Winsidr‘25 Power Rankings — Volume 7 » Winsidr

We are just 24 days from the end of the regular season, and the standings are in flux now more than ever. The trade deadline has passed and the next big date circled on our calendar is August 29th where teams can claim a player off waivers for playoff eligibility by 5 PM/ET, which is the day before the regular season ends.

Teams are jockeying for playoff positioning with some squads getting hot at the right time, while others are scrambling to save their season.

As a reminder, the power rankings below are an aggregate of the Winsidr team. Our team is polled bi-weekly on each franchise’s level of competition compared to others. We display each team with its current record and its record since the last edition of our power rankings.

Enjoy!

13. Connecticut Sun (6-27) — 1-5 since PR Vol. 6

There’s no playoffs in the future for the Sun, but there is an eye on the continued growth of Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow. Rivers is now the fastest guard in league history to reach 30 career blocks, and in her rookie season. She also claimed the rookie record for the most blocks in a game (5) August 17. The good news for the franchise is that they have winnable games facing the Mystics (twice) and Sky in their next three games. They have an opportunity to level up against similar competition and [potentially]ascend from the final spot. The Liberty, Lynx, and Dream await them, though, for three of their following four games.

12. Chicago Sky (8-25) — 1-4

The sky in Chicago is about to get even cloudier as the team has to go face playoff-bound squads like the Aces, Storm, Mercury, and Liberty over the next two weeks. Angel Reese has missed the last six games for the Sky with a lower back injury with no clear timetable for her return. It’s worth noting that the Sky currently hold the second-worst record in the league and don’t own their 2026 first-round pick. Instead it’s set to go to the Minnesota Lynx, meaning Chicago will likely lose out on high stock next draft. The rest of the season is about the Sky crossing their fingers that they don’t hand the Lynx the next No. 1 overall pick.

11. Dallas Wings (9-26) — 1-5

Their record might not show it, but the Wings have been competitive since our last power rankings, at the very least. They claimed a one-point win over the Fever and a one-point loss against the Sparks in two of their last three games. Paige Bueckers has looked every part of the No. 1 pick, while JJ Quinerly has silenced the skeptics around her size. Getting Maddie Siegrist back has been big for the Wings, who are in position to play spoiler for a number of teams on the playoff bubble with their upcoming schedule.

10. Seattle Storm (17-18) — 1-5

It’s not hyperbole to say that the Storm defeating the Dream in Canada this past weekend was the single most important game of their season. The Storm have fallen into a massive backwards skid, but the win against Atlanta stopped a six-game slide. Now, the veteran-laden team finds themselves on the playoff bubble, but their schedule going forward isn’t terrible. Remaining this month, the Storm have winnable games with two against the Sky, one against the Wings, and one against the Mystics. They do face back-to-back competition with the Fever on August 26 and Lynx on August 28. Does Seattle have enough in the tank to stage a late climb up the ranks?

9. Washington Mystics (16-18) — 3-3

Despite recently trading off Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards, the Mystics have remained competitive. Sonia Citron, Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen continue to be major impactors for the Mystics, while Alysha Clark’s presence has brought more stability and leadership to the court. Sug Sutton has also done well with her elevated responsibility as PG1 since trading away Sykes. Washington remains in striking distance for the final playoff spot, and back-to-back games with Connecticut this week helps its chances. After those two Connecticut games, though, the schedule is brutal moving forward. They will face the playoff bound Aces, Storm, Liberty, and then comparable Sparks and Valkyries to round out August.

8. Los Angeles Sparks (16-18) — 4-3

Don’t look now, but the Sparks are one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break. Cameron Brink is finding her way after returning from her ACL injury, leading the league in blocks per game since her arrival. Does Kelsey Plum deserve to be included in the MVP discussion? Even if we know she won’t win it, her 2025 averages of 20.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, and her shooting of 89.7 percent in field goals have been necessary to the Sparks success. The big three of Plum, Rickea Jackson, and Dearica Hamby can go possession-for-possession with majority of other big three’s in the league, making them a scary team to face down the stretch. Azura Stevens continues to have the best season of her career, and LA’s bench mob has raised their level of play as the regular season’s progressed.

7. Indiana Fever (19-16) — 2-4

A lot can change quickly in the WNBA. Two weeks ago in our last power rankings, the Fever were 5-1 over the last two weeks, carrying on well without Caitlin Clark. Now, they find themselves hanging on to one of the last couple playoff spots. While a win against Connecticut on Sunday was big for them—despite the injury to Sophie Cunningham—the Fever now have back-to-back games against the Lynx, followed by games against the Storm, Sparks, and Valkyries over the next two weeks. They are still a team that I wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs if they have a healthy Caitlin Clark; but right now, they need to make sure they get into the playoffs first.

6. Golden State Valkyries (18-16) — 4-2

Golden State decided to not add any talent at the trade deadline, despite injuries to players Kayla Thornton and Mo Billings. It’s a key stretch for the new franchise, as 70 percent of its remaining games come against playoff-bound teams. Golden State is looking to host a home game at Ballhalla, but we’ll get a sense of how ready it is for primetime as it winds down the season.

5. Phoenix Mercury (20-13) — 3-2

Out of the nine traditional stat categories, the Mercury rank top five in just two of them as a team: rebounds and steals per game. It doesn’t matter, though, as the Mercury just keep chugging along behind their engine Alyssa Thomas, who is gaining more steam as a 2025 MVP candidate. On August 17 against the Aces, Thomas scored her fifth triple double of the season, nearing her own league record for most in a season. Complementary players DeWanna Bonner, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper have also made an impact on the Mercury’s success. They’ll be tested over the next two weeks with two games against Golden State and then taking on the surging Aces and Sparks on the road.

4. Las Vegas Aces (21-14) — 6-0

The Aces are winners of seven straight games and their last nine out of 10 games, which is a 180 from where they were coming out of the All-Star break. Jewell Loyd has found her footing coming off of the bench for the Aces, and the move may have saved their season. The Aces are 13-6 since NaLyssa Smith was traded to the team, and Kierstan Bell has found success as a starter too, recently shooting 6-7 in three-pointers against the Mercury. A’ja Wilson became the first player to record a 30-point, 20-rebound line in WNBA history, and she’s showing why betting against [Las Vegas] is typically a losing outcome..

3. New York Liberty (21-13) — 3-3

The Liberty are counting down the days until they are fully healthy. They got Jonquel Jones and Kennedy Burke back, and they do have Emma Meesseman in the fold now, but they are without Nyara Sabally and Breanna Stewart still. The hope is to get Stewart back by the end of August, which would be a welcome sight down the stretch for Sandy Brondello’s squad. It’s a mixed bag over the next two weeks, with the Lynx, Dream, and Mercury on the schedule, but also the Sun, Mystics, and Sky.

2. Atlanta Dream (22-12) — 4-1

The Dream continue to impress and prove doubters wrong, but what may be most impressive is that they’ve played 10 of their last 13 games on the road. They’ll return home this week for dates with the Lynx, Liberty, Aces, and Wings, so while it’s a homecoming it won’t be an easy one. Jordin Canada avoided a serious injury for the second time this season, but she is out for the next two weeks with a right hamstring strain. The Dream recently signed Sika Koné—a big—to a rest-of-season contract, indiciating they don’t feel that Canada will miss the end of the season by not signing a guard instead. A healthy Rhyne Howard is back, which should free up Allisha Gray even more in the high-volume offense. However, Gray’s recent surge has fans clamoring for an MVP nod, which is more than permissible at this stage of the season.

1. Minnesota Lynx (28-5) — 4-0

The Lynx have already locked up a playoff spot since our last power rankings. They have defeated their 2024 Finals rivals New York Liberty three times this season, though Breanna Stewart was not available for those games. And they are on their way to getting their best player back in the fold in Napheesa Collier. It’s all about staying healthy for Minnesota the rest of the way and fending off any late push by the Dream or the Liberty. DiJonai Carrington has seamlessly fallen into the Lynx’s system, and the team is about to peak at the perfect time.