite the Liberty playing fairly inconsistently of late, the commanding win over New York was a nice end-of-week treat for this team.
3. New York Liberty (12-6) — 2-3
Maybe it’s boredom, maybe it’s just the slog of a long season and hot summer. The Liberty have had a few tough losses of late. If you’re a glass-half-full type of person, you’ll see those losses are to the Dream, Storm, and Mercury; not exactly easy pickings. At the same time, the Liberty, while still looking like a true title contender again, will need to be able to beat these playoff-bound teams along the way. Their priority right now is making sure Jonquel Jones is fully healthy when that time comes.
2. Phoenix Mercury (12-6) — 1-2
The Mercury found all of the right pieces in the offseason, as their offense and especially their defense have rounded into form, despite the mini-slump of late. With Kahleah Copper rounding back into form, the team has a slew of proverbial “measuring stick” matchups against playoff teams after the game against the Wings.
1. Minnesota Lynx (17-2) — 5-2
Since opening my big mouth in my previous power rankings a month ago about how the Lynx and Liberty weren’t likely to lose until they faced off, the teams have combined for eight losses. My bad. Anyway, this Lynx team continues to demonstrate it’s for real, no matter what a beatdown at the hands of the Fever may say. Need not worry about this team—they lead the standings and these power rankings for a reason, and they have no problem continuing to show their dominance night in, night out.
