Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Minnesota Lynx reclaimed first place in the WNBA standings after a decisive win over the Las Vegas Aces this week.
- Dallas Wings delivered a stunning 96-66 victory against the Aces, raising serious questions about their contender status this season.
- Kelsey Plum’s career-high 45 points highlighted a week of explosive scoring that is tightening the WNBA MVP race significantly.
WNBA Commissioner's Cup play is coming to a close with a Wednesday night full of hoops. The league has six games on the schedule for tonight, which will surely lead to some switch-ups in the standings.
Since last week's update, the top spot was stolen from the Minnesota Lynx, only to be earned back the very next night. The mid-tier is still changing with each game, setting us up for an intense playoff positioning battle in the future. Here's where each team stands right now and some key takeaways from this week.
WNBA Standings as of June 17
TEAM | W-L + PCT | GAMES BACK | AVG POINT DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Minnesota Lynx | 11-3 (.786) | --- | +13.2 |
2. Las Vegas Aces | 10-4 (.714) | 1 | +2.9 |
3. New York Liberty | 10-4 (.714) | 1 | +7.0 |
4. Atlanta Dream | 9-4 (.692) | 1.5 | +6.4 |
5. Dallas Wings | 9-5 (.643) | 2 | +6.0 |
6. Golden State Valkyries | 9-5 (.643) | 2 | +6.3 |
7. Indiana Fever | 9-5 (.643) | 2 | +4.9 |
8. Los Angeles Sparks | 7-7 (.500) | 4 | -2.3 |
9. Toronto Tempo | 7-8 (.467) | 4.5 | -2.5 |
10. Portland Fire | 7-9 (.438) | 5 | -6.5 |
11. Washington Mystics | 5-7 (.417) | 5 | -5.3 |
12. Chicago Sky | 4-9 (.308) | 6.5 | -5.6 |
13. Phoenix Mercury | 4-11 (.267) | 7.5 | -4.6 |
14. Seattle Storm | 3-12 (.200) | 8.5 | -6.7 |
15. Connecticut Sun | 2-13 (.133) | 9.5 | -11.2 |
Battle for first place
Las Vegas vs. Minnesota was one of the most anticipated battles this past week and it sure did live up to the hype. The Aces got off to a hot start, closing out the first half with a 57-51 lead. The Lynx spent the second half working their way back. Olivia Miles' 12 fourth-quarter points allowed the Lynx to get within three — but the Aces were poised enough to close things out. With the 100-97 win, Las Vegas boosted itself to the top of the standings.
Although it didn't last long. On Monday night, the Aces traveled to Dallas while the Lynx hosted Portland. Things quickly got out of hand against the Wings. Chelsea Gray was held to 0 points, while Dallas had five players score in double figures. The Aces were handed a 96-66 loss. Las Vegas will have one more chance in the regular season to prove that the Wings aren't their kryptonite. They host Dallas on June 25.
Minnesota bounced right back against Portland after its loss to the Aces. Seven Lynx players scored in double figures, handing the Fire a 107-74 loss. With their win and the Aces' loss, the Lynx moved right back into first place. Based on this week alone, I suspect this back-and-forth positioning battle will continue all season long.
Dallas Wings: Pretenders or Contenders?
Speaking of the Wings, they've now defeated the Aces twice this season. Are they just Las Vegas' Achilles' heel, or is something real brewing in Dallas? I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Wings are real contenders. This week, in their victory over the Aces, we saw one of their most dominant, full-team performances.
In their earlier loss to Portland this week, Paige Bueckers sat out due to an ankle injury. Even without their star, others stepped up. A loss is a loss, but the Wings were able to fight back to make it a 1-point game. In Bueckers' return, against Vegas, she put up 10 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Although the biggest difference makers were Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard. Ogunbowale recorded 22 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Shepard had another near triple-double, putting up 15 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists. Azzi Fudd also had a great night, recording 19 points and shooting 8-of-9 from the floor.
When the Wings starters are firing on all cylinders, they seem unstoppable. I don't think this success is exclusive to games against Las Vegas, either. We've seen it against New York, Los Angeles and Phoenix in recent weeks. It's becoming more consistent.
As the season progresses, they'll only get more respect in the top contenders conversation. For right now, they're absolutely trending in the right direction. But their biggest test will be how they respond against the Minnesota Lynx on June 28. Minnesota defeated Dallas 100-76 on June 9. A win in their second matchup would be huge for this Wings' squad.
High-scoring performances tighten MVP race
We saw countless 20, 30, even 40+ point performances this week. Stars are willing their teams to victory and keeping them from slipping in the standings. There's no doubt these performances will be at the top of voters' minds when it comes time to name the 2026 WNBA MVP.
Kelsey Plum is a name we could hear more and more as the MVP conversations ramp up. She's second in the league, averaging 25.0 points per game. Plum had a show-stopping game against the Phoenix Mercury. She put up a career-high 45 points, essentially single-handedly willing the Sparks to victory. Plum and the Merc's star, Kahleah Copper, were going bucket-for-bucket, as Copper put up her own career-high 41 points. Both are doing the most to keep their teams alive.
Caitlin Clark has been at the top of some fans' minds for MVP this season. This week, against Chicago, she put up 32 points and 10 assists, helping the Fever to an 114-106 overtime victory. Clark's not the only young player in the debate. Paige Bueckers also had a high-scoring match this week. She put up a season-high 31 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists against the Phoenix Mercury. Even Olivia Miles is beginning to graduate from the Rookie of the Year convo and slip into the MVP category. Against Vegas, she finished the night with a career-high 29 points.
Of course, A'ja Wilson lives at the top of the MVP poll. She had a 32-point performance against the Fire this week. Sometimes we can get used to these types of performances and forget how extraordinary it is to put up stat lines like this nearly every night. But it's also only making this year's MVP race more and more intriguing.
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