Commissioner's Cup 2026

Similar to last week, this week’s power rankings will offer a hybrid look at each team’s performance in both the overall season and the Commissioner’s Cup.
While Cup play wraps up with a six-game slate on Wednesday, June 17, we already know one of the teams that will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on June 30, after the New York Liberty punched their ticket on Sunday.
Let’s dive into this week’s rankings to see which teams have the best shot at facing the Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game and competing for a share of the $500,000 prize pool.
Note: All stats and records are through games played Sunday, June 14.
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<h2>1. New York Liberty | Overall: 10-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 5-0 (+68) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CHI, Fri. vs. WAS, Sun. at LAS</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_263572" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263572" class="wp-image-263572" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280992420-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Jonquel Jones #35, Breanna Stewart #30, and Leonie Fiebich #13 of the New York Liberty</div>
The Liberty not only clinched the best Commissioner’s Cup record in the East with Sunday’s win over Washington but also their seventh straight victory, giving New York the longest active win streak in the league. The Liberty advanced to the Championship Game for the third time in the last four years, looking to add a second Cup Championship after winning the competition in 2023.
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<h2>2. Las Vegas Aces | Overall: 10-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 5-0 (+44) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Wed. at PHX, Sun. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
As the West’s only unbeaten in Commissioner’s Cup play, the Aces control their own destiny. They need just one win, either against Dallas on Monday or against Phoenix on Wednesday, to clinch their spot in the Cup Championship Game and set up a 2023 rematch with the Liberty. Las Vegas enters the week with two active streaks — six straight wins and 11 consecutive 20+ point games by A’ja Wilson. The four-time MVP already holds the WNBA record for the longest such streak (15 in 2024) and can tie the second-longest streak (12 by Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi) with one more 20-piece on Monday.
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<h2>3. Minnesota Lynx | Overall: 10-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-1 (+78) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. POR, Wed. at LAS, Fri. at GSV, Sun. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
It’s tough to bump the Lynx down by two spots after just a three-point loss to the defending champs snapped an eight-game win streak. However, that loss was critical in the Commissioner’s Cup race and played a significant role in this week’s rankings. Even in defeat, rookie sensation Olivia Miles continues to shine, posting a career-best 29 points against the Aces.
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<h2>4. Atlanta Dream | Overall: 9-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-2 (+54) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at IND, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
Despite the loss to New York that took them out of contention for the Commissioner’s Cup, the Dream have won three of their last four games entering this week’s two-game set with the Fever. So far this season, the Dream have followed an interesting pattern: winning two games, then losing, then repeating the cycle. They enter Thursday’s game at Indiana coming off a win. Will the pattern hold this week?
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<h2>5. Dallas Wings | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+21) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_263573" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263573" class="wp-image-263573" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280846123-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Azzi Fudd #35 and Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Dallas Wings</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. LVA, Wed. at GSV, Sat. vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
At 3-2 in Cup play, Dallas’ hopes of claiming the West’s berth in the Championship Game are slim. The Wings must not only win their final two games — against Las Vegas and Golden State — but they’ll also need help from other teams to bring down the Aces and Lynx. Outside of Cup play, the Wings are 8-5 on the season and need only three wins to surpass last year’s total of 10 victories. 
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<h2>6. Golden State Valkyries | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+20) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. LAS, Wed. vs. DAL, Fri. vs. MIN, Sun. at LVA </li>
</ul>
After dropping Cup games on the road to Las Vegas and Minnesota — both by five points or less — the Valkyries bounced back with two straight wins last week to keep their slim Championship Game hopes alive. However, this week presents a challenge with a four-game slate that begins against the Sparks (winners of three straight) and the Wings (to close out Cup play), before hosting the Lynx and the Aces, who have both been red-hot of late.
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<h2>7. Indiana Fever | Overall: 8-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 4-1 (+24) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. TOR, Thur. vs. ATL, Sat. at ATL</li>
</ul>
The Fever have won three straight games (all against teams in the bottom third of the standings) and four of their last five, but have already been eliminated from Cup play by unbeaten New York. In their win on Thursday, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston became the first teammates to each post 30-point double-doubles in the same game. Another notable storyline is the balanced scoring between Kelsey Mitchell and Clark, who are both averaging 20.3 ppg (top five in the WNBA). Only twice in WNBA history have teammates averaged 20 or more points over the course of a season (Phoenix in 2008 and 2018).
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<h2>8. Los Angeles Sparks | Overall: 7-6 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-2 (+13) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at GSV, Wed. vs. MIN, Sun. vs. NYL</li>
</ul>
After falling to Dallas in Kelsey Plum’s first game back from an ankle injury, the Sparks have won three straight games. That stretch includes the historic duel between Plum (43 points) and Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper (41 points), who both set career-highs as they became the first opponents in WNBA history to each score 40 or more points in the same game. Can L.A. ride that momentum into a tough schedule this week with matchups against the Valkyries (8-5), Lynx (10-3) and Liberty (10-4), who are a combined 28-12 on the season?
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<h2>9. Toronto Tempo | Overall: 7-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-3 (-20) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at IND, Fri. at CON</li>
</ul>
The Tempo opened the week on a high note with Brittney Sykes dropping a career-best 38 points to give Toronto a win over Connecticut in its first overtime contest. However, that was followed by consecutive losses, including a heartbreaker at Washington on Sonia Citron’s buzzer-beater. The Tempo will look to bounce back when they visit the Fever and Sun this week as they open their final road trip before a massive nine-game homestand takes them into the All-Star break.
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<h2>10. Portland Fire | Overall: 7-8 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-4 (-56) ↔️</h2>
<div id="attachment_263574" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-263574" class="wp-image-263574" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280827896-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Bridget Carleton #6 of the Portland Fire</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at MIN, Wed. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
It took five tries, but the Fire earned their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup win on Saturday as they edged out Dallas to snap a four-game losing streak. Portland opens the week in Minnesota to take on the Lynx in the first of nine road games over its next 11 contests. The Fire are 2-3 on the road so far this season, compared to 5-5 in their league-high 10 home games.  
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<h2>11. Washington Mystics | Overall: 5-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-3 (-37) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CON, Fri. at NYL, Sun. at MIN</li>
</ul>
Sonia Citron’s turnaround fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to beat Toronto on Friday was only her third mid-range bucket of the season, as she typically does her work either in the paint (55.2% of her shots) or beyond the 3-point line (38.8% of her shots). That thrilling win was followed by a loss — Washington’s third in its last four games — to the Liberty as New York clinched its spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.
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<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury | Overall: 4-11 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-4 (-54) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. LVA, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
Kahleah Copper and the Mercury were on the wrong end of a historic duel against Kelsey Plum and the Sparks on Saturday. For Phoenix, it marked a third straight loss and the team&#8217;s ninth defeat in its last 11 games. This week, the Mercury will close out Commissioner’s Cup play against the Aces in a Finals rematch on Wednesday, before hosting the Storm in the second half of ABC’s Saturday doubleheader.
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<h2>13. Chicago Sky | Overall: 4-9 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-4 (-45) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. NYL, Sat. at DAL</li>
</ul>
On Thursday, the Sky trailed by as many as 19 points at Indiana before rallying back and ultimately falling in overtime. Leading the comeback was rookie guard Sydney Taylor, who scored a career-best 30 points in just 21 minutes. The undrafted rookie out of Louisville was impressive in her limited minutes. Could that performance earn her a larger role? After dropping eight of their last nine games, the Sky need a spark to help turn their season around. Could that spark come from Taylor, who has the highest-scoring game by a rookie this season?
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<h2>14. Seattle Storm | Overall: 3-12 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-6 (-66) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at POR, Sat. at PHX</li>
</ul>
The Storm have dropped eight straight games, the longest active losing streak in the league and just two shy of the longest skid in franchise history (10 straight in 2023). Seattle’s first shot to get a win comes on Wednesday in a Pacific Northwest clash with the Fire in Portland before heading to Phoenix to close out the week.
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<h2>15. Connecticut Sun | Overall: 2-13 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-5 (-44) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. WAS, Fri. vs. TOR</li>
</ul>
Entering this week, the Sun have dropped five straight games — including three decided by single digits. Their first chance to end that skid is Wednesday against Washington in the Commissioner’s Cup finale for both teams. After playing a league-high nine road games so far this season, the Sun continue their six-game homestand this week.

WNBA-CommishCup-Logo_-Primary_RGB_DarkBkgd-1 (1)

2026-wnba-power-rankings-week-5

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Commissioner’s Cup (Week 2)

Power Rankings

Over the next two weeks, the weekly power rankings will offer a hybrid look at each team’s play in both the overall season and the Commissioner’s Cup.
The overall power ranking will reflect a team’s performance over the entire season, but the Commissioner’s Cup standings could come into play when it comes to tiebreakers and close calls.
A quick reminder that Commissioner’s Cup play runs from June 1–17, with all games played during that time counting toward both the regular season and Cup standings. The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on June 30.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, June 7.
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<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx | Overall: 9-2 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 3-0 (+57) ↔️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262819" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262819" class="wp-image-262819" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279565865-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. DAL, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
The Minnesota Lynx keep winning, and Olivia Miles keeps shining. The Lynx went 3-0 in the opening week of Cup play to sit atop the West standings with an unblemished record and a massive plus-57 point differential. In their lone close game of the week, rookie phenom Olivia Miles broke the WNBA record for 3-pointers made in a game with eight triples in 11 tries.
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<h2>2. Atlanta Dream | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-1 (+36) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at CHI, Thu. vs. NYL, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
Despite suffering an early loss in Cup play, Atlanta remains in a strong position to strike should unbeaten New York (2-0) falter, thanks to a plus-36 point differential through three games. The Dream get their chance against the Liberty on Thursday, between road games in Chicago and Toronto.
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<h2>3. Dallas Wings | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+31) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 3
This Week: Tue. at MIN, Thu. vs. PHX, Sat. at POR
Winners of four straight and six of their last seven, the Wings are the hottest team in the league outside of Minnesota (and slightly ahead of New York). After opening Cup play against the Storm and Sparks (and their combined 9-13 record), the Wings open the second week of Cup play with a showdown against the Lynx in Minnesota.
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<h2>4. Las Vegas Aces | Overall: 7-3 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+15) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 4
This Week: Mon. vs. SEA, Thu. at POR, Sat. vs. MIN
A’ja Wilson (26.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg) and Jackie Young (21.5 ppg, 61.5% 3P) ranked first and fifth, respectively, in scoring over the past week as the Aces took down both California squads — the Sparks and Valkyries — to open Cup play. Both players came up big in clutch time as Las Vegas earned its first home win of the season in an 84-79 victory over Golden State. Can the Aces extend their three-game win streak when they face Seattle, Portland, and red-hot Minnesota this week?
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<h2>5. New York Liberty | Overall: 7-4 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-0 (+23) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262820" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262820" class="wp-image-262820" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2279700874-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty</div>
Last Week: 6
This Week: Mon. at CON, Thu. at ATL, Sun. vs WAS
After dropping the first three games of their season-long seven-game homestand, the Liberty closed it out with four straight wins, including victories over the Tempo and Fever to begin Cup play. Now the Liberty must take the show on the road, with seven of their next nine June games taking place outside the friendly confines of Barclays Center. It begins with a two-game trip to Connecticut and Atlanta as New York looks to stay unbeaten in Cup play.
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<h2>6. Golden State Valkyries | Overall: 6-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (+10) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 5
This Week: Tue. vs. PHX, Fri. at SEA
After opening Cup play with a win over Portland, the Valkyries dropped back-to-back close games to the Lynx (87-84) and Aces (84-79) by a combined eight points. That’s how they still have a plus-10 point differential despite their 1-2 record in Cup play. Only two teams in the event’s history — the 2021 Storm (8-2) and 2023 Liberty (8-3) — have reached the Championship Game with multiple losses.
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<h2>7. Indiana Fever | Overall: 5-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (+4) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 8
This Week: Mon. at WAS, Thu. vs. CHI, Sat. at CON
Holding a 12-point lead late in the third quarter on Saturday, the Fever appeared poised to knock off the Liberty and improve to 2-0 in Cup play before being outscored 38-18 the rest of the way, falling to 1-1 in Cup play and 5-5 overall. The defending Commissioner’s Cup champs will look to get back on track this week with matchups against Washington, Chicago and Connecticut, who enter the week a combined 10-22 overall and 2-5 in Cup play.
<hr />
<h2>8. Toronto Tempo | Overall: 6-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (+2) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 9
This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. at WAS, Sun. vs. ATL
After dropping their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup game to the Liberty on Wednesday, the Tempo bounced back with a win over Chicago behind 25 points from Brittney Sykes. Isabelle Harrison added 14 points and six boards in 17 minutes off the bench in her Tempo debut after missing the first 10 games of the season. Toronto has won three of its last four games and will look to ride that momentum into this week’s three-game slate.
<hr />
<h2>9. Los Angeles Sparks | Overall: 5-6 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (-1) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 10
This Week: Wed. at SEA, Sat. at PHX
WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum returned for the Sparks on Friday after missing three games with an ankle injury, but her 27 points were not enough to help L.A. overcome Dallas as the Sparks dropped to 0-2 in Cup play. On Sunday, the Sparks got in the win column with a victory over Portland behind double-doubles from Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby. After a 1-2 homestand, the Sparks hit the road for a three-game trip, beginning Wednesday in Seattle, where Ogumike played the last two seasons.
<hr />
<h2>10. Portland Fire | Overall: 6-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-3 (-41) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262821" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262821" class="wp-image-262821" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="587" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-300x196.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-1024x668.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-768x501.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-1536x1002.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2280404709-2048x1336.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Carla Leite #0 of the Portland Fire</div>
Last Week: 7
This Week: Thu. vs. LVA, Sat. vs. DAL
The Fire had won four of their last five games as they entered their first-ever Commissioner’s Cup last week. However, they were unable to carry that momentum into victories as they dropped their first three Cup contests to Golden State, Phoenix and L.A. The schedule doesn’t get any easier with Las Vegas and Dallas — both 2-0 in Cup play — coming to visit Portland this week.
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<h2>11. Washington Mystics | Overall: 4-5 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-1 (-14) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 11
This Week: Mon. vs. IND, Fri. vs. TOR, Sun. at NYL
Washington has hovered around .500 all season long, trading wins and losses virtually the entire season (outside of consecutive losses in mid-May). After splitting their opening games in Cup play, the Mystics will try to finally string together some wins when they host Indiana and Toronto before closing out the week in New York.
<hr />
<h2>12. Phoenix Mercury | Overall: 4-8 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 2-1 (-24) ⬆️</h2>
Last Week: 14
This Week: Tue. at GSV, Thu. at DAL, Sat. vs. LAS
After dropping six straight games — their longest losing streak since 2023 — the Mercury won back-to-back road games in Seattle and Portland to open Cup play at 2-1, albeit with a minus-24-point differential after a 34-point loss to Minnesota. The Mercury were shorthanded in their win over the Fire on Friday, playing without starters Alyssa Thomas (calf) and Kahleah Copper (hip). Both are listed as day-to-day as Phoenix gets set to open a three-game slate in Golden State on Tuesday.
<hr />
<h2>13. Chicago Sky | Overall: 4-7 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 1-2 (-30) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 12
This Week: Tue. at ATL, Thu. at IND
With 11 games played, Chicago is at the quarter-mark of the 2026 season. Entering this week having dropped five of their last six games, the Sky are searching for answers as they look to get on track. Two positive signs emerged from the past week: Azura Stevens is coming off back-to-back double-doubles — her first two of the season in six games played — and rookie Gabriela Jaquez (knee) returned from a four-game absence on Sunday. The Sky hit the road this week to face the Dream and Fever; so far this season, the Sky have been better on the road (3-3) than at home (1-4).
<hr />
<h2>14. Seattle Storm | Overall: 3-9 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-3 (-47) ⬇️</h2>
Last Week: 13
This Week: Mon. at LVA, Wed. vs. LAS, Fri. vs. GSV
The Storm opened Cup play with losses to Dallas, Phoenix, and Minnesota, extending their losing streak to five straight games. Seattle’s challenges continue to be on the offensive side of the court. Seattle ranks last in points per game (75.0), field goal percentage (39.6%), and offensive rating (94.3). While the Storm hold the league’s fourth-ranked defense (102.9 defensive rating), their imbalance has been too much to overcome.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun | Overall: 2-10 | Commissioner&#8217;s Cup: 0-2 (-21) ↔️</h2>
Last Week: 15
This Week: Mon. vs. NYL, Wed. at TOR, Sat. vs. IND
The Sun have dropped two straight and five of their last six games. Similar to Seattle, Connecticut has struggled offensively (its 94.5 offensive rating is only 0.2 points higher than the Storm&#8217;s). Unlike Seattle, Connecticut does not hold a top-five defense. Rather, the Sun rank 14th in the league on both ends of the court, which has led to a -15.3 net rating (the Sun are outscored by 15.3 points per 100 possessions), on pace to be the lowest mark since 2020.

2026-wnba-power-rankings-week-4

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Commissioner's Cup (Week 1)

The first three weeks of the 2026 season have served as a warm-up for the sixth annual <a href="https://www.wnba.com/commissioners-cup/2026">Commissioner’s Cup</a> presented by Coinbase.
The WNBA’s in-season tournament tips off Monday, June 1, and runs through the 17th, with all 49 games played during that time counting toward the regular-season and Commissioner Cup standings.
The team from each conference with the top record in Commissioner’s Cup games will compete in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game and a $500,000 prize pool on Tuesday, June 30.
In addition to providing <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/comissioners-cup-2026-primer">exciting games with elevated stakes</a> early in the regular season, the Commissioner’s Cup has also provided a glimpse of how the postseason field can shake out. Several recent Cup winners and runners-up have gone on to reach the WNBA Finals in the same season. Will that trend continue in 2026?
As the competition gets set to tip off, let’s take a closer look at what we’ve seen from each team in the field and how they stack up against one another in this week’s Power Rankings.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 31.
<hr />
<h2>1. Minnesota Lynx (6-2) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262137" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262137" class="wp-image-262137" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278845770-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Courtney Williams #10 and Olivia Miles #5 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at PHX, Thu. vs. GSV, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
The 2024 Commissioner’s Cup champions (and 2025 runners-up) enter the competition on a hot streak, winning four straight games to rise to the top of the standings. Despite missing two players from last year’s All-Defensive First Team – Napheesa Collier (injury) and co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith (signed with Dallas) – the Lynx still own the league’s top defensive rating (96.8). They also have an early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in Olivia Miles, who leads all first-year players in points (15.4) and assists (5.9) and ranks second in rebounds (5.1).
<hr />
<h2>2. Atlanta Dream (5-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue vs. CON, Thu. at IND, Sat. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
The league’s only other two-loss team, the Dream, fell to the Lynx on Wednesday before bouncing back with a 20-point win over Portland. Similar to the Lynx, the Dream are leading with defense. Atlanta holds the league’s second-best defensive rating (100.0), allows the fewest 3-pointers made, the fewest free throws attempted and forces the third-most turnovers. But their 11th-ranked offensive rating (105.0) will need to climb in order to contend for the Cup.
<hr />
<h2>3. Dallas Wings (5-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. SEA, Fri. at LAS</li>
</ul>
The Wings only had one game on their schedule in Week 3, and Jessica Shepard made the most of it, posting only the second 20-20-10 game in the WNBA’s 30-year history. She finished with 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 95-87 win over the defending champion Aces to join Alyssa Thomas in the record books. After a 1-2 start, the Wings have won four of their last five as they enter Cup play.
<hr />
<h2>4. Las Vegas Aces (5-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at LAS, Sat. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
After giving up that big game to Dallas’ Shepard and losing their third game of the early season, the Aces bounced back with a 91-81 win over the Valkyries to enter Cup play on a winning note and make Becky Hammon the second-fastest coach to reach 150 wins. Las Vegas is one of three teams, along with New York and Minnesota, to reach the Cup Championship Game twice, and will look to get back to that stage for the first time since 2023 as the competition gets underway.
<hr />
<h2>5. Golden State Valkyries (5-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. POR, Thu. at MIN, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
Following a blowout win over Connecticut, the Valkyries earned their first clutch win of the season with a 90-88 victory over Indiana. But they were unable to complete a perfect week, falling to Las Vegas on Sunday. The Valkyries open Cup play with a challenging first week, facing a trio of teams — Portland (6-4), Minnesota (6-2), and Las Vegas (5-3) — with a combined 17-9 record to open the season. Can the Valkyries run that gauntlet and make an early statement in Cup competition?
<hr />
<h2>6. New York Liberty (5-4) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262138" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262138" class="wp-image-262138" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="599" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278135644-2048x1364.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />The New York Liberty</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. TOR, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
New York snapped a three-game skid with back-to-back wins over the Mercury that showcased the Liberty’s depth. On Wednesday, it was Marine Johannes (21 points on seven 3s) and Jonquel Jones (scoring 10 of her 17 points during a 23-0 third-quarter run) who led the way. Two days later, it was Pauline Astier (16 points and 6 assists) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (13 points in 15 bench minutes) who paced New York. If the Liberty hope to return to the Cup Championship for the third time in four years, getting Sabrina Ionescu (who has played in only one game) back on the court healthy will be key.
<hr />
<h2>7. Portland Fire (6-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at GSV, Fri. vs. PHX, Sun. at LAS</li>
</ul>
The busiest team in the WNBA in Week 3 emerged with a 3-1 record over the past seven days, picking up wins over New York, Connecticut, and Indiana, compared to only a single loss to Atlanta. The Fire will make their Commissioner’s Cup debut on Tuesday when they visit Ballhalla to take on the Valkyries in the Bay. Portland is 6-4 through its first 10 games, just ahead of Golden State’s 5-5 pace in its inaugural season a year ago. The expansion team enters Cup play as the league&#8217;s best clutch team, going 4-0 in games with the score within five points in the final five minutes.
<hr />
<h2>8. Indiana Fever (4-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thu. vs. ATL, Sat. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Last year, the Fever became the fifth different team in the event’s five-year history to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Now, they’ll attempt to do something their four predecessors could not — successfully defend the Cup title. That defense gets started this week with matchups against the Dream and Liberty. Indy is coming off consecutive road losses to Golden State and Portland, the latter of which saw Caitlin Clark limited to a season-low six points in 22 minutes as she battled foul trouble. Any attempt at a successful Cup defense will need some big games from Clark over the next few weeks.
<hr />
<h2>9. Toronto Tempo (5-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at NYL, Sun. vs. CHI</li>
</ul>
The Tempo get their first taste of Commissioner’s Cup action this week when they visit the Liberty on Wednesday before hosting the Sky on Sunday. Toronto is coming off back-to-back wins over Chicago and Seattle last week and will go for their first-ever three-game win streak when they face the Liberty for the first time.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (4-4) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. LVA, Fri. vs. DAL, Sun. vs. POR</li>
</ul>
We know the Sparks will open Cup play on Tuesday when they host the Aces. We don’t know if Kelsey Plum will be on the court. The WNBA’s leading scorer at 26.8 points per game has missed L.A.’s last two games after suffering a sprained ankle in practice last week. She is set to be evaluated on Tuesday to determine her status for the Cup opener. Playing without Plum last week, the Sparks edged out Washington before falling to Connecticut, giving the Sun just their second win of the season.
<hr />
<h2>11. Washington Mystics (3-4) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_262139" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-262139" class="wp-image-262139" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="720" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/06/GettyImages-2278131579-2048x1638.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Shakira Austin #0 of the Washington Mystics</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. CHI, Sat. at ATL</li>
</ul>
With all Commissioner’s Cup games being played over the next 17 days, a hot streak can elevate a team, while a losing streak may spell doom. The Mystics have yet to win consecutive games so far this season, coming up short on all three occasions. Stacking wins is something the Mystics must do if they hope to make a run at the Cup Championship Game.
<hr />
<h2>12. Chicago Sky (3-5) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at WAS, Fri. vs. CON, Sun. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After a promising 3-1 start to the season, the Sky have dropped four straight games, falling in both the standings and these rankings. Chicago, the 2022 Cup runner-up, faces a three-game slate in the opening week of Cup competition. Following matchups with the Mystics and Sun, the Sky will have their second shot at the expansion Tempo after Toronto earned an 111-104 win last week. The Tempo lived up to their name, posting a WNBA season-high 111 points.
<hr />
<h2>13. Seattle Storm (3-6) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Wed. vs. PHX, Sat. at MIN</li>
</ul>
The Storm’s roster looked very different from what it does now when they won the inaugural Commissioner&#8217;s Cup Championship in 2021. That 2021 roster featured Sue Bird (retired), Breanna Stewart (now with New York), and Jewell Loyd (now with Las Vegas). The only players remaining from that 2021 Cup championship roster are Katie Lou Samuelson (who has appeared in just three games) and Ezi Magbegor (who has yet to play this season). A key player to watch if she is able to return for this week’s trio of Cup games is Dominique Malonga, who played in only three games after missing the past six due to a concussion.
<hr />
<h2>14. Phoenix Mercury (2-7) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. MIN, Wed. at SEA, Fri. at POR</li>
</ul>
Phoenix opens up Commissioner’s Cup play on Monday against Minnesota, looking to snap the WNBA’s longest active losing streak. After opening the season 2-2, the Mercury have dropped five straight games, including consecutive losses to New York in Week 3. Following their Cup opener at home against the Lynx, the Mercury head to the Pacific Northwest to face the Storm and Fire to close out the week.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (2-8) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at ATL, Fri. at CHI</li>
</ul>
The Sun became the first-ever Commissioner’s Cup runner-up back in 2021. But Connecticut has not been back to the Championship Stage since. After defeating the Sparks on Saturday to snap a three-game skid, the Sun will visit the Dream on Tuesday and the Sky on Friday to open up Group Play.

2026-power-rankings-week-3

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week Three

With every team having between five and seven games in the books two weeks into the new season, we have more information to help us analyze the field.
In addition to seeing a number of standout performances — 45 points from A’ja Wilson, 38-piece specials from Kelsey Plum and Brittney Sykes, Azzi Fudd’s six-pack of 3-pointers, and Nneka Ogwumike climbing to 5th on the all-time scoring list — a few trends have started to emerge for some teams that we’ll explore below.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 24.
<hr />
<h2>1. Las Vegas Aces (4-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at DAL, Sun. at GSV</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261604" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261604" class="wp-image-261604" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="700" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-300x233.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-1024x797.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-768x597.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-1536x1195.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277382826-2048x1593.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />A&#8217;ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
On opening night, the Aces received their 2025 championship rings — then lost by 33 to Phoenix. On Saturday, the Aces raised their 2025 championship banner — then lost to Los Angeles while allowing 38 points to former Ace Kelsey Plum. Meanwhile, Las Vegas is 4-0 when not celebrating its title. They’ll put that trend to the test this week with road games against the Wings and Valkyries.
<hr />
<h2>2. Atlanta Dream (4-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at MIN, Fri. at POR</li>
</ul>
Atlanta enters this week with the top record in the WNBA thanks to a late rally against Phoenix on Sunday. The comeback was powered by 21 points from Rhyne Howard, alongside double-doubles by Jordin Canada and Angel Reese (her third with the Dream). Allisha Gray added 17 points in the win as she ranks fifth in the league in scoring (21.8 ppg) over Atlanta’s first five games.
<hr />
<h2>3. Indiana Fever (4-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at GSV, Sat. at POR</li>
</ul>
Fueled by a pair of top-four scorers in the league – Caitlin Clark (23.8 ppg) and Kelsey Mitchell (22.3 ppg) – the Fever are the highest-scoring team in the WNBA, averaging 93.7 points per game. After earning home wins over the Fire and Valkyries this past week, the Fever hit the road to face the same two teams this week in Portland and San Francisco.
<hr />
<h2>4. Golden State Valkyries (3-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. CON, Thur. vs. IND, Sun. vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
Through their first five games, the Valkyries have lived and died by the 3-point shot. In their three wins, they have made at least 13 3-pointers on 37% shooting or better. In their two losses, they have made seven 3-pointers in each game and shot below 32% both times. After splitting a pair of road games in New York and Indy last week, the Valkyries open a four-game homestand on Monday against the Sun.
<hr />
<h2>5. Minnesota Lynx (4-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. ATL, Fri. at CHI</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261605" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261605" class="wp-image-261605" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277348547-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Olivia Miles #5 and Natasha Howard #1 of the Minnesota Lynx</div>
Here’s the list of players averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists so far this season — perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas and Lynx rookie Olivia Miles. Miles, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 Draft, looks like a star in the making. Meanwhile, veteran Natasha Howard has thrived (17.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, and 66.7 FG%, which ranks fourth in the WNBA) in her first season back in Minnesota. This is buying the Lynx more time as they await the return of their own MVP candidate, Napheesa Collier.
<hr />
<h2>6. Dallas Wings (4-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. LVA</li>
</ul>
We go from talking about this year’s No. 2 pick (Miles) to this year’s No. 1 pick, Azzi Fudd, who had one of the best games by a rookie in league history on Sunday. Fudd splashed six 3-pointers (tied for second most by a rookie ever) and scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter (also tied for second most by a rookie ever) on her way to a career-best 24 points in Dallas’ win over New York. After going 3-1 as the busiest team in the league in Week 2, Fudd, Paige Bueckers, and the rest of the Wings are off until Thursday when they host the Aces.
<hr />
<h2>7. New York Liberty (3-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. vs. POR, Wed. vs. PHX, Fri. vs. PHX</li>
</ul>
After averaging 100 points per game over their first four contests this season, the Liberty&#8217;s offense struggled this past week, posting back-to-back double-digit losses to the Valkyries and Wings, with New York putting up just 70 and 76 points, respectively. Those were the first two games of a season-long seven-game homestand for New York. Can the Liberty course correct and take advantage of their home-heavy schedule? Having Sabrina Ionescu back on the court, following her season debut on Sunday, should certainly help that cause.
<hr />
<h2>8. Chicago Sky (3-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. TOR, Fri. vs. MIN</li>
</ul>
The Sky are taking the phrase “playing .500 ball” to a new level. Not only do they have a .500 win percentage at 3-3, but they have also scored exactly 500 points and given up exactly 500 points over their first six games combined. Hence, their position is smack dab in the middle of this week’s rankings. Chicago will look to get above .500 when they host Toronto on Wednesday. However, they will have to do it without leading scorer Rickea Jackson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
<hr />
<h2>9. Portland Fire (3-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at NYL, Wed. vs. CON, Fri. vs. ATL, Sat. vs. IND</li>
</ul>
Through six games, Portland’s debut season has resembled a seesaw, trading wins and losses back and forth. This week, the Fire edged out the Sun at home, fell to the Fever on the road, then rolled in the battle of expansion teams against the Tempo as Portland dominated the second half. Can the Fire put together their first consecutive wins? Their first attempt comes Monday in Brooklyn, against a Liberty squad that Portland beat at the buzzer for their first win.
<hr />
<h2>10. Los Angeles Sparks (3-3) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Fri. at WAS, Sat. at CON</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_261606" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-261606" class="wp-image-261606" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="659" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-300x220.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-1024x750.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-768x562.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-1536x1125.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2277949106-2048x1500.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Kelsey Plum #10 of the Los Angeles Sparks</div>
The Sparks offense is clicking as they make a move up these rankings. After scoring 78 points in each of their first two games (both losses), the Sparks have scored at least 96 points in each of their last four games — going 3-1 in that stretch. In this week’s road wins over Phoenix and Vegas, L.A. shot 29-for-61 (47.5%) from beyond the arc, with WNBA leading scorer Kelsey Plum pacing the Sparks (26.8 ppg on 48.8 3P%) this season.
<hr />
<h2>11. Seattle Storm (3-4) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed vs. WAS, Sat. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After being the first team to suffer a defeat at the hands of the Sun, the Storm bounced back two days later with an 18-point win over Connecticut behind a career-high-tying 17 points from rookie Flau’jae Johnson. In the Storm’s three wins, the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft has averaged 16.7 ppg on 38.9% shooting. Conversely, during their four losses, her production dipped to 9.5 points on 25.6% shooting. But Johnson isn’t Seattle’s only top-10 pick from this year’s class — No. 3 overall pick Awa Fam made her Storm debut on Sunday with 10 points off the bench in a win over Washington.
<hr />
<h2>12. Toronto Tempo (3-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at CHI, Sat. vs. SEA</li>
</ul>
After Tuesday’s win lifted the Tempo over .500 for the first time, it was followed by back-to-back losses by 19+ points apiece to the Lynx and Fire. No team has relied more on the 3-point shot this season than the Tempo, with triples accounting for 44.9% of their total field goal attempts. Just as the three can shoot a team into a game (39.3% in three wins), it can also shoot them out (28.2% in four losses), which has been the case for Toronto.
<hr />
<h2>13. Washington Mystics (2-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at SEA, Fri. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
The opening week of the season saw the young Mystics go 2-1 in three clutch games. This past week, neither of their games was close, as they suffered double-digit losses at Dallas and Seattle. As Washington looks to get back on track, keep an eye on sophomore Sonia Citron, who led the WNBA in 3-point percentage as a rookie last season (44.5%), but has only shot the longball at 25% (6-for-24) so far in 2026. Washington ranks last in the league in 3-pointers made (5.0 per game) and 3-point percentage (25.5%); both of those numbers must improve for Washington to climb.
<hr />
<h2>14. Phoenix Mercury (2-5) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. at NYL, Fri. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Following the Mercury’s 33-point win over the Aces in an opening night Finals rematch, last year’s runners-up have gone just 1-5 since to drop near the bottom of the standings. Despite their 2-5 record, the Mercury’s offense is actually averaging 4.5 more points per game than they did a season ago. However, the Mercury’s defense is allowing 6.9 more points per game to opponents, which is not only negating their offensive gains but also digging them into a deeper hole to climb out of.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (1-6) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at GSV, Wed. at POR, Sat. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
Despite getting a combined 18 points from their starting lineup, the Sun scored a win over the Storm last Wednesday to earn their first victory of the season. Rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker led four Connecticut reserves in double figures off the bench, helping the unit deliver a massive 62-39 advantage over their Storm counterparts. As Connecticut seeks its second win of 2026, the Sun must visit Golden State and Portland before hosting the defending champs on Saturday.

2026-power-rankings-week-2

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week Two

In the first two editions of the 2026 Power Rankings, from the offseason and preseason, much of the analysis could only be done on paper.
Now that we’re 10 days into the season, we finally have a handful of games to help shape our understanding of how this campaign may unfold.
While the sample size remains extremely small, it’s enough to offer a first impression of each of the league’s 15 teams.
Note: All stats and records are through games played on Sunday, May 17.
<hr />
<h2>1. Las Vegas Aces (4-1) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Sat. vs. LAS</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_260922" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260922" class="wp-image-260922" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276216597-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Chennedy Carter #23 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
The Aces’ title defense didn’t get off to an ideal start, as they suffered a blowout loss to Phoenix on ring night. However, they bounced back with four straight wins, capped by Chelsea Gray’s game-winner against the Dream on Sunday. After playing five games in the season’s first 10 days, the Aces are off until Saturday, when they host the Sparks and raise their third championship banner.
<hr />
<h2>2. New York Liberty (3-1) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. GSV, Sun. vs. DAL</li>
</ul>
A last-second loss to the expansion Fire is the lone blemish on the Liberty’s record to open the 2026 season. They quickly avenged that loss to Portland with an 18-point win two days later. Led by Breanna Stewart (23.0 ppg) and the deepest roster of <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/global-game-international-players-rise">global talent</a> in the league, the Liberty are averaging a league-best 100 points per game.
<hr />
<h2>3. Atlanta Dream (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Fri. vs DAL, Sun. vs. PHX</li>
</ul>
Just three games into the season, the Dream have already been involved in a pair of thrilling one-point contests. In their season opener, the Dream erased an 18-point deficit to defeat the Lynx, with Angel Reese sealing the win with a last-second block in her Atlanta debut. Eight days later, the Dream found themselves on the other end of a last-second loss, courtesy of Chelsea Gray.
<hr />
<h2>4. Chicago Sky (3-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. DAL, Sat. vs. MIN</li>
</ul>
The new-look Sky opened the season with four straight road games, including a win in Portland to spoil the Fire’s return to the WNBA. Chicago has been the league’s top defensive team out of the gates, posting league-best marks in defensive rating (97.2) and opponent field goal percentage (38.1%). However, the Sky lost leading scorer Rickea Jackson to a knee injury on Sunday, which could be costly if she misses extended time. 
<hr />
<h2>5. Golden State Valkyries (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<div id="attachment_260921" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260921" class="wp-image-260921" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276124448-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA &#8211; MAY 13: Kayla Thornton #5 and Kiah Stokes #41 of the Golden State Valkyries</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at NYL, Fri. at IND</li>
</ul>
After opening the season with double-digit wins over the Storm and Mercury, the Valkyries suffered their first setback against the Sky on Sunday. Golden State owns the league’s second-best net rating through the opening week (+8.3), but will be tested this week with a road back-to-back against New York and Indiana on Thursday and Friday.
<hr />
<h2>6. Phoenix Mercury (2-2) ↔️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. vs. TOR, Thur. vs. LAS, Sun. at ATL</li>
</ul>
After watching the Aces receive their championship rings before tipping off their Finals rematch, the Mercury responded with a 33-point win in the season opener. However, Phoenix followed that with consecutive losses to Golden State and Minnesota, then bounced back with a win over then-unbeaten Chicago. Rookie Jovana Nogić has been a revelation for Phoenix; she’s averaging 16 points and 3.3 three-pointers on 65% shooting from deep, helping the Mercury shoot a league-best 38.5% from beyond the arc.
<hr />
<h2>7. Washington Mystics (2-1) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at DAL, Sun. at SEA</li>
</ul>
There have only been two overtime games in the WNBA so far this season, and both have featured the Mystics, who fell to the Liberty 98-93 last Sunday and defeated the Fever 104-102 on Friday. In their only non-OT game, Washington held off Toronto to spoil the Tempo’s franchise opener. After their first three games were all decided by five points or fewer, can the Mystics get a decisive win this week when they visit Dallas and Seattle?
<hr />
<h2>8. Indiana Fever (2-2) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. POR, Fri. vs. GSV</li>
</ul>
So far this season, teams are 7-2 when scoring 100 or more points. The only two losses belong to the Fever, who put up triple-digit scores but still fell short, surrendering 104 and a season-high 107 points to the Mystics and Wings, respectively. There’s no questioning Indiana’s firepower, with Caitlin Clark breaking the WNBA record for most career games with 20+ points and 10+ assists just three games into her third season, but the Fever will need to improve their defense, which ranks 12th in opponent points allowed (91.8). 
<hr />
<h2>9. Minnesota Lynx (2-2) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. vs. TOR, Sat. at CHI</li>
</ul>
Already without perennial MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, who is still recovering from offseason ankle surgeries, the Lynx have been dealt another blow as rookie center Emma Čechová has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. After opening the season 2-2 in four games decided by seven points or fewer, the Lynx are off until Thursday when they host Toronto before closing the week in Chicago.
<hr />
<h2>10. Dallas Wings (1-2) ⬇️</h2>
<div id="attachment_260920" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-260920" class="wp-image-260920" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2276059686-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" />Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon vs. WAS, Wed. at CHI, Fri. at ATL, Sun. at NYL</li>
</ul>
Last season, the Wings finished a league-worst 3-15 (.167) in clutch games — defined as games within five points during the final five minutes. All three of their games have come down to the wire this season; after defeating the Fever, the Wings fell to both the Dream and Lynx down the stretch. With four games on the schedule this week, how many will come down to clutch time? And how will Dallas respond?
<hr />
<h2>11. Toronto Tempo (2-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Tue. at PHX, Thur. at MIN, Sat. vs. POR</li>
</ul>
After coming up just short in their franchise opener against Washington, the Tempo earned their first-ever win against Seattle on Wednesday behind a combined 44 points from Marina Mabrey (26) and Brittney Sykes (18). Sykes ranks fifth in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 24.3 points over her first four games, thanks in part to her ability to draw fouls, get to the free-throw line (league-high 11 per game) and knock them down at a 90.9% clip. Can she keep it going when the Tempo visit Phoenix and Minnesota before hosting Portland in a clash of expansion squads?
<hr />
<h2>12. Portland Fire (1-2) ⬆️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon vs. CON, Wed. at IND, Sat. at TOR</li>
</ul>
After 24 years, WNBA basketball has returned to the Rose City. In their opening week, the Fire hosted the Sky and the Liberty twice. The Fire earned their first win in thrilling fashion, thanks to a buzzer-beating putback by Sarah Ashlee Barker. However, that remains the Fire’s lone win as the Liberty won a rematch two days later. Portland will host Connecticut on Monday before embarking on its inaugural road trip with stops in Indiana and Toronto to close the week.
<hr />
<h2>13. Los Angeles Sparks (1-3) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Thur. at PHX, Sat. at LVA</li>
</ul>
While the Sparks rank in the middle of the pack on offense (their 107.7 offensive rating ranks eighth), they are dead last on the other end (121.3 defensive rating) through their first four games. L.A.’s lone win came against the expansion Tempo on Friday behind 25 points from Kelsey Plum, who leads the WNBA in scoring at 26.8 points per game. However, if the Sparks want to climb the standings (and these rankings), they’ll need to see major strides defensively.
<hr />
14. Seattle Storm (1-3) ⬇️
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. vs. CON, Sun. vs. WAS</li>
</ul>
Already shorthanded in the frontcourt after All-Star Ezi Magbegor sustained a foot injury while competing for Australia in the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, the Storm were without second-year center Dominique Malonga during Sunday’s loss to Indiana due to a concussion. Malonga is having a breakthrough season in Seattle, averaging 16 points, 7.3 rebounds, two steals and a block through three games. However, Seattle’s lone win so far has come against winless Connecticut.
<hr />
<h2>15. Connecticut Sun (0-4) ⬇️</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Last Week: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">This Week: Mon. at POR, Wed. at SEA, Fri. at SEA</li>
</ul>
On Wednesday, it became official: the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Connecticut Sun to Houston. The final season in Connecticut has gotten off to a slow start, with the Sun still searching for their first win after falling to New York, Seattle, and Las Vegas twice. This week, the team from the Northeast will be in the Pacific Northwest, visiting Portland on Monday before a two-game set in Seattle on Wednesday and Friday.

2026-power-rankings-week-1

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Week One

Preseason 2026

The countdown is on. The 30th WNBA season tips off on Friday, May 8.
After a whirlwind month that saw the <a href="https://www.wnba.com/expansion-draft-2026">expansion draft</a> for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo ahead of their inaugural seasons, the <a href="https://www.wnba.com/draft/2026">college draft</a> headlined by Azzi Fudd at No. 1 and a record six UCLA Bruins selected, a <a href="https://www.wnba.com/freeagency26">free agency storm</a> that saw some marquee players find new homes, while others decided to run it back, 15 training camps, and <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/preseason-2026-rapid-reactions">18 preseason games</a>, the third decade of WNBA hoops is upon us.
Before rosters are finalized on Thursday (May 7 at 5 p.m. ET) and the regular season opens on May 8 with a triple-header on ION, here’s a look at how the teams stack up against one another entering the season.
<hr />
<h2>1. Las Vegas Aces</h2>
<div id="attachment_259864" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259864" class="wp-image-259864" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272815523-2048x1366.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Jackie Young #0 of the Las Vegas Aces</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1</li>
</ul>
Since our <a href="https://www.wnba.com/news/2026-power-rankings-offseason-moves">offseason rankings</a> on April 15, the defending champion Aces made it official and re-signed the league’s only four-time MVP A’ja Wilson to a multi-year deal. With the core of their championship squad intact, plus some additional depth with the additions of Chennedy Carter, Stephanie Talbot and Brianna Turner, the Aces open at the top of these rankings until a team knocks them off on the court.
<hr />
<h2>2. New York Liberty</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1</li>
</ul>
Three key events went down with the Liberty since our last rankings: (1) they officially re-signed the trio of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones; (2) they added three-time All-Star Satou Sabally to the roster; (3) Ionescu went down during the Liberty’s preseason finale on Sunday and is set for an MRI on Monday. Assuming this is not a long-term injury that sidelines Ionescu for significant time, the Liberty’s talent and depth keep them at No. 2.
<hr />
<h2>3. Indiana Fever</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 2-1 </li>
</ul>
While we can’t glean too much from preseason games, the fact that Caitlin Clark appeared in all three of the Fever’s tune-ups is a welcome sight for Indiana fans after the 2024 Rookie of the Year was limited to just 13 games last season. With a healthy Clark playing alongside fellow All-Stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, Indy will look to build on last season’s playoff run and emerge as a title contender.
<hr />
<h2>4. Atlanta Dream</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 4</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1 </li>
</ul>
Shortly after our offseason rankings, which touted Atlanta having four 2025 All-Stars, one of those stars, Brionna Jones, underwent knee surgery, which will delay the start of her 2026 season, with no concrete timetable announced for her return. The Dream still have loads of talent on the roster, particularly with the addition of Angel Reese, but will miss Jones’ inside presence on both ends of the court as they open the 2026 campaign.
<hr />
<h2>5. Dallas Wings</h2>
<div id="attachment_259863" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259863" class="wp-image-259863" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="548" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-300x205.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-1024x701.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-768x526.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-1536x1052.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273896987-2048x1403.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Azzi Fudd #35 of the Dallas Wings</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 8</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 2-0</li>
</ul>
Before the Wings visit the Fever to open their 2026 season Saturday on ABC, Dallas picked up preseason wins over both Indiana and Las Vegas this past week. Paige Bueckers looked incredibly sharp in her limited minutes, averaging 15.5 points and six assists while shooting 5-for-7 from 3-point range. However, Azzi Fudd, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, got off to a slower start, averaging eight points while shooting 1-for-7 from deep. Meanwhile, the Wings recently got Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard back from overseas commitments as the season draws near.
<hr />
<h2>6. Phoenix Mercury</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 7</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 2-0</li>
</ul>
Unlike last season, the Mercury will open their 2026 campaign with a healthy Kahleah Cooper, who averaged 18 points in 18.7 minutes per game in two preseason contests. Meanwhile, Alyssa Thomas is already filling box scores in the preseason as she gets set to start her second season in Phoenix, still chasing that elusive first WNBA title after her third Finals appearance last season.
<hr />
<h2>7. Los Angeles Sparks</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 2-0 </li>
</ul>
Last season, the Sparks allowed more points than any team, with opponents averaging a league-high 88.2 points per game. In their two preseason games (against the expansion Tempo and the Nigerian National Team), the Sparks allowed a league-low 69.0 points per game. Of course, this is simply two preseason games, but with a healthy Cameron Brink, the addition of Ariel Atkins, and the return of Nneka Ogwumike, the Sparks defense should be improved this season.
<hr />
<h2>8. Minnesota Lynx</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 5</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 3-0</li>
</ul>
Among last year’s title contenders, no team saw more roster turnover this offseason than the Lynx. Three key players return in Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, and Napheesa Collier, who signed a one-year deal to return to Minnesota after last year’s MVP runner-up finish. However, Collier’s debut will be delayed as she continues to recover from offseason surgery on both ankles. How long she is out, and how well the new pieces fit early, will be key to determining Minnesota’s success.
<hr />
<h2>9. Golden State Valkyries</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 9</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-0</li>
</ul>
Can the Valkyries pick up where last season’s record-breaking inaugural campaign left off? Reigning Most Improved Player Veronica Burton looks ready to make that happen, dropping 14 points with four 3-pointers in Golden State’s lone preseason game — a win over Seattle on April 25. One former Storm player, Gabby Williams, did not appear in that game as the Valkyries’ top free agent addition is listed as day-to-day. Golden State visits Seattle opening night, giving Williams a chance to debut with her new team against her former squad. 
<hr />
<h2>10. Chicago Sky</h2>
<div id="attachment_259865" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259865" class="wp-image-259865" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2272535102-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Rickea Jackson #5 of the Chicago Sky</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 10</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 0-2</li>
</ul>
The Sky acquired a number of new players over the offseason via trades, free agency, and the draft. However, in the preseason, we only saw Skylar Diggins (for 14 minutes), Rickea Jackson, and first-round pick Gabriela Jaquez on the floor. Meanwhile, DiJonai Carrington, Azurá Stevens, Elizabeth Williams, and Courtney Vandersloot all remain sidelined. How long will it take before this new-look roster comes together and allows the players to build some on-court chemistry this season?
<hr />
<h2>11. Seattle Storm</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 12</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1</li>
</ul>
On draft night, the Storm selected center Awa Fam with the No. 3 overall pick to join Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga in forming a formidable frontline. Then, they acquired No. 8 pick Flau’jae Johnson from Golden State to add an athletic two-way wing to the mix. Johnson thrived in her preseason debut, scoring 20 points in just 19 minutes, giving Storm fans a glimpse of what could come this season. While Seattle added some veterans to help fill the void left by three departing All-Stars, the development of young talent will be key to a successful season. 
<hr />
<h2>12. Washington Mystics</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 11</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1</li>
</ul>
A look at Washington’s roster shows only two players with more than a year of WNBA experience — Michaela Onyenwere (five seasons) and Shakira Austin (four seasons). The rest of the squad is packed with rookies and sophomores as the Mystics’ rebuild with young talent continues. A year ago, their two lottery picks — Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — earned All-Star honors as rookies. Can this year’s lottery pick, No. 4 Lauren Betts, repeat that feat? And how competitive can this young roster be as the season gets underway?
<hr />
<h2>13. Connecticut Sun</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 13</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 1-1</li>
</ul>
The Sun open the 2026 campaign in an odd spot. While this will be the team’s final season in Connecticut, the Sun feature a roster loaded with young players built toward a future in Houston. However, with the additions of Brittney Griner, Diamond Miller, and Kennedy Burke, the Sun look to improve on last season’s 11-33 campaign and go out on a high note.
<hr />
<h2>14. Toronto Tempo</h2>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 14</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 0-2</li>
</ul>
A season ago, the Golden State Valkyries set a new standard for expansion success. Can the Tempo find similar success in their inaugural season? With two-time WNBA champion coach Sandy Brondello at the helm and a number of veterans for her to lean on – including Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, and Kia Nurse – the Tempo could be competitive early this season. But for now, the expansion teams will begin at the bottom of the rankings and work their way up – similar to what Golden State did last season.
<hr />
<h2>15. Portland Fire</h2>
<div id="attachment_259862" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259862" class="wp-image-259862" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2026/05/GettyImages-2273878644-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Nyadiew Puoch #13 of the Portland Fire</div>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Previous Ranking: 15</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Preseason Record: 0-2</li>
</ul>
Similar to the Tempo, the Portland Fire are a bit of a mystery as the season gets set to open. Following their first two preseason games, the Fire are the only team ranked in the bottom five in both points scored and points allowed, as they were hampered by slow starts. Can they change that on Saturday, when they welcome the Sky to the Fire Pit for the first WNBA game in Portland since 2002?

WNBA_Preason Logo_NoPartner_CMYK_onDrkBgd

2026-power-rankings-preseason

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Preseason

2026-power-rankings-offseason-moves

2026 WNBA Power Rankings: Offseason Moves

With only four days remaining in the regular season, this is our final power rankings of the 2025 campaign.
Over the past week, the playoff picture has continued to come into focus, with seven of the eight spots secured. However, the final 11 games on the regular-season schedule will be important to deciding seeding as well as the final playoff berth.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s In: Lynx, Aces, Dream, Mercury, Liberty, Valkyries, Fever</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s Out: Mystics, Sun, Sky, Wings</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s In The Mix: Storm, Sparks</li>
</ul>
As the regular season wraps and the playoffs draw near, we take a look at each team’s season as a whole and how we got to this final snapshot of the league rankings.
<hr />
✅ Who’s In: Clinched Playoff Berth
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-203367" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-86.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-86.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-86-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-86-768x432.png 768w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-86-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
1. Minnesota Lynx (33-9)
Last Week: 1 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. at IND, Thur. vs. GSV
The Lynx are 33-9 with two games to play, meaning they are guaranteed to finish with a win percentage of at least .750 (33-11). Why is that significant? All six times the Lynx have finished the regular season with a win percentage of .750 or better they have gone on to make the WNBA Finals (2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2024). Can Napheesa Collier and Co. make it seven-for-seven as they enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed?
2. Las Vegas Aces (28-14)
Last Week: 2 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. vs. CHI, Thur. at LAS
A search for the phrase “peaking at the right time” should show A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces as the top results. The Aces enter their final two games of the regular season looking to extend a franchise-record 14-game win streak that has vaulted them to No. 2 in the standings – via a tiebreaker over the Atlanta (3-0 season series lead) – and looking as dangerous as any team entering the postseason.
3. Atlanta Dream (28-14)
Last Week: 3 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Mon. vs. CON, Wed. at CON
Riding a four-game win streak, Atlanta closes the regular season with a home-and-home with Connecticut. Sweeping those two games would see the Dream finish 30-14, cementing the best regular season (.681 win percentage) in franchise history – surpassing the 23-11 (.676) by the 2018 squad and doubling last season’s win total (15-25). The next challenge is the postseason, where Atlanta looks to win a series for the first time since 2016.
4. Phoenix Mercury (27-15)
Last Week: 4 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. vs. LAS, Thur. at DAL
The Mercury completely overhauled their roster last offseason – returning only two players from the 2024 squad. The culmination of those moves is a squad that has locked up home-court advantage in the opening round (PHX holds tiebreaker over NY) and is two wins away from matching the franchise record for wins in a season (29 in 2014) with two games to play. Prior to this season, Phoenix has won 23 or more games three times in a season – they won the Finals all three times.
5. New York Liberty (25-17)
Last Week: 5 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. vs. WAS, Thur. at CHI
The Liberty will open their title defense on the road as they are locked into the 5-seed – New York does not have tiebreaker over only team they can catch (1-3 vs. Phoenix), but does hold the tiebreaker over the only team that can match them (3-1 vs. Golden State). But a key question entering their championship defense is health. Breanna Stewart has averaged a team-high 17.6 ppg, 6.4 reb and 1.4 bpg in five games since returning from a knee injury. However, Sabrina Ionescu has missed the past four games (toe) and Nyara Sabally has not played since mid-July (knee). 
6. Golden State Valkyries (23-19)
Last Week: 6 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. at SEA, Thur. at MIN
The Valkyries made history with Thursday’s win over Dallas, becoming the first expansion team to clinch a playoff berth in their inaugural season. Although a loss to the Lynx on Saturday snapped a five-game win streak, Golden State is guaranteed a winning record in its debut season – setting a foundation to build upon in the years to come as well as the present in the Valkyries’s first postseason.
7. Indiana Fever (23-20)
Last Week: 8 ⬆️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. vs. MIN
On Thursday, Caitlin Clark announced that she would miss the remainder of the season after being limited to 13 games in her sophomore season. However, three days later, the Fever defeated the Mystics to clinch a playoff berth for the second straight year following a seven-season playoff drought. Indiana has overcome multiple injuries – particularly in their backcourt –to not only stay in the playoff hunt, but lock up a top-seven finish.
<hr />
👀 In The Hunt: Two Teams Competing For One Spot
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-203368" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-87.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-87.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-87-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-87-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
8. Seattle Storm (22-21)
Last Week: 7 ⬇️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. vs. GSV
The Storm have a magic number of one with one game remaining in the regular season, meaning one Storm win or one Sparks loss will clinch a playoff berth for Seattle. With a veteran-laden roster led by Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, this team has been built to make a playoff run now, but may need to do so from the 8-seed. At the All-Star break, the Storm (14-9) were in fourth place, but an 8-12 run post All-Star has dropped them into a battle for the final playoff spot.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (20-22)
Last Week: 9 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. at PHX, Thur. vs. LVA
L.A. must win its final two games (at Phoenix, vs. red-hot Vegas) and have Seattle lose its regular-season finale (vs. Golden State) in order to secure the final playoff spot. While the Sparks may fall short of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2020, they have already made a 12-win improvement over last season when they won a franchise-low eight games. That’s the season’s second-highest wins leap behind only Atlanta’s 13-win jump from 2024 to 2025.
<hr />
🚫 Who’s Out: Eliminated From Playoffs
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-203369" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-88.png" alt="" width="2000" height="1125" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-88.png 2000w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-88-1024x576.png 1024w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/Thumbnail-88-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />
10. Washington Mystics (16-27)
Last Week: 10 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. at NYL
After an offseason of change – Elena Delle Donne retired, Ariel Atkins traded, new head coach and general manager and three top-six picks in the 2025 Draft – the Mystics exceeded projections early in the season, entering the All-Star break in seventh place at .500 (11-11) – sending Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen to Indy as the league’s first All-Star rookie teammates since 1999. However, after trading leading scorer Brittney Sykes to Seattle at the deadline for more future assets, the Mystics have gone 5-16 since the break to fall out of the playoff picture.
11. Connecticut Sun (11-31)
Last Week: 11 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Mon. at ATL, Wed. vs. ATL
The Sun knocked on the championship door for eight straight seasons from 2017-2024 – racking up a league-high 181 regular-season wins during that span, but never breaking through to win the franchise’s first championship. The core of that team was broken up in the offseason as the Sun began a rebuild. With a new-look roster featuring five rookies, the Sun struggled early, entering the All-Star break at 3-19. However, they have gone 8-12 since the break thanks to key contributions from veterans Marina Mabrey and Tina Charles and the development of their young talent.
12. Chicago Sky (10-32)
Last Week: 12 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Tue. at LVA, Thur. vs. NYL
The Sky will cap off a challenging season with a challenging final two games, facing two teams that won the past three WNBA titles – Las Vegas (2022 &amp; 2023 champs) and New York (2024 champs) to conclude the 2025 campaign. Chicago struggled with consistency (they won consecutive games only two times all year) and offensive production (currently last at 75.9 points per game). Key injuries to Courtney Vandersloot (torn ACL after seven games) and Angel Reese (Sky went 1-9 in her 10 games missed with a back injury) played a key role as Chicago has its fewest wins since its inaugural season in 2006.
13. Dallas Wings (9-34)
Last Week: 13 ↔️
Remaining Schedule: Thur. vs. PHX
The Wings close out their season on Thursday against the Mercury looking to snap a 10-game losing streak and earn their 10th win of the season. Dallas’ season has featured a mix of highs and lows. No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers has shined, ranked in the top eight in the league in scoring (5th, 19.1), assists (8th, 5.3), steals (5th, 1.6) and minutes (4th, 33.4). However, the team struggled on defense (last in points allowed at 88.3 per game) and through injuries (only three players have appeared in 30+ games). Outside of a seven-game stretch from June 17-July 3 when the Wings went 5-2 with wins over three playoff teams, Dallas has gone 4-32 while enduring five losing streaks of 4+ games.

2025-wnba-power-rankings-week-14

2025 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 14

The playoff picture is beginning to come into focus. In the past week, the Lynx clinched the best record in the league, while the Aces, Dream and Mercury all punched their tickets to the playoffs.
That means we have four teams in, we have four teams out and four spots left with five teams still in the mix.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s In: Lynx (clinched No. 1 seed), Aces, Dream, Mercury</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s Out: Mystics, Sun, Sky, Wings</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Who’s In The Mix: Liberty, Storm, Valkyries, Fever, Sparks</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Who’s In: Clinched Playoff Berth</h2>
<h3>1. Minnesota Lynx (31-8) ↔️</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-202817" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2232324175-1.jpg" alt="Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx handles the ball" width="960" height="640" />
Last Week: 1 
This Week: Mon vs. DAL, Thur. at LVA, Sat. at GSV
Minnesota’s win over Connecticut on Saturday not only clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, it also set a Lynx franchise record for wins in a season (31), surpassing the mark they set last year (30) with five games to play. One of those remaining games is a marquee matchup with the red-hot Aces on Thursday. While the game won’t affect Minnesota’s playoff position, it can impact both the scoring title and MVP races between Napheesa Collier (23.41 ppg) and A’ja Wilson (23.36) – who enter the week in a dead heat in scoring average while Minnesota leads the season series 3-0.
&nbsp;
<h3>2. Las Vegas Aces (26-14) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 2
This Week: Thur. vs. MIN, Sun. vs. CHI
Tiebreakers (Top 4 Race): 3-0 vs. ATL, 3-1 vs. PHX, 1-2 vs. NYL
It was another perfect week for the Aces with road wins at Chicago and Atlanta to extend their win streak to a franchise-record-tying 12 games. Wilson continues to dominate both ends of the court – averaging 26.8 points, on 50.4% FG, 45% 3P, 87.9% FT shooting splits, along with 12.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals. Las Vegas will look to set a new mark in Thursday’s showdown with Minnesota.
&nbsp;
<h3>3. Atlanta Dream (25-14) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 3 
This Week: Mon at CON, Wed. vs. LAS, Fri. vs. LAS
Tiebreakers (Top 4 Race): 3-0 vs. PHX, 2-2 vs. NYL, 0-3 vs. LVA
At 12-5, the Dream have been the second best team since the All-Star break. However, three of those five losses have come to the Aces, who have passed the Dream in the standings and own the head-to-head tiebreaker should it be needed at season’s end. Atlanta enters the week tied with Phoenix at 25-14, but holds the No. 3 spot in the standings after sweeping the season series with the Mercury (3-0).
&nbsp;
<h3>4. Phoenix Mercury (25-14)</h3>
Last Week: 4 ↔️
This Week: Tue. vs. IND, Thur. at WAS, Sat. at CON
Tiebreakers Top 4 Race: 3-1 vs. NYL, 1-3 vs. LVA, 0-3 vs. ATL
The Mercury are riding a four-game win streak as they look to secure a top-four finish and home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Phoenix enters this week tied with Las Vegas and Atlanta in the loss column (14) but does not hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over either team, making a climb to No. 2 or No. 3 more challenging. However, Phoenix does hold a two-loss edge and the tiebreaker over No. 5 New York as the Mercury try to hold off the defending champs.
<hr />
<h2>Who’s In The Mix: Race For Playoffs</h2>
<h3>5. New York Liberty (24-16) ↔️</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-202818" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2232368398.jpg" alt="Jonquel Jones #35 of the New York Liberty looks on during the game against the Phoenix Mercury" width="960" height="640" />
Last Week: 5 
This Week: Tue. at GSV, Fri. at SEA
Tiebreakers (Top 4 Race): 2-1 vs. LVA, 2-2 vs. ATL, 1-3 vs. PHX
Tiebreakers (Playoff Race): 3-0 vs. GSV (1 left), 3-1 vs. IND, 2-1 vs. LAS,  0-2 vs. SEA (1 left)
The Liberty enter this week in a unique position – they are the only team that is still in contention for a top-four finish while not having clinched a playoff berth. New York enters this week with a magic number of one, meaning they need one win (first chance is Tuesday at Golden State) or one Sparks loss (first chance is Monday at Seattle) to punch their fifth straight postseason ticket. After getting Natasha Cloud back on Saturday, New York hopes to get back to full health with Sabrina Ionescu (toe) and Nyara Sabally (knee) soon.
&nbsp;
<h3>6. Golden State Valkyries (21-18) ⬆️</h3>
Last Week: 7
This Week: Tue. vs. NYL, Thur. vs. DAL, Sat. vs. MIN
Tiebreakers (Playoff Race): 3-0 vs. IND, 3-1 vs. LAS, 2-1 vs. SEA (1 left), 0-3 vs. NYL (1 left) 
A three-game win streak has helped Golden State’s effort to become the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, but there is still work to be done. Four of the Valkyries’ final five games come against teams that have either clinched a playoff berth (two games vs. Minnesota) or remain in the playoff mix (New York and Seattle). Can Veronica Burton continue dishing dimes &#8212; she has 13+ assists in three of her last five games &#8212; and help Golden State make history?
&nbsp;
<h3>7. Seattle Storm (22-19) ⬇️</h3>
Last Week: 6
This Week: Mon. vs. LAS, Fri. vs. NYL
Tiebreakers (Playoff Race): 2-0 vs. NYL (1 left), 1-2 vs. GSV (1 left), 1-2 vs. LAS (1 left), 0-3 vs. IND
On Thursday in Minnesota, the Storm overcame a 21-point deficit to rally past the league-leading Lynx for a statement road win after Seattle entered the game 0-10 on the season when trailing by 16+ points. That was one of the Storm’s five wins over their last six games as they look to close the season strong and secure their playoff berth. Tonight’s game against Los Angeles is big as a loss would drop Seattle to 20 losses (even with L.A.) and give the Sparks the head-to-head tiebreaker.
&nbsp;
<h3>8. Indiana Fever (21-19) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 8
This Week: Tue. at PHX, Fri. vs. CHI, Sun. at WAS
Tiebreakers (Playoff Race): 3-0 vs. SEA, 1-3 vs. NYL, 1-3 vs. LAS, 0-3 vs. GSV
After opening the week with wins over Seattle and Los Angeles to climb to sixth place in the standings, the Fever lost Sunday’s game against Golden State to drop back down to eighth. While the Fever hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle, they do not have tiebreakers against the Liberty, Sparks or Valkyries, which are the three teams closest to Indy in the playoff race. This week, the Fever head to Phoenix to face the playoff-bound Mercury before a pair of games against teams that have already been eliminated.
&nbsp;
<h3>9. Los Angeles Sparks (18-20) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 9
This Week: Mon. at SEA, Wed. at ATL, Fri. at ATL, Sun. vs. DAL
Tiebreakers (Playoff Race): 3-1 vs. IND, 2-1 vs. SEA (1 left), 1-2 vs. NYL, 1-3 vs. GSV
No team has a busier remaining schedule than the Sparks – who have played in a league-low 38 games and have six games over the season’s final 11 days, including four this week – as L.A. looks to snap a four-year playoff drought. Monday night&#8217;s game at Seattle is crucial as a win will prevent L.A. from dropping further from the pack in the loss column, while tying the season series with the Storm. It is the first of four remaining road games for the Sparks, who have been better away (10-8) than at home (8-12) this season.
<hr />
<h2>Who’s Out: Eliminated From Playoffs</h2>
<h3>10. Washington Mystics (16-25) ↔️</h3>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-202819" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2232431372.jpg" alt="Sonia Citron #22 of the Washington Mystics dribbles the ball against the Seattle Storm" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2232431372.jpg 4570w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/09/GettyImages-2232431372-1024x683.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" />
Last Week: 10
This Week: Thur. vs. PHX, Sun. vs. IND
Saturday&#8217;s loss at Golden State not only marked Washington&#8217;s largest margin of defeat (-37) since 2008, it also officially eliminated the Mystics from the playoffs. Sunday’s loss in L.A. made it seven straight for the Mystics, who will finish 10th in the standings regardless of the outcome of all remaining games – they can’t catch any team in the top nine and can’t be caught by any of the teams below them.
&nbsp;
<h3>11. Connecticut Sun (10-29) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 11
This Week: Mon. vs. ATL, Wed. at CHI, Sat. vs. PHX
Despite Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, the Sun have played their best ball of the season down the stretch – going 5-3 in their last eight games. During this stretch, veterans Tina Charles (17.3 ppg) and Marina Mabrey (15.1 ppg) have led the way, but they are followed in scoring by a trio of rookies &#8212; Leïla Lacan (11.6 ppg, 5.8 apg, 2.6 spg), Saniya Rivers (10.0 ppg, 44.8% 3P) and Aneesah Morrow (8.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
&nbsp;
<h3>12. Chicago Sky (9-30) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 12
This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. at IND, Sun. at LVA
Monday’s game against Las Vegas saw the Sky retire Candace Parker’s No. 3 jersey during a halftime ceremony. That game also saw Angel Reese pass Tina Charles (45) for the most double-doubles through a player’s first two seasons in WNBA history. With two more double-doubles last week, Reese is up to 48 and counting. The Sky enter this week looking to snap a four game slide as Chicago has gone just 2-17 in its last 19 games.
&nbsp;
<h3>13, Dallas Wings (9-31) ↔️</h3>
Last Week: 13
This Week: Mon. at MIN, Thur. at GSV, Sun. at LAS
The injuries and the losses continue to climb for Dallas, which has eight players listed on its injury report entering Monday’s game in Minnesota. That includes rookie sensation Paige Bueckers (left calf), who is on pace to finish in the top 10 in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (5.4 apg) and steals (1.6) in her first season as a pro. The Wings have dropped seven straight and are 3-18 over their last 21 games.

2025-power-rankings-week-13

2025 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 13

The stage is set for a thrilling finish to the 2025 regular season with playoff spots and positioning on the line in just about every single game over the final two-plus weeks.
For this week’s rankings, we’re breaking down the field into four groups – each one representing a different race for the teams included. 
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Group 1: Race to clinch No. 1 overall seed
The smallest of these groups belongs solely to the Lynx, who have a magic number of two (Lynx wins or Dream losses) to clinch the No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. How important is home-court? The Lynx are 18-1 at Target Center this season.
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1. Minnesota Lynx (30-7)
Last Week: 1 ↔️
This Week: Thur. vs. SEA, Sat. at CON
The Lynx opened the week with their first consecutive losses of the season – falling at New York and Atlanta – before bouncing back by sweeping a home-and-home with Indiana. Sunday’s game marked the return of Napheesa Collier, who dropped 32 points in her first game after missing three weeks with an ankle injury. Minnesota went 5-2 without the league’s leading scorer and MVP candidate.
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Group 2: Race for home-court advantage in First Round
Next up, we have four teams – the Aces, Dream, Mercury and Liberty – separated by just two games and all seeking a top-four finish in order to secure home-court in the opening round of the playoffs.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-202341" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
2. Las Vegas Aces (24-14)
Last Week: 3 ⬆️
This Week: Mon. at CHI, Wed. at ATL
No team in the league is hotter than the Aces, who won their 10th straight game on Saturday – marking the longest win streak of the Vegas era and the second longest in franchise history (12 by the 2012 Silver Stars). The eighth win of this streak came against the Dream as the Aces rallied back from 10 down in the fourth quarter to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker (lead season series 2-0 with one game to play). Vegas also holds the tiebreaker over Phoenix, but not New York.
3. Atlanta Dream (24-13)
Last Week: 2 ⬇️
This Week: Wed. vs. LVA, Fri. vs. DAL
With only 13 losses on the season – second only to Minnesota – the Dream control their own destiny down the stretch. If they win out, they’ll be the No. 2 seed (assuming Minnesota doesn’t collapse). Atlanta has won nine of its last 11 games with its only loss this week coming at the hands of red-hot Las Vegas. The Dream will look to avenge that loss on Wednesday when they host the Aces in their final meeting of the regular season. While Atlanta does not have the tiebreaker with Vegas, they do hold it over Phoenix and split its season series with New York.
4. Phoenix Mercury (22-14)
Last Week: 5 ⬆️
This Week: Tue. at LAS, Thur. vs. CHI, Sat. vs. NYL
This month, Phoenix has gone 0-4 against Las Vegas and Atlanta, but 6-0 against all other teams. However, dropping two games apiece to the Aces and Dream means that the Mercury lost the head-to-head tiebreakers with both teams, which could hurt them if the race remains this tight down the stretch. Phoenix leads its season series with New York (2-1) and can clinch that tiebreaker in their final meeting on Saturday.
5. New York Liberty (22-15)
Last Week: 4 ⬇️
This Week: Mon. vs. CON, Thur. vs. WAS, Sat. at PHX
The Liberty are 2-5 in their last seven games and 5-9 since losing Breanna Stewart to a bone bruise in her knee on July 26 (I’m including that game in the record since Stewart only played three minutes). Stewart isn&#8217;t the only player the Liberty are missing. Nyara Sabally (knee) remains out for likely another week, while Sabrina Ionescu (foot), Natasha Cloud (nose) and Isabelle Harrison (concussion) are all listed as questionable for Monday&#8217;s game against the suddenly-scorching Sun. Saturday’s game at Phoenix is one to watch as NY can clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win, giving the Liberty two tiebreakers (also over Vegas) in this group.
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Group 3: Race for final three playoff spots
Next up, we have five teams still in the mix for the final three playoff berths, including four teams – the Storm, Valkyries, Fever and Sparks – all with exactly 18 losses entering this week. The Mystics are still alive, but sit four losses behind this group’s lead pack.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-202342" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75-2048x1152.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
6. Seattle Storm (20-18)
Last Week: 9 ⬆️
This Week: Tue. at IND, Thur. at MIN, Sat. vs. CHI
Nneka Ogwumike came through in the clutch on Sunday, knocking down a15-foot fadeaway at the buzzer to seal Seattle’s third straight win and fourth in the last five games as the Storm have bounced back from a six-game losing streak to open August. Can the Storm keep rolling with three teams right on their heels? They’ll have to since Seattle will not hold any head-to-head tiebreakers over this field – Seattle lost its season series with Indiana and must beat Golden State and L.A. in order to even those two series.
7. Golden State Valkyries (19-18)
Last Week: 6 ⬇️
This Week: Sat. vs. WAS, Sun vs. IND
There have only been eight games in WNBA history with a player racking up 24+ points and 13+ assists – Veronica Burton has two of those games in Golden State’s last three outings. Sunday’s win at Dallas snapped a three-game slide for the Valkyries, who remain in the hunt to become the first WNBA expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Golden State has tiebreakers on its side, locking up the head-to-head edge over Indiana and Los Angeles and leading Seattle (2-1) with one game to play.
8. Indiana Fever (19-18)
Last Week: 7 ⬇️
This Week: Tue. vs. SEA, Fri. at LAS, Sun. at GSV
This is an important week for the Fever as they face each of the other three teams that open the season’s penultimate week with 18 losses – hosting Seattle on Tuesday before a California road trip to face the Sparks on Friday and Valkyries on Sunday. The Fever enter this crucial point of the schedule having gone just 2-6 in their last eight games following a season-best five-game win streak. As injuries continue to ravage the team – Sophie Cunningham is the latest to be lost for the season – can the Fever fight their way to a top-eight finish? When it comes to tiebreakers, Indy holds it over Seattle, but lost its season series to both L.A. and Golden State.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (17-18)
Last Week: 8 ⬇️
This Week: Tue. vs. PHX, Fri. vs. IND, Sun. vs. WAS
From July 13-Aug. 7, the Sparks went on a run of eight wins over a nine-game span, with win streaks of five and three games. Since then, they have not been able to string together back-to-back wins as they have alternated wins and losses over each of their past six games. In such a tight playoff race, a timely win streak can make all the difference. Coming off a Kelsey Plum game-winner in their only game last week, can the Sparks make it two straight when they host the Mercury on Tuesday? In terms of tiebreakers, the Sparks hold it over the Fever and lead the Storm (2-1 with one game to play), but lost to the Valkyries.
10. Washington Mystics (16-22)
Last Week: 10 ↔️
This Week: Thur. at NYL, Sat. at GSV, Sun. at LAS
Results: L vs. CON 80-69, L at CON 67-56, L vs. LVA 91-81, L vs. SEA 84-82
Notes: lost 4 straight, in danger of playoff elimination
Just like a timely win streak can boost a team during a tight playoff race, an untimely losing streak can be a damaging blow to a team’s playoff hopes. Case in point – the Mystics – who have dropped four straight games to fall four losses behind the pack in the race for the final three playoff spots. Washington has no margin for error down the stretch, including a pair of must-win road games this week at Golden State and Los Angeles.
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Group 4: Officially out of playoff contention
Three teams – the Sun, Sky and Wings – have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with two weeks to play. With each roster featuring young talent, these final games can be useful tools for player development that can carry over to next season.
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11. Connecticut Sun (9-27)
Last Week: 13 ⬆️
This Week: Mon. at NYL, Wed. at DAL, Sat. vs. MIN
Results: W at WAS 80-69, W vs. WAS 67-56, W at CHI 94-84
Notes: won 3 straight, 1st win streak of season, 6-8 since ASG
The Sun enter this week riding their first win streak of the season – having strung together three straight victories over the Mystics (twice) and Sky. Leading the way during the streak has been Tina Charles (19.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Saniya Rivers (12.3 ppg, 1.7 spg) and Marina Mabrey (12.0 ppg, 5.0 apg). Overall, the Sun are 6-8 since All-Star compared to 3-19 prior to the break.
12. Chicago Sky (9-27)
Last Week: 12 ↔️
This Week: Mon vs. LVA, Thur. at PHX, Sat. at SEA
A pair of 20/10 games from Kamila Cardoso (22 pts, career-high 16 reb) and Angel Reese (21 pts, 10 reb) helped the Sky top the Liberty in Brooklyn to snap a five-game losing streak. The Sky open the week hosting the red-hot Aces in the first of three matchups over a 15-day span.
13. Dallas Wings (9-29)
Last Week: 11 ⬇️
This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. at ATL
The Wings have dropped five straight and 10 of their last 11 games to fall to the bottom of the standings this week. Wednesday&#8217;s loss to the Sparks saw Kelsey Plum hit a game-winner to spoil Paige Bueckers’ brilliant 44-point effort – the most points scored in any WNBA game this season and the most ever scored by a rookie in league history. Things don’t get any easier as Dallas faces one of the most difficult remaining schedules, with five of their final six games coming against teams in the playoff hunt. The other? Wednesday against the suddenly-hot Connecticut Sun.

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2025 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 12

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