The Mystics are not just the future of the WNBA; they are also the now. Washington may be a young team, but it is showing some serious grit after the All-Star break. Winning seven consecutive games, the Mystics have ascended to the contender category, and just in time to welcome a championship addition to the roster. Washington claimed Betnijah Laney-Hamilton after the Liberty waived the guard, who was crucial to New York’s 2024 title run. A seasoned veteran, Laney-Hamilton brings poise, know-how, and a winning mentality to this green Mystics squad. Everything appears to be coming up roses at the right time in D.C.
1. Minnesota Lynx
Previous ranking: 1
Kayla McBride, take a bow. The 34-year-old set a new single-game league record on Sunday, scoring 10 three-pointers against the Wings. She finished with a career-high 43 points, helping Minnesota to its 27th win of the season. Olivia Miles and Napheesa Collier often attract the most eyeballs, but McBride, who has been with the Lynx since 2021, is a critical piece to Minnesota’s offense. She can shoot the leather off the ball and is averaging a career-best 18.4 points per game this season.
2. Washington Mystics
Previous ranking: 3
The Mystics are on a roll, and so is Shakira Austin. The Washington big has logged four consecutive double-doubles, making an impact on both sides of the ball. Leading the league in defensive efficiency over the past three games, the Mystics have benefited from Austin’s paint presence and rim protection.
3. Golden State Valkyries
Previous ranking: 6
The Valkyries have won four consecutive games, taking care of the Wings and Sparks over the weekend. The league’s top-rated defense has shown up throughout the winning streak, holding opponents to 81 points or fewer. With Gabby Williams limited ahead of the FIBA World Cup, others have shined, including Veronica Burton, who scored 22 points and dished out seven assists in Golden State’s win over Dallas.
4. New York Liberty
Previous ranking: 7
The Liberty are a confounding team. New York has one of the highest ceilings in the league, and sometimes it plays to that high bar, and other times it has fallen short. It’s difficult to properly assess the Liberty’s three-game winning streak since it featured back-to-back contests against the struggling Storm and an Aces team without Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson. Still, New York took care of business, with Marine Johannès dropping 27 points (making seven three-pointers) in New York’s 40-point victory over Las Vegas.
5. Las Vegas Aces
Previous ranking: 2
The Aces had a tough road schedule last week, which is why Becky Hammon said she sat her Big Three on Sunday. One day before that, Las Vegas fell to the Lynx, with Minnesota holding Wilson to 16 points (10 points fewer than her season average). The Aces return home to Las Vegas this week; however, in less good news, they will have to host the red-hot Mystics.
6. Indiana Fever
Previous ranking: 4
There may be a lot of noise surrounding this Fever team, but they are a fun team to watch on the court. Indiana has the second-highest-rated offense in the league, averaging a WNBA-best 95.9 points per game. Kelsey Mitchell has continued her absurd run, scoring 27 points against the Sky, 28 points against the Aces and 35 points against the Lynx. She set a new league record in Chicago on Saturday, recording her 16th consecutive 20-plus point game.
7. Atlanta Dream
Previous ranking: 5
After a rough showing against the Mystics, Jordin Canada bounced back on Monday night, leading the Dream to a comprehensive win over the middling Tempo. She logged 20 points, nine assists and two turnovers against Toronto, an improvement, as Canada has averaged 4.8 turnovers per game since the All-Star break. Now, she’ll need to take care of the basketball against a strong defense, as the Tempo have the worst defensive rating in the league.
8. Dallas Wings
Previous ranking: 8
The Wings are in a slump, losing three in a row. In fairness, Dallas has been dealing with injury woes, including All-Star Jessica Shepard, who exited Sunday’s game against Minnesota with an ankle injury, and is in the midst of a tough stretch in its schedule. However, the Wings have struggled to stay consistent after a hot start to the season.
9. Chicago Sky
Previous ranking: 10
The Sky dropped two consecutive games, falling to the Fever and Storm. The bright spot (if there is a bright spot in losing to the league’s last-place team): Dijonai Carrington bounced back after being assessed a Flagrant 2 for a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham in Chicago’s matchup against the Fever, scoring a season-high 26 points, six rebounds and five steals against Seattle.
10. Los Angeles Sparks
Previous ranking: 11
The Sparks got a big win over the first-place Lynx on Thursday, bringing their record to 12–19. Five Los Angeles players finished in double figures against Minnesota, including Cameron Brink, who has provided some energy off the bench with two double-digit games this month. A rebuild is on the horizon, so the remainder of this season may be more about the long-term future than racking up wins.
11. Portland Fire
Previous ranking: 12
The Fire won back-to-back games against the Storm and Tempo last week to reach ninth in the league standings, and just one spot outside of playoff position (but 5.5 games back). Carla Leite recorded 27 points and 11 assists against Toronto before leaving Sunday’s game against Seattle with a left knee sprain. Depending on how long Leite is out, this could be troubling news for Portland, which already lost Sarah Ashlee Barker with a season-ending injury.
12. Connecticut Sun
Previous ranking: 14
The Sun snapped a five-game losing streak, defeating the Mercury on Sunday. With little left to play for this season, Connecticut’s focus is on which players can make a statement. Aaliyah Edwards has shown flashes of promise, scoring 14 points on 71.4% shooting, while bringing down eight rebounds against Phoenix.
13. Phoenix Mercury
Previous ranking: 9
The Mercury had better be able to convince Kelsey Plum to stay during free agency, or their trade for the star will look foolish. Phoenix has lost three in a row, with Plum leaving Sunday’s loss against the Mystics early due to left calf tightness. It will take time to integrate Plum into the Mercury’s scheme, but unfortunately for Nate Tibbetts, that is an especially finite resource at this point in the season.
14. Seattle Storm
Previous ranking: 15
The Storm move up a spot in the rankings and out of the basement for snapping their 11-game losing streak on Monday night. Still, with Seattle out of playoff contention and only seven wins to its name, the focus, of course, is on the future and what lessons can be learned from this campaign. Dominique Malonga’s continued development is a silver lining for the Storm, with the 20-year-old averaging 26 points and 9.6 rebounds over the past three games.
15. Toronto Tempo
Previous ranking: 13
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Tempo, losing their ninth consecutive game on Monday. Yes, Marina Mabrey dropped 36 points in Toronto’s loss to Atlanta, but even that type of production can’t make up for the Tempo’s defensive woes. With the worst defensive rating in the league and 8.5 games back from eighth place, the expansion side’s playoff hopes are all but dashed.
