Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Two weeks into the WNBA season shows clear separation between top contenders and the rest of the league.
- Vegas rebounded from an early loss to win four straight, proving their resilience even in uneven performances.
- Washington's offensive surge has sparked debate about their playoff potential despite lingering defensive concerns.
One week into the WNBA season and things seemed a bit topsy-turvy. Two weeks in, though? The good teams are settling in as the good teams just like we expected. Vegas and New York fell from the top spots in the power rankings last week, but they're right back up there now.
How does the rest of the league shake out after two weeks of play?
WNBA Power Rankings, Week 2
Position | Team | Record | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Las Vegas Aces | 4-1 | 4 |
2 | New York Liberty | 3-1 | 3 |
3 | Atlanta Dream | 2-1 | 2 |
4 | Chicago Sky | 3-1 | 5 |
5 | Phoenix Mercury | 2-2 | 10 |
6 | Golden State Valkyries | 2-1 | 1 |
7 | Indiana Fever | 2-2 | 8 |
8 | Washington Mystics | 2-1 | 9 |
9 | Minnesota Lynx | 2-2 | 7 |
10 | Dallas Wings | 1-2 | 6 |
11 | Toronto Tempo | 2-2 | 14 |
12 | Los Angeles Sparks | 1-3 | 13 |
13 | Portland Fire | 1-2 | 12 |
14 | Seattle Storm | 1-3 | 11 |
15 | Connecticut Sun | 0-4 | 15 |
Vegas shows that first loss was fluke
So, that 30-point loss to the Mercury on ring day? Yeah, that was just a weird game for the Aces, who have won four in a row since and have rocketed back to the top of the power rankings.
On Sunday, Vegas picked up its most important win so far, an 85-84 victory over Atlanta. You might say "IDK, that's a really close win over a team Vegas should beat," and to that I'd say this: that game was huge for Vegas because it showed th team could win an ugly one.
Jackie Young went 0-for-12 from the floor. The Dream attempted 20 more free throws than the Aces. Somehow, Vegas eked out the win on a day where things just weren't going its way. Sure, Atlanta being without Rhyne Howard was the difference, but A'ja Wilson's ability to pick up Young's slack by draining a pair of 3-pointers, paired with Chelsea Gray having a game so good it reminds people why she's viewed by many as the league's top point guard, shows just what this team is capable of doing even when it's not firing on all cylinders. It also helps that Chennedy Carter might wind up being the most consequential free agent signing of the season.
Should we take the Mystics seriously?
Washington is 2-1 on the season, with the lone defeat being an overtime loss to the Liberty. Last time out, the team scored 104 points in an overtime win over the Fever. Considering offense was a big concern coming into the year, should we be thinking of the Mystics as a playoff contender based on the offensive improvement so far?
I'd say ... maybe, though I lean toward the "probably not" side just a bit, largely because this current run has required Sonia Citron to look like an MVP candidate. She's a good player, but anything that requires a second-year player to continue playing like one of the league's five best players is probably asking a bit too much.
But I like what I've seen interms of long-term outlook. Washington could probably find a way to use Lauren Betts more, but fellow rookie Cotie McMahon played well in her debut for the team, and Georgia Amoore looks like a solid option at point guard, especially if the Mystics can keep running out lineups where she doesn't need to be a scoring threat.
With that said, I think you ideally would like one more high-upside wing next offseason before you start to take the Mystics too seriously. Right now, the ceiling is probably sneaking into the eight seed, which is honestly fine considering this team is still early into a rebuild.
Can the Sparks fix this?
I entered this season very high on the Sparks. The way I saw the league, there was a top tier featuring the Liberty and Aces, and a second tier featuring Atlanta, Indiana and Phoenix. Beyond that, a number of teams were fighting for the last three playoff spots, and I thought Los Angeles had a very good shot to be the best of those.
So far, that has not panned out. The Sparks sit at 1-3 on the year and just don't pass the eye test at the moment. At the same time, it's still early — is there a chance that the Sparks turn things around?
Sure, but it won't be simple. The defense is struggling big time, and Cameron Brink is the only player on the Sparks roster with more than one block this season. Not "per game," but more than one total block. Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler have one apiece, and that's it.
So, finding ways to get Brink out there more for rim protection would be nice, but even then, there will be serious concerns because the rest of the roster has been a non-factor defensively. That's something that won't be easy to fix on the fly, and the Sparks are doomed if they can't find a way to be closer to average on that end.
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