WNBA Power Rankings: Minnesota Lynx take the top spot with Commissioner's Cup win

The Commissioner's Cup has been decided and the Minnesota Lynx took home the crown, and the financial prize, with a 94-89 win over the New York Liberty. They're officially the hottest team in the WNBA right now but they aren't the only squad making big leaps up in our latest WNBA Power Rankings.

WNBA Power Rankings: Week 6

The Lynx beat the Aces and Storm to get to the Commissioner's Cup Final and then announced themselves as the best team in the league with a win of the Liberty. They're tied with the Sun for the second-best record in the league but have the best point differential — plus-12.9 points per 100 possesions. They're third in offensive efficiency and first in defensive efficiency with a mark that would be the best in WNBA history, adjusted for era. This team is for real.

The Liberty's loss to the Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Final was disappointing but can be counted as a blip. They're just a hair behind the Lynx for the best point differential in the league and are the only other team in double-digits. By virtue of having played two extra games, they have an edge in the standings and Sabrina Ionescu has been red hot lately. This team isn't going anywhere.

The Sun have slipped a bit after starting the season 13-1, dropping their last two games against the Aces and Storm, both by double-digits. There's no shame in losing a couple of games against other top teams but Alyssa Thomas' numbers have come down a bit and both DiJonai Carrington and DeWanna Bonner have been ice cold from the field. This is a team that needs to get its mojo back.

The Storm are 2-2 in their last four games and still working out sanding down some rough edges. The next step is to start picking up some signature wins — they're 2-5 against the Sun, Aces, Lynx and Liberty, 8-1 against the rest of the WNBA.

The Aces have won both games since Chelsea Gray made her season debut and it's clear that her offensive creation and gravity was a big part of what the Aces were missing to start the season. They have some ground to make up in the standings but their next six games are against opponents who are under 0.500 — a perfect opportunity to build some more positive momentum.

The Fever have absolutely turned the corner. They dropped a tough game to the Sky but they've won six of their last nine games and Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell are putting up big numbers during this current hot streak. If they can tighten things up on the defensive end they could keep climbing the standings before the season is over.

Brittney Griner's return has given the Mercury a big lift but it's coincided with Kahleah Copper's shooting percentages coming back to earth — 40.9 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc over her last four games. They have the top end talent to beat anyone, especially when Copper, Griner and Taurasi are hot on the same night, but depth continues to be a question mark.

The Sky have had some big wins and are on a two-game winning streak but have also struggled with consistency. The good news is that Angel Reese is improving by leaps and bounds — shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 88 percent from the line in her past five games — and Kamilla Cardoso is starting to block shots and cut down on her fouls.

The Dream have been struggling mightily, losing four of their last five and managing a paltry 95.5 points per 100 possessions on offense. Rhyne Howard has gone cold and missed two games but the Dream need more consistency from Allisha Gray, Aerial Powers and the rest of this supporting cast.

The Mystics have been surprisingly hot lately, winning four of their last five and stealing games from the Dream and Sky. Some red-hot shooting from Stefanie Dolson and Karlie Samuelson has helped fuel the run but rookie Aaliyah Edwards is also playing some of her best basketball of the season and looking mucjh more comfortable.

Losing Cameron Brink to a season-ending ACL injury but the Sparks still have had some bright spots in a tough season. Dearica Hamby has continued her strong play and just signed an extension to stay with the Sparks, and rookie Rickea Jackson is continuing to look more and more comfortable at the offensive end.

The Wings are falling apart, 0-6 in the last two weeks and getting outscored by an average of 16.8 points per 100 possessions. Natasha Howard is back and Arike Ogunbowale is still putting up huge scoring numbers. But they're struggling at both ends and this is looking more and more like an unexpectedly lost season.