The WNBA regular season is officially at the halfway point, with All-Star weekend right around the corner. Despite being midway through the campaign, things feel far from settled as teams continue to move up and down the power rankings. A handful of contenders have shuffled places at the top of the ladder, while the middle pack of teams has been fluid. As such, there is a new leader atop the rankings as the league heads into the All-Star break.
1. Phoenix Mercury
Previous ranking: 2
The Mercury took over the top spot on the power rankings for the first time this year, with Alyssa Thomas leading the charge for Phoenix. Thomas is the type of player that quietly marks up the stat sheet—you look up and suddenly she’s sitting on a double-double—but her 15 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in the Mercury’s game against Dallas were absurd even by her standards. She’s been all over the floor for Phoenix, filling the gaps while fellow stars Kahleah Copper and Satou Sabally are currently managing injuries.
DeWanna Bonner has made her presence known as well. In only her second game back with the Mercury after leaving Indiana, the 37-year-old lifted her side to a one-point win over the Valkyries with a monster double-double (22 points and 11 rebounds). Amid injuries and personnel changes, coach Nate Tibbetts has found a way to keep his group locked in. Having league veterans like Thomas and Bonner on your roster helps too.
2. Minnesota Lynx
Previous ranking: 1
It was a tough week for the Lynx, falling to the Mercury and Sky amid a grueling run of games. Never one to stay down long, Minnesota bounced back with a redemption win over Chicago on Monday, with Napheesa Collier’s 7-for-14 shooting from the field, scoring 29 points. The All-Star break could do this team wonders after a crowded schedule.
3. New York Liberty
Previous ranking: 4
The Liberty continue to forge ahead without star Jonquel Jones, who is still sidelined with an ankle injury. A pair of home wins over the Aces and Dream should boost New York’s confidence as it awaits Jones’s return.
4. Indiana Fever
Previous ranking: 8
After getting thumped by the Valkyries earlier in the week, the Fever responded with wins over the Dream and Wings. Indiana still appears to be solidifying its offensive identity—especially as the group adapts to having a healthy Caitlin Clark back on the floor—but Stephanie White’s team looks to be on an upward trajectory.
5. Washington Mystics
Previous ranking: 9
How about the Mystics? The team with little preseason expectations continues to impress, riding a three-game winning streak. Rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron will represent Washington at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and have impressed in their pro debuts. But Brittney Sykes, who was snubbed of an All-Star bid, deserves praise too. The league veteran had a massive fourth quarter against the Storm, helping her side to a win on Sunday. She’s led the charge offensively for the Mystics this season (averaging 17.6 points per game), while also taking on tough defensive assignments and anchoring a young core.
6. Atlanta Dream
Previous ranking: 3
The Dream have slid down the rankings after falling to the Fever and Liberty this week. Atlanta doesn’t have the stingiest of defenses, and struggled to get things going offensively in New York on Sunday without Rhyne Howard. Atlanta will have to make do without its star, as Howard will miss at least the remainder of July after exiting the Indiana game with a left knee injury.
7. Las Vegas Aces
Previous ranking: 7
A’ja Wilson dropped 34 points and pulled down 16 boards in the Aces’ narrow win over the Valkyries on Saturday. The reigning MVP can’t do it all, though, and Las Vegas has struggled when forced to play without its star. Wilson exited the Aces’ game against New York with a wrist injury and sat out the subsequent game against the Mystics. Las Vegas lost both matchups.
8. Golden State Valkyries
Previous ranking: 5
On the bright side, the Valkyries cruised past the Fever, bringing Kate Martin’s WNBA record against former Iowa teammate Clark to 6–0. On a less promising note, Golden State, a team that prides itself on its defensive identity, allowed the Dream and Aces to put up 90 and 104 points, respectively.
9. Seattle Storm
Previous ranking: 6
The Storm continue to log wildly inconsistent results, losing to a two-win Connecticut team days after defeating the reigning champion Liberty. Part of the problem is Seattle’s middling perimeter game, with the team ninth in the league in three-point attempts (21.8) and ninth in three-pointers made.
10. Chicago Sky
Previous ranking: 10
The Sky took down the mighty Lynx on Saturday—a considerable feather in Chicago’s cap. Angel Reese has been hitting a stride as of late, recording nine straight double-doubles, averaging 14 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.
11. Los Angeles Sparks
Previous ranking: 12
Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens combined for 41 points in the Sparks’ win over the Fever, before the duo scored 44 points against Connecticut in the team’s second win of the month. Los Angeles could also be getting Cameron Brink back soon, with the 2024 No. 2 pick returning to practice after tearing her ACL last season.
12. Dallas Wings
Previous ranking: 11
The Wings have lost three straight games, with their defensive liabilities continuing to be an issue. Phoenix and Indiana both scored 102 points against Dallas last week, with the Wings often getting scorched in transition.
13. Connecticut Sun
Previous ranking: 13
Connecticut snapped its 10-game losing streak with a home victory over the Storm on Wednesday, before traveling west and losing in Seattle on Friday. At 3–13, however, the Sun are still deep into one of the worst slumps in franchise history.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA Power Rankings: DeWanna Bonner Fits Right in With Surging Mercury.
