WNBA: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx top 2025 power rankings 2.0

Two weeks into the 2025 WNBA season, the superteam Las Vegas Aces, who entered the 2024 season as favorites to 3-peat, have continued to take a back seat to their fellow superteam New York Liberty and the clutch-as-ever Minnesota Lynx, the two teams who surpassed the Aces to finish first and second in the standings last year before meeting in the Finals.

I think most would say there’s a clear No. 1 between the Liberty and Lynx. In our second power rankings, let’s take a look at who and why that is, as well as discuss a couple of teams in the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever who are only going to get better with the eventual returns of Kahleah Copper and Caitlin Clark, respectively.

1) New York Liberty (7-0)

Up one spot in from previous rankings

Yes, the Liberty are the team that seems to be the clear-cut No. 1, even though Minnesota shares their 7-0 record. That’s because New York has won by an average margin of 20.6 points per game compared to the Lynx’s 8.3. The Liberty are still comfortably ahead of the Lynx at a 14.3 margin if you take out the outlier that was their 100-52 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. And their schedule has been comparably difficult to that of Minnesota—if anything it’s been a little tougher—with wins coming over the Aces and the Fever (with Clark). The Lynx also have two quality wins (over Phoenix and the Seattle Storm) and trail New York 3-1 in wins over what I would consider the third-tier teams (the Washington Mystics and Golden State Valkyries).

Breanna Stewart’s struggles at key moments in the 2023 and 2024 playoffs had me worried she would never be the same Stewie again. While she has continued to struggle from distance (18.2 percent), she is leading the Liberty with 18.1 points per game and is a decent 14th in the league in fantasy points per game. (Still not quite the same old Stewie, I know). Instead, reigning Finals MVP Jonquel Jones leads the team in fantasy points per game.

Natasha Cloud was starting to look like a superstar to start this season before cooling off of late. Meanwhile, how about Kennedy Burke putting together a career year so far with 21.6 minutes per game, 8.9 points and a 52.2 percent 3-point-shooting clip, good for third in the league?! The Liberty also have the pleasant debate going on of which European 3-point wizard is better between Leonie Fiebich and Marine Johannès, who are playing for the squad together for the first time after being huge contributors in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

All is well in Brooklyn.

2) Minnesota Lynx (7-0)

Up one spot from previous rankings

While most may put the Liberty comfortably ahead of the Lynx, especially while being biased by the recent thumping of the Sun, I personally felt it was a fairly close call for who should be No. 1 in these power rankings. The way Minnesota is finding ways to win while being disrespected as a step behind the Liberty is scary. They are just patiently going about their business, seemingly waiting to pounce and claim inevitable revenge.

Napheesa Collier has been nothing short of spectacular to start the season, leading the league with 26.3 points per game and standing second to A’ja Wilson in fantasy scoring average. Courtney Williams continues to be an apt co-star, placing 18th in fantasy scoring, and it’s nice to have Kayla McBride back (23rd through three games after missing the first four due to a personal-related absence). Plus I think the return of Jessica Shepard this year makes up for the loss of key bench players in Myisha Hines-Allen, Dorka Juhász and Cecilia Zandalasini. Shepard’s success shouldn’t be surprising at all; she’s putting up pretty much identical numbers to what she accomplished in both 2022 and 2023 in a Lynx uniform. She’s yet another Minnesota player you have to flirt with giving the star label.

3) Las Vegas Aces (4-2)

Down two spots from previous rankings

Wilson is right there with Collier in the MVP race, and has somewhat made up for the puzzling struggles of Jewell Loyd. Yes, we can’t fault Loyd too much for her scoring average; it’s still in double figures at 10.2 and we naturally expected it to dip when she joined forces with Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. But 10.2 is far below Gold Mamba standards, even when you factor in the wealth of other scoring options. And yes, Loyd is on track from distance with 2.5 makes per game at a 41.7 percent clip, but her overall field goal percentage of 30.6 is concerning.

Yet, I still place Vegas ahead of two teams with better records in the Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream. Their average margin of victory is sixth in the league at 2.3, yet I put them third. They’ve had a somewhat concerning close call against the Mystics and a blowout loss to the Storm, but their bounce-back wins over the Sparks (by 15) and those same Storm (by five) have been enough for me to not hit the panic button.

I now fear that the exchange of Kelsey Plum for Loyd has made the Aces weaker, which could cost them a championship, but there is still too much talent and championship DNA on this squad for them to not finish top 3.

4) Phoenix Mercury (5-2)

Up five spots from previous rankings

Yes, I place the Mercury ahead of the identical record-holding Atlanta Dream despite the Dream leading them in scoring margin 5.3 to 4.4. I placed Phoenix ninth(!) in the preseason, so I was one of their biggest haters.

What I forgot is that WNBA success hinges so heavily on top-level talent and not as much on depth. But the real reason the Mercury are as good as they are right now is actually because of their depth! Superstars Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally have been phenomenal, but how about Monique Akoa Makani, Kitija Laksa and Kathryn Westbeld?! They’re all shooting better than 40 percent from 3 with 1.7 or more makes per contest, aptly complementing the penetrate-and-kick-out abilities of Thomas. The fact that the Mercury are this good without Kahleah Copper, who I thought was going to be one of only three key contributors on the entire team, is huge, and Copper is, of course, going to return.

5) Indiana Fever (2-4)

Down one spot from previous rankings

Yes, DeWanna Bonner’s early struggles were concerning, and yes the Fever should have been good enough to defeat the Mystics and Sun even without Clark. But this team’s only losses with Clark were by one to the 5-2 Dream and by two to the 7-0 Liberty. I think when Clark returns, this will once again be a top-five team.

Shall we apply the superstar label to Aliyah Boston? She’s averaging career bests with 16.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting a league-leading 65.2 percent from the field. Other expected stars in Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard are also averaging double-figure scoring, as is Lexie Hull, who is nearly doubling her previous career best with 10.2 points per game off a league-leading 57.1 percent clip from 3.

6) Atlanta Dream (5-2)

Down one spot from previous rankings

I have to say, I really like the Dream. I’m a big fan of Brittney Griner and Rhyne Howard and love that team-up. I came into this season with my heart and my head feeling really good about Atlanta. While I was one of the Mercury’s biggest haters, I was one of the Dream’s biggest supporters, placing them fifth in my preseason power rankings.

Yet, I have them sixth here, which is lower than you’ll see them in other power rankings. This is more an endorsement of the Aces, Mercury and Fever than an indictment of the Dream. But I just don’t think Atlanta’s resume is as strong as that of Phoenix when you consider that the Mercury have done it without Copper.

7) Seattle Storm (3-4)

Maintained same spot from previous rankings

Despite their 3-4 record, I think the Storm are right there in that second tier, behind only the first tier consisting of the Liberty and Lynx. It’s good to see Skylar Diggins shooting 36.8 percent from 3 after shooting below 30 percent her last two seasons in the W. She’s leading the team with 17.9 points per game and a career-best 6.6 assists, which is saying something based on her career. The 34-year-old is showing no signs of aging. Meanwhile, Nneka Ogwumike is still Nneka. And how about Gabby Williams developing a 3-point shot and Erica Wheeler’s resurgence?!

8) Washington Mystics (3-4)

Up four spots from previous rankings

I think the Mystics and Valkyries are for real. Going into the season, I was wondering where the talent would be coming from. Now I wonder where it’s not coming from—because it’s coming from everywhere.

Brittney Sykes has legitimized herself as a team’s best player, and Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron are already stars! Jade Melbourne is solid and then we can’t forget about Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin, who haven’t done much yet in 2025 but who were considered big parts of Washington’s future before Iriafen’s fantastic start. Now, the Mystics’ frontcourt depth is super strong.

9) Golden State Valkyries (2-4)

Up four spots from previous rankings

Similar to the Mystics, where I once saw mostly weak spots, I can now see hardly any.

One player I never saw as weak is Veronica Burton. I was a big fan of her game (and not just on the defensive end!) at Northwestern, and I’m biased having grown up in the same area as her outside Boston. Burton has solidified her spot in the league with 12 points, 4.2 assists and two steals per game. Janelle Salaün has been equally impressive with 12 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 threes at a 37.5 percent clip. We knew Kayla Thornton, Monique Billings, Temi Fagbenle, Julie Vanloo and Zandalasini would be solid, but I mentioned in my preseason power rankings that nobody screamed “star” outside of Tiffany Hayes. Now I think 24-year-old Burton and 23-year-old Salaün could be building blocks for the future.

10) Los Angeles Sparks (2-6)

Maintained same spot from previous power rankings

Plum sure looks better than Loyd right now; I may have misrepresented my own opinion when I said that she was only “arguably” as good as the Gold Mamba in my preseason power rankings. Did I forget her third-place finish in MVP voting in 2022—a higher finish than Loyd has ever achieved? Of the six players in the league attempting more than 6.6 3s per game, Plum leads in efficiency at 37.1 percent. Her 8.8 attempts are tied with Clark for second.

Meanwhile, Dearica Hamby has been stuffing the stat sheet with 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and two steals. Despite these great players, I still feel the Sparks aren’t good enough to consistently beat most teams in the league. They’re right about where I thought they’d be.

11) Chicago Sky (2-4)

Down five spots from previous rankings

The Sky have flirted with being the worst team in the league, but now have two wins over a weak Wings team to salvage some optimism. It’s good to see Ariel Atkins get going with 21.3 points per game over her last three after 9.3 over her first three. She remains one of the most underrated stars in the league, and was a big reason why I put Chicago at No. 6 in my preseason power rankings. But this team’s success hinges on Angel Reese’s success, and, right now, the efficiency is just not there.

Last year, Courtney Vandersloot recorded her lowest assist average since 2016 at 4.8. She’s up to 6.2 this year, and what a story it would be if she could bounce back to once again win the assist title. It will be a tall task with Clark in the league.

12) Dallas Wings (1-6)

Down four spots from previous rankings

I said Paige Bueckers might not be an All-Star this year, but now I think she will be. Her numbers are good across the board: 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, two steals and one block. She has been worthy of No. 1 selection status, but with rosters like Washington and Golden State looking a lot better than they did on paper before the season, the Wings’ overall roster is no longer as impressive in comparison.

I expected Hines-Allen and Teaira McCowan to be better, and McCowan is only playing 15 minutes a game. NaLyssa Smith appears to be underwhelming as well with a career-low nine points per game, but is actually averaging the second-highest points per minute of her four-year career. Perhaps she and McCowan just need more playing time.

13) Connecticut Sun (1-6)

Down two spots from previous rankings

I don’t think we should get carried away with recency bias here. Sunday’s debacle came just one game after Connecticut defeated a still-good Fever team on the road.

But it’d be nice if Tina Charles could provide something in addition to her scoring. She used to put up great rebounding numbers and some pretty good shot-blocking numbers, but, at age 36, is averaging career lows of 5.1 rebounds and 0.3 blocks. The rebounding is 1.9 below her previous career low and an alarming 4.5 less than last year. The Sun need someone to rebound the basketball, as they have the worst average rebounding margin in the league at -4.1.