WNBA Power Rankings 2023: Aces remain on top, Sparks rising
- Aces are still number one
- Los Angeles is rising fast
- The Dream are free falling
By Simon Shortt
With just two weeks remaining in the 2023 WNBA regular season, we give our WNBA power rankings for where the league stands today.
WNBA Power Rankings 2023: Aug. 27
1. Las Vegas Aces
This should come as now surprise. The Aces are at an incredible 30-5 on the season including 16-1 at home. They are dominating in the stat sheet as well with an overall net rating of 15.3 (5.5 points higher than the next best team). Not only are they great in the context of 2023, but they are a historical team - setting the single-season WNBA wins record with still two weeks to go. The Aces will remain atop this list until someone can knock them off in the postsesaon.
2. New York Liberty
The Liberty put up a good fight for the number one spot. At 27-7 for the year they too are having an incredible season. Plus they are 9-1 in their last 10 games. In that same stretch they have a net rating of 17.5, which is more than twice that of the Aces (6.5). Any other year they'd be a clear number one. Perhaps they can change the narrative in a potential championship matchup.
3. Connecticut Sun
After the Aces and Liberty, most teams are hovering aroung .500 in the month of August, including the Sun. But they still remain in third place in the league standings by a wide margin, and are fourth in net rating for the month.
4. Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings have been the epitome of "Steady Eddie" for basically two season in the WNBA. And in 2023 that is bringing them more glory than in 2022. Dallas is fourth in the league's standings and on the year are one of only four teams to have a positive net rating (the other three are above). And while the month of August hasn't been kind to them (4-5 record) they are still the third best offense in the league for the month with a net rating of 107.1.
5. Los Angeles Sparks
The league's hottest team with six straight wins and a 7-3 record in their last 10, the Los Angeles Sparks are racing to the finish line of the regular season. Now at 15-18 and with all the momentum they have a real shot at making the playoffs. This month they are fifth and second in offensive and defensive ratings, respectively. It's been a huge turnaround for a team that went 2-7 in the month of July.
6. Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is doing their best to hang around .500 long enough to see the postseason. They are 5-5 in their last 10 with 17 wins on the season including 11 in their conference (second behind Las Vegas).
7. Washington Mystics
Washington is in a bit of a free fall here in the second half of the season. As a team we knew was playing with fire when it came to depth, losing two starters back in June really hurt. Shakira Austin and Elena Delle Done have played a combined four games this month and it shows. Washington is 3-5 in the month of August and 11th in the league in net rating in that time.
8. Atlanta Dream
The Dream are having a nightmare and in a very similar situation to Washington, just with less injuries. Atlatna is still 16-18 on the seaosn which is good for sixth place in the league, but they are just 3-7 in their last 10. In the month of August they have just two wins and are dead last in net rating with the league's worst offense in that stretch.
9. Chicago Sky
The Sky are having a solid month compared to the rest of the season. They have a -3.8 net rating on the season (eighth) but are at -1.4 in August (sixth). It's not good enough to crawl their way out of a bottom four finish in these rankings however, especially with the third worst defense in the league over that stretch.
10. Indiana Fever
Despite their 10 wins on the season, league-worst defense and just four wins in the coference, the Fever have been playing better of late. In the last five games they are fourth in net rating in the league with the second-best offense. It's not good enough to put them high on this list, but it gets them ahead of this next team.
11. Seattle Storm
We knew it would be a rough year for Seattle. Just 10 wins on the season still and losers of 14 out of 18 home games. This month they are ninth in net rating with the 11th ranked offense in the league.
12. Phoenix Mercury
It's been a bad end to a bad season here for Phoenix of late. 3-7 in their last 10, losers of four in a row, and this teams still just has nine wins. On the year they have the worst net rating and are in the bottom three on both offense and defense.