Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Atlanta Dream extended their losing streak to five games, struggling with free-throw efficiency and bench production.
- Dallas Wings have won three straight games, moving into fourth place and drawing attention as title contenders.
- Minnesota Lynx aim to reclaim the top spot tonight against the Connecticut Sun, but face the challenge of playing without injured rookie Olivia Miles.
Another week in the WNBA has come and gone. There are about two weeks left until the All-Star break; every team will want to head into that break feeling good about their title chances. Right now, a few teams will need to put in some work to make that happen.
From Atlanta, still struggling to find wins and therefore plummeting in the standings, to the Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries putting the league on notice this week — here's what the current WNBA landscape looks like. Plus, some key takeaways from this week.
WNBA standings as of July 8
TEAM | W-L (PCT) | GAMES BACK | AVG. POINT DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Las Vegas Aces | 15-6 (.714) | -- | +3.6 |
2. Minnesota Lynx | 15-6 (.714) | -- | +9.4 |
3. Golden State Valkyries | 15-7 (.682) | 0.5 | +5.2 |
4. Dallas Wings | 14-8 (.636) | 1.5 | +3.6 |
5. Indiana Fever | 12-8 (.600) | 2.5 | +4.5 |
6. New York Liberty | 13-9 (.591) | 2.5 | +4.0 |
7. Atlanta Dream | 12-9 (.571) | 3 | +3.6 |
8. Washington Mystics | 10-10 (.500) | 4.5 | -3.4 |
9. Toronto Tempo | 9-11 (.450) | 5.5 | -1.7 |
10. Portland Fire | 9-12 (.429) | 6 | -7.0 |
11. Los Angeles Sparks | 8-11 (.421) | 6 | -6.1 |
12. Phoenix Mercury | 8-14 (.364) | 7.5 | -2.1 |
13. Chicago Sky | 7-14 (.333) | 8 | -2.7 |
14. Seattle Storm | 6-17 (.261) | 10 | -4.9 |
15. Connecticut Sun | 5-16 (.238) | 10 | -6.7 |
When will the Atlanta Dream break their losing streak?
No team in the league is itching for a win more than this Atlanta squad. They lost two more games this week, increasing their losing streak to five. The same struggles have continued — free-throw efficiency is down and 3-point shots haven't been falling. There has also been relatively no bench production, leaving these starters tired. The good news is, the Dream have gotten five days off.
Tonight, July 8, the Dream will face off against the Seattle Storm in hopes of breaking that five-game lull. On June 27, the Storm handed the Dream a 105-90 loss. Seattle was on point offensively, with all five starters scoring 10+ points. The Dream's next three games will be played at home — with matchups against Portland and Los Angeles following Seattle. Atlanta is 6-3 at home this season, so I feel confident saying they will take at least one of these games. Even after losing the first game of the series, the Dream are still the overwhelming favorite heading into tonight's matchup against the Storm — but they will have to stick to the game plan. Guarding the perimeter will be a necessity, as Seattle drained 14 3-pointers in the first matchup.
Dallas Wings on a hot streak
This time last week, the Wings were on a two-game losing streak. Since then, they've won three straight, proving they can win in both dominant fashion and close out tight games. Their week kicked off in Connecticut. Dallas found itself down in the fourth quarter before Paige Bueckers scored 11 points, guiding the Wings to an 86-83 victory. The team then traveled to Toronto, where they handed the Tempo an 89-76 loss — all five starters put up double-digit performances, led by Bueckers' 22 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists.
Lastly, came their biggest win of the week. The Wings took on the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Things were kept tight until early in the second quarter when the Wings went on a 19-0 run. The Liberty spent the second half playing catch-up but were never able to retake the lead, leaving the Wings with an 88-77 win. Jessica Shepard recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — her third triple-double of the season. Dallas now sits at fourth in the standings, keeping up with the top contenders in the league. As their success continues, you'll only be hearing their name in those title conversations more.
Minnesota will try to reclaim top spot without rookie star
Minnesota and Las Vegas have been neck and neck in the standings all season, essentially. Both squads have matching 15-6 records, but Las Vegas retook the No. 1 spot this week as the Lynx dropped two games in a row, the second coming against the 15th-ranked Connecticut Sun. This is a game the Lynx were obviously favored in, but Brittney Griner put on a dominant performance, recording 29 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists. The Lynx did their best to keep up, with Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams both putting up 20+ points, but they struggled without the offensive production and distribution that comes with Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Olivia Miles, who sat out due to injury.
Minnesota's first loss of the week came against the New York Liberty. Despite strong performances from McBride, Williams and Miles, their other two starters, Nia Coffey and Natasha Howard combined for only 14 points. The Liberty simply dominated offensively, especially in the paint, with Breanna Stewart recording 36 points.
The Lynx will have the opportunity to reclaim the top spot tonight. They will face the Sun again, with hopes of a different outcome. There is a good chance they will still be without Miles, as she is listed as doubtful. I imagine their top priority will be slowing down Griner and getting more involvement from players not named Williams or McBride. They will face the New York Liberty again on July 11. The main goal is to move both these season series to 1-1, instead of falling to 0-2 — if the latter happens, they'll likely have some catching up to do regarding the Aces and that No. 1 spot.
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