I know writing about basketball for a living isn't saving lives or anything, but these Power Rankings are one of the hardest things to do. It's SO close in the WNBA right now. Especially at the top. With that in mind, let's rank some teams!
1. Minnesota Lynx (30-7) X
Maybe the easiest decision to make in this whole ranking is the Minnesota Lynx at No. 1. Not only are they leading the league, and have been for months, they also are six games ahead of the Atlanta Dream at No. 2 in the standings. They clinched their playoff spot last week, and now have Napheesa Collier back at the perfect time to begin prepping for the playoffs. They've only lost once at home all season long, and continue to dominate.
2. Las Vegas Aces (25-14) X
If you would have told me two months ago that the Las Vegas Aces would be the second team league-wide to clinch a playoff berth this season ... I would have laughed at you! This team has always been inevitable, but their recent 11-game winning streak has just proven that inevitability. While they still hang in the third spot in the official league standings, if they keep this up, they could overtake Atlanta at No. 2. Not sure there is a path to the No. 1 seed with eight games left for the Aces, but going from No. 8 (where they are dipped to earlier in the season) to No. 2 would be impressive.
3. Atlanta Dream (24-13)
The only reason Atlanta gets bumped down to No. 3 overall is because of how good the Aces have been recently. The Dream themselves are on a 8-2 run in their last 10 games, and are extremely close to securing their own playoff berth. Yet, with how close everything is in these standings, they are just barely holding onto that second seed. Every game is imperitive to playoff positioning right now, and the Dream need to make sure they do not make any careless mistakes that would lead them to lose a game. They've been solid all season long.
4. Phoenix Mercury (22-14)
These 4-5 rankings are razor thin, in case you are questioning my ranking decisions. Yet, Phoenix has a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, and one less loss overall than New York. Most important, Alyssa Thomas is playing at an outrageous level these days. She scored 13 points, 12 rebounds, 16 assists and 2 blocks against the Golden State Valkyries in her last game, shooting 55.6 percent from the field. She is averaging a near-triple double with 16 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game this season. She has five triple doubles in the last month, which is more than any other player has had in their career.
5. New York Liberty (23-15)
The Liberty have struggled with injury this month, with Breanna Stewart's knee injury, Sabrina Ionescu's ankle, Isabelle Harrison's concussion, Nyara Sabally's knee, and Natasha Cloud's nose. Luckily, they got Stewart back after a month when she played 20 minutes in Monday night's game against the Connecticut Sun, scoring 19 points. They've gone 5-5 in their last 10, and dropped from second place in the official standings to fifth. Yet, they only sit 1.5 games behind Atlanta, who are currently No. 2. They could very well shoot back up before the season is over.
6. Seattle Storm (20-18)
From here, we separate from the "top-4" race, to the second tier in the rankings. After a rough losing skid, the Storm have recovered and have won their last three games. Despite still being 4-6 in their last 10 and three games behind New York in the No. 5 spot, they have made up ground from being on the edge of extinction. It's still a close race for these last three playoff spots, though, with both Golden State and Indiana on their heels. What Seattle has that those other two teams don't necessarily have is veteran experience. The Storm have mentioned time and time again that they lean on the calm of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins to help them through these situations.
7. Golden State Valkyries (19-18)
The little Valkyries that could are still holding out strong in their first season, hoping for that historic playoff berth. They have a lot of positives on their side, including the favorite for Coach of the Year in Natalie Nakase, as well as the Most Improved Player favorite in Veronica Burton. They consistently give every team (no matter their strength) a run for their money and have smashed everyone's expectations this season. They've kept their ranking all season by being incredibly consistent in their effort.
8. Los Angeles Sparks (17-18)
The Sparks are currently outside of a playoff spot, but they are knocking on the door. Just one game behind both Indiana and Golden State, the Sparks are hoping to edge one of them out for the final playoff spot. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games, showing a ton of resilience and leaning on their leader, Kelsey Plum. Plum has scored 20+ points in her last five appearances for the Sparks. With Indiana suffering the effects of injuries, the Sparks have placed themselves in a position to make this playoff push, they just need to execute through the final weeks.
9. Indiana Fever (19-18)
The Indiana Fever has likely had the worst injury luck in the entire league this season. It started with Caitlin Clark, who was in and out of the lineup through May, June and July, playing just 13 games total. When the second groin strain happened on July 15, she was ruled out indefinitely while she healed. On Aug. 7, she suffered a bone bruise on her ankle. There is still no timeline for her return, but she was seen going through minor, no-contact drills with her team this week. The Fever have also lost Syd Colson (ACL tear), Aari McDonald (broken foot), Sophie Cunningham (MCL tear) for the rest of the season, and Chloe Bibby has been out this week with a sore knee. All of this has resulted in them falling from the race for home-court advantage to them fighting for a playoff spot period.
10. Washington Mystics (16-22)
The Mystics have fallen out of the playoff race, but haven't been officially eliminated from contention as of Tuesday. It's likely coming soon. They have lost their last four games and are 3-7 in their last 10 games. It's not all bad, given the bright future for this team. They could be a solid playoff team as early as 2026.
11. Connecticut Sun (9-28) O
The Sun has risen? Okay, so they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but they have actually been playing ... not bad. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and gave New York a run for their money on Monday night, losing by one possession. Trading for Aaliyah Edwards have shown glimpses of their future along with the impressive play of Leila Lacan, Saniya Rivers, and Aneesah Morrow.
12. Chicago Sky (9-28) O
In the contest for who comes last in these rankings, the Sky get No. 12 because they are 2-8 in their last 10. Yet, it's still a little bleak for Sky fans, given the situation around not owning their pick for next year's draft. They did have a great time celebrating the jersey retirement of Candace Parker on Monday night, though.
13. Dallas Wings (9-29) O
The Dallas Wings have lost nine of their last 10 games, and their last five games consecutively. While they have the Rookie of the Year favorite in Paige Bueckers, the rest of their team is either out with injury or seemingly checked out. Maddie Siegrist has given Bueckers a little bit of assistance, but most positives out of Dallas these days are from Bueckers.