2024 WNBA Power Rankings: Liberty, Lynx in a class of their own, but the Fever climb the ranks

The WNBA playoff picture is shaping into form. The Minnesota Lynx look unstoppable, but the New York Liberty continue to have the best record in the WNBA. Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun’s new addition, Marina Mabrey, is fitting right in. The Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm seem to be moving in the wrong direction, while the Indiana Fever are firmly in the playoff mix.

WNBA Power Rankings

These Power Rankings reflect where each WNBA team stands after week 9 of the 2024 season. Teams are ranked 1-12 and are grouped by tiers.

Past Rankings: Preseason, May 23, May 29, June 7, June 14, June 21, June 29

Tier 1 – (Crème de la Crème)

1. Minnesota Lynx (23-8) – The Lynx are looking and playing like the best team in the WNBA. They’re 6-0 since returning from the Olympic break and Napheesa Collier, who was already having an MVP-level season, seems to be playing at another level, which earned her Western Conference Player of the Week honors. Over the first five games after the Olympics, Collier averaged 25.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Two of the Lynx’s six wins came against the Las Vegas Aces. Both were double digit victories and the Lynx looked like the superior team in both matchups. In their Friday meeting, Napheesa Collier outrebounded the entire Aces team 18 to 17. It’s safe to say the Lynx have had the defending champs’ number this year going 3-1 against them this season. After beating the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, the Lynx are tied with the Connecticut Sun for the best defensive rating in the league at 94.2 and are third in offensive rating at 103.3. Their 9.2 net rating is second overall in the WNBA. The only team with a better net rating are the New York Liberty, but the reason the Lynx are ranked ahead of the Liberty in these power rankings is because the teams have played three times so far this season, including the Commissioner’s Cup, and the New York Liberty lost two of those games. The two will face off one more time this regular season on September 15 in a potential WNBA Finals preview, but given the record so far in the head-to-head matchups this season, the Lynx are deserving of the number one spot. The Lynx are also undefeated post-Olympics, while the Liberty have two losses. It’s splitting hairs at this point when comparing the Lynx and Liberty, but the Lynx edge the Liberty for the top spot in these rankings.

2. New York Liberty (26-6) – The New York Liberty have been at the top of the standings since June, but a second loss in their last three games has loosened their foothold on the number one spot. Nonetheless, the Liberty still control their destiny. New York’s consistency while managing absences of key players this season and their ability to gut out wins, even when they’re not playing their best basketball bodes well for another Finals appearance this year. With only eight games left to play in the regular season, if they can hold on to the one-seed, they will have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs if they do make it back to the WNBA Finals. Since returning from the Olympics, the Liberty have gone 5-2, with losses coming at the hands of the Connecticut Sun, who were long overdue for a win against the Liberty, and the Los Angeles Sparks. Their most notable win post-Olympics came against their Finals foe, the Las Vegas Aces. That’s now twice this season that the Liberty have beaten the Aces, and unlike their first meeting of the season, Chelsea Gray played in the post-Olympics matchup. The two teams will see each other one more time this season on September 8 in New York. With the best offensive rating in the WNBA (106.5) and a top three defense (94.4), the Liberty have set themselves apart from the other contending teams in the league, and that’s why they are in a league of their own with the Minnesota Lynx and number two in these power rankings.

Tier 2 – (Contenders)

3. Connecticut Sun (22-8) – The Connecticut Sun have demonstrated all season that they are one of the top teams in the WNBA. Their record post-Olympics is 4-2 with a very notable win coming over the New York Liberty on Saturday. Not only did they beat the team with the best record in the WNBA, but it was their first time beating the New York Liberty since 2022. The Connecticut Sun have been a top three defense all season and are currently tied with the Lynx for the best defensive rating in the league (94.2), but their offense is sixth in the league at 101.8. Prior to the Olympic break, the Sun executed a trade with the Chicago Sky that brought three-point sharpshooter, Marina Mabrey, to the team. So far Mabrey seems to be fitting in and has provided a boost to the Sun’s offense, but when compared with teams like the Lynx and Liberty, the Sun’s offense just isn’t as potent. It’s worth noting that the Sun did beat the Lynx twice already this season. Their first matchup was back in May and the margin of victory was one-point in an overtime game. Napheesa Collier left the game early with an injury during their second meeting in July. While the Sun did go on to win that game, these rankings don’t weigh those head-to-head matchups that heavily. The Sun will face the Lynx one more time this season at home on September 17 in a game that could have seeding implications. Even if the Sun do not win that game, they will own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Lynx since they won the first two games earlier this season. For now, the Sun land at number three in these post-Olympic rankings.
   
4. Las Vegas Aces (18-12) – The Las Vegas Aces are unraveling. They are 2-4 since returning from the Olympics, and as already mentioned, lost twice to the Minnesota Lynx and once to the New York Liberty. They also lost Tuesday night to the Dallas Wings. Their wins have come against the Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky, teams they are supposed to beat. However, their losses have mostly come against teams seeking to dethrone them. The Aces offense isn’t the problem. It’s second best in the league with an offensive rating of 105.6. It’s their defense that has been the glaring issue all season, which currently ranks seventh in defensive rating at 101.3. The Aces looked like they were turning a corner earlier this season when Chelsea Gray returned. They even went on a six-game win streak, but since returning from the Olympics, it appears the team has regressed. Their offense at this point is, MVP frontrunner, A’ja Wilson. Their defense is non-existent. The only reason they aren’t fifth in these power rankings is because the Seattle Storm, despite having a one-game lead over them in the standings, also seem to be struggling post-Olympics. Additionally, the Aces and Storm have faced off three times this season, and Vegas won two of the three matchups convincingly. As two-time champions, the Aces will receive the benefit of the doubt until they are beaten in a series, but their struggles at this point in the season are concerning and why they are ranked fourth in this week’s power rankings.
   
5. Seattle Storm (19-11) – The Seattle Storm have been a question mark all season. They’re 2-3 since their return from the Olympic break. Their losses have come against the Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics, and their two wins have come against the Mystics and Dream. There was a lot of buzz and excitement around the Storm when it was announced that they signed Gabby Williams for the remainder of the season. Williams made her debut on Monday when the Storm faced the Mystics. Many perceive the addition of Williams as a move that can elevate the Storm heading into the playoffs and put them on par with the other top teams in the WNBA, but another loss spoiled Gabby’s debut. While the Storm did bounce back with a win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday, questions still remain about the Seattle Storm. Seattle is a very talented team, but bringing so many new pieces together can take time to gel and Seattle is running out of time. At this point in the season, they should be rounding into form. Since there are more questions than answers when it comes to the Seattle Storm, they will land at number five in this week’s rankings.

Tier 3 – (Good to Very Good)

6. Indiana Fever (15-16) – What a turnaround it has been for the Indiana Fever this season. Coming in at sixth this week, this is the highest they have been all season in these power rankings. It’s safe to say the Olympic break has been good to this team. They’ve gone 4-1 post-Olympics with their only loss coming to the Minnesota Lynx. Caitlin Clark has also been outstanding post-Olympics. It’s no surprise that she earned another Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Clark is unquestionably the engine of this team. Between Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever have a very formidable trio in Indiana. There is no question that this squad will make the playoffs. The only outstanding question is where will they be seeded once the playoffs begin. The Fever are currently seventh in the standings, but only a half game separates them and the Mercury, who are in sixth place. Also, the Fever swept the season series against the Phoenix Mercury this year. Despite having a worse overall record than the Mercury, with their recent play and the head-to-head record, the Fever one up the Mercury in this week’s rankings.

7. Phoenix Mercury (16-16) – The Phoenix Mercury have had a middle-of-the-pack record all season. They have the sixth best record in the WNBA. Post-Olympics, they’ve gone 3-4. They split a pair of games with the Atlanta Dream and beat the Chicago Sky twice. Their other three losses came at the hands of the Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. They have a net rating of -2.4 which is sixth in the WNBA. This is who the Phoenix Mercury are. They should make the playoffs, but with the Fever on their heels, they will need to be careful, or they could drop to seventh in the standings. Due to their record and losing again to the team right behind them in the standings, the Indiana Fever, the Mercury land at number seven in this week’s power rankings.

Tier 4 – (Potentially Good)

8. Atlanta Dream (10-20) – The Atlanta Dream are finally healthy and their play post-Olympics reflects that. Going 3-3 since the season resumed, the Dream have looked much better and have closed the gap between them and Chicago for that eighth spot. Now sitting just one game behind the Chicago Sky, the Dream have put themselves in striking distance to make the playoffs. Their schedule isn’t easy, but neither is the Sky’s. The Dream will face the Sky one more time this season on September 17. The Sky currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dream, so it’s likely that date is circled on the calendar for Atlanta. With the way the Dream have been playing and the Sky’s recent struggles, the Dream have a very good chance of squeaking into the postseason. For these reasons the Dream get the eighth spot in this week’s rankings.
   
9. Chicago Sky (11-19) – The Chicago Sky went into the Olympic break with some momentum by beating the Las Vegas Aces on their homecourt, but post-Olympic break, they’ve gone 1-5 and are in danger of losing the eighth and final playoff spot. The Sky’s struggles since the season returned come as no surprise. As mentioned above, Marina Mabrey, one of their best offensive players and best three-point shooter, was traded to the Connecticut Sun. If that wasn’t enough, Chennedy Carter missed a game due to illness and now has been placed in health and safety protocols. The Chicago Sky have not been able to win a game without Chennedy Carter and it’s unclear when she will return. The Sky will face the Indiana Fever at home on Friday and the Minnesota Lynx on the road on Sunday. The Sky can still make the playoffs, but it’s looking bleaker than it did before the Olympic break. With the losses mounting, the Sky land at ninth in this week’s rankings.
   
10. Dallas Wings (8-22) – It may be generous to rank the Dallas Wings in this tier since they have the second worst record in the WNBA, but mathematically, the Wings can still make the playoffs and they are showing signs of life. Satou Sabally has returned from injury and is looking very much like the unicorn she is fondly referred to as by many. Since resuming the season, the Wings are 2-3. They lost to the Sun and Liberty two times. Most teams lose to those teams, so there’s no shame in those losses. However, they pulled off a miraculous 22-point comeback against the Sparks on Sunday and then went on to beat the Aces on Tuesday in comeback fashion as well. Sabally, Natasha Howard and Arike Ogunbowale all scored over 20 points in their win against Vegas. Can the Wings make the playoffs? Technically, yes. Will they make it? It’s unlikely. But with something to chase, it could make for an interesting close to the season. It’s hard to classify a team with Sabally, Howard and Ogunbowale as rebuilders. The nature of their recent wins lands them the tenth spot in this week’s rankings and in the Tier 4 group of teams.

Tier 5 – (Rebuilders)

11. Washington Mystics (9-22) – The Washington Mystics haven’t been playing like they are a rebuilding (or tanking) team lately. They’re 3-3 since returning from the Olympic break, but they’ve won their last three games in a row. It’s unlikely that the Mystics will make the playoffs, but not impossible. However, with Shakira Austin sidelined again, they have less resources available to them to make a playoff push than the Dallas Wings. With a bottom three record, the Mystics land at number 11 in this week’s rankings.
    
12. Los Angeles Sparks (7-24) – After a crushing loss to the Dallas Wings on Sunday, where the Sparks blew a 19-point fourth quarter lead and led by as many as 22 points, they bounced back with a win on Wednesday against the New York Liberty. Prior to Wednesday’s upset over New York, Sparks head coach, Curt Miller, posted on X that he “need[s] to be better for [his] young team.” Beating the Liberty was a good start, but with the worst record in the league, the Sparks come in at number 12 in this week’s power rankings.