Week 3 WNBA power rankings: Lynx, Liberty soar as others struggle to launch

The post Week 3 WNBA power rankings: Lynx, Liberty soar as others struggle to launch appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The league’s landscape is taking shape as the 2025 WNBA season enters its third week. Undefeated teams like the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx have emerged as early frontrunners, while others are still finding their rhythm. Here’s a comprehensive look at the current WNBA power rankings.

1. Minnesota Lynx (9-0)

The Lynx are off to a perfect start, powered by league-leading scorer Napheesa Collier and star Courtney Williams, who’s tied for the league lead in assists. The rest of the starting lineup provides additional support, making Minnesota a relatively well-rounded team. Despite their undefeated record, the Lynx remain focused on improving their performance, especially after narrowly escaping a loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Collier even noted that their only “good game” so far was the May 27 win over the Seattle Storm.

2. New York Liberty (8-0)

The Liberty have been dominant, leading the league in scoring and boasting the best net rating in WNBA history, while their defense remains equally impressive. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu continue to lead the charge, with Ionescu recently becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 400 career three-pointers. Despite injuries to Jonquel Jones and Nyara Sabally, the Liberty remain the team to beat.

3. Atlanta Dream (5-3)

The Dream have been one of the league’s hottest and most surprising teams, winning four of their last five games. Star guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray continue to lead the offense, while Brionna Jones and newcomers Brittney Griner and Te-Hina Paopao have made significant contributions. Despite a recent loss to the Sun, Atlanta remains a team to watch.

4. Phoenix Mercury (6-4)

Despite facing injuries to key players like Alyssa Thomas, Natasha Mack, and Kahleah Copper to begin the campaign, the Mercury have managed to stay impressively competitive. Phoenix’s depth has been crucial, with clutch performances in several games. The main challenge the Mercury will face going forward will be sustaining this level of play if injuries continue to mount.

5. Seattle Storm (5-4)

After a bumpy start, the Storm have rebounded with two consecutive wins and moved up in the power rankings as a result. Gabby Williams has been a standout, increasing her scoring average over the past five games, and with multiple players ranked in the top 20 in scoring, Seattle’s offense is finally clicking.

6. Indiana Fever (4-4)

The Fever have shown some promise, especially in the last two games. Indiana struggled without star Caitlin Clark at first, and injuries have begun to take a toll as a whole, as other key players were kept off the court. Despite these challenges, players like Aaliyah Boston have massively picked up the slack, and the Fever remain competitive with the potential to make a push if they can stay healthy.

7. Golden State Valkyries (3-5)

As an expansion team, the Valkyries didn’t have many expectations placed on them from fans other than growing pains. However, Golden State is starting to hit its stride after an impressively dominating 27-point win over the Las Vegas Aces. The Valkyries are riding that momentum into their last three games of the Commissioner’s Cup, and with the Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings among their upcoming opponents, they have a strong chance of continuing their ascent up the ranks.

8. Las Vegas Aces (4-3)

The Aces have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, but inconsistency has been an issue, and lately, the team hasn’t looked like its usually outstanding self. A’ja Wilson continues to play at an MVP level but has also had her struggles, and the addition of Jewell Loyd in their backcourt hasn’t resulted in the level of team chemistry fans hoped for. The Aces haven’t kept up with their counterparts in the Liberty and Storm, showing they need to find a consistent rhythm, as evidenced by their nail-bitingly close win over the Mystics, disappointing loss to the Valkyries, and downward slide in the power rankings.

9. Washington Mystics (4-6)

The Mystics started out on fire, largely thanks to their star rookie duo, but they’ve also fallen into inconsistency. Washington’s defense has been mostly solid, like in their 37-point win over the Connecticut Sun and recent narrow losses to the Liberty, Fever, and Mercury, but offensive struggles have hindered its performance. The Mystics will need more consistency if they want to bounce back from losing three of their last four.

10. Los Angeles Sparks (3-6)

The Sparks have shown improvement, securing a 93–79 win over the Dallas Wings in their latest game. and snapping a three-game losing streak. Azurá Stevens, Dearica Hamby, Kelsey Plum, and Odyssey Sims have been major contributors, and the team showcased their potential, but with only three wins on the season, the Sparks will have to dig a little deeper.

11. Connecticut Sun (2-7)

The rebuilding Sun have faced challenges but proven they have bright spots in their game as well. Rookie guard Saniya Rivers is hitting her stride after missing the first few games of the season, and her off-court chemistry with Marina Mabrey reflects on the court. Their offense can also be inconsistent, leading to some disappointing losses, but the Sun are fun to watch, and with a little more time to gel, they’ll be pretty competitive too.

12. Chicago Sky (2-5)

The Sky have shown flashes of potential, especially after racking up their first two wins of the season over the Wings. But they’ve suffered more than one blowout defeat since then — including on national TV — and don’t look like they’ll right the ship soon unless something drastic changes. If they can find some offensive consistency, the Sky could make a run and at least match their production from 2024.

13. Dallas Wings (1-9)

The Wings have struggled to find their footing, with defensive lapses and offensive inconsistency plaguing their efforts. It surely doesn’t help that star rookie Paige Bueckers has missed a significant amount of time due to a concussion and now an unrelated illness. The Wings will need to make significant improvements to climb out of the bottom tier — and fast.

Advertisement

As the season progresses, teams will look to solidify their positions and make adjustments, which could improve their power ranking. Early frontrunners like the Lynx and Liberty, who remain unbeaten, are helping to elevate the level of play — and entertainment — the league even more and keep the stakes high, especially with the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup. The upcoming weeks will be crucial in determining who will emerge as the likely candidates to win the 2025 WNBA championship.

Related: Top contenders in WNBA Commissioner’s Cup race

Related: WNBA encourages girls to ‘get buckets’ with new ‘Line Em Up’ campaign