Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Las Vegas Aces reclaimed the No. 2 spot in the WNBA standings after a win over the Portland Fire.
- The Golden State Valkyries and Aces are locked in a tight battle for positioning behind the Minnesota Lynx.
- The Toronto Tempo and Washington Mystics are among teams to watch as the August 2 trade deadline approaches.
WNBA regular season play has come back in full swing after the All-Star break. Yesterday, there were five games on the slate — four of them ended in 10-point deficits or less. If this is any indication of what the rest of the season will look like, we're in for a good one.
The top of the standings is panning out to be a slugfest. The Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries have flip-flopped for the No. 2 spot, while the Minnesota Lynx are still sitting firmly in the top spot — but for how long?
Here are the current WNBA standings as we jump headfirst into the second half of the season. Plus, a few key takeaways.
WNBA standings as of July 29
TEAM | W-L (.PCT) | GAMES BACK | AVG. POINT DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Minnesota Lynx | 23-6 (.793) | --- | +8.6 |
2. Las Vegas Aces | 19-8 (.704) | 3 | +5.1 |
3. Golden State Valkyries | 19-8 (.704) | 3 | +5.5 |
4. Dallas Wings | 18-9 (.667) | 4 | +4.0 |
5. Indiana Fever | 18-10 (.643) | 4.5 | +6.0 |
6. Atlanta Dream | 16-10 (.615) | 5.5 | +4.0 |
7. New York Liberty | 16-12 (.571) | 6.5 | +2.4 |
8. Washington Mystics | 15-12 (.556) | 7 | -1.9 |
9. Portland Fire | 11-17 (.393) | 11.5 | -5.6 |
10. Toronto Tempo | 10-17 (.370) | 12 | -4.5 |
11. Los Angeles Sparks | 10-17 (.370) | 12 | -5.1 |
12. Phoenix Mercury | 10-18 (.357) | 12.5 | -3.5 |
13. Chicago Sky | 9-18 (.333) | 13 | -2.2 |
14. Connecticut Sun | 7-21 (.250) | 15.5 | -7.2 |
15. Seattle Storm | 6-24 (.200) | 17.5 | -5.3 |
Which teams could benefit from potential trades?
Trade rumors have been swirling. With the August 2 trade deadline, could we see some of them come to fruition? The Athletic's Annie Costabile reported on multiple players being discussed as potential trade targets, including the Sparks' Kelsey Plum and the Liberty's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. There have been a couple of rumors swirling surrounding Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun. A team that immediately comes to mind is the Toronto Tempo, who have been desperate for some more pressure in the frontcourt.
With Los Angeles firmly on the outside looking in on the playoffs, a trade could definitely benefit them. There are a couple of other players that could be included in a deal, like Ariel Atkins. Even if they aren't looking for immediate success, they could get some major draft capital through a trade including Plum.
Big jump to get into the playoff picture
As you can see, the jump between spots eight and nine in the standings is fairly far apart. The Portland Fire are currently four-and-a-half games behind the Washington Mystics. Right now, the Mystics should feel pretty good with this gap. They are heating up at the perfect time. If they can keep it up, they should be in a great position to avoid fighting for that final spot.
On the other hand, there are a couple of teams that could make a midseason push to close that gap between eighth and ninth. If the Tempo get their injured players back, like Brittney Sykes, Nyara Sabally and Isabelle Harrison, sooner rather than later, they could attempt to make that push. But I have a feeling it needs to happen quickly.
Can Atlanta rally back into top five?
To put it lightly, the Dream's season recently slowed to a crawl. Before this most recent streak, they had gone 1-6 over a seven-game stretch. This caused them to drop pretty low in the standings after starting the season as a favorite to win it all. But before the All-Star break, things started to heat back up in Atlanta.
They are currently on a three-game winning streak. They've gotten themselves back into spot No. 6 in the standings — but I have a feeling they won't be happy until they're at least back in the top five. Tonight would be a great step in the right direction. Atlanta will face off against the Dallas Wings. They are currently leading the season series 2-0. Getting the sweep over a promising squad with Paige Bueckers at the helm could be exactly what this Dream squad needs.
Aces and Valkyries fight for positioning
While the battle for the playoff picture isn't very exciting right now, the seeding of the top four or five teams could get hot quickly. The Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries are currently going back and forth for that No. 2 spot. With them currently tied record-wise, it will be up to who can finish the season stronger.
The Valks' nine-game winning streak had ended right before the break. Tonight, they have the chance to bounce back against the Phoenix Mercury — a game in which they are the overwhelming favorites. The Aces went into the break losing two of their final three. Last night, with a win over the Portland Fire, they claimed the No. 2 spot. Their upcoming stretch might be a little tougher than Golden State's. Vegas will face New York, Atlanta, Indiana and Minnesota all in the next week-and-a-half. This will undoubtedly be a battle to watch as the season reaches crunch time.
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