Minnesota Lynx Riding High at No. 1 in WNBA Power Rankings

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Rutland | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 4:19 PM ET

Last week wasn't a stellar one for the Minnesota Lynx and they were in danger of losing their No. 1 spot in the new WNBA Power Rankings. Thanks to Monday night's 91-78 win over Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, though, the Lynx are still queens of the mountain.

It's no secret that Napheesa Collier has been the best of the best so far in this WNBA season. Her play on offense, combined with stellar work on defense, have put Minnesota firmly atop the WNBA standings with a 19-4 record. Last week, the Lynx went 2-2 with two losses, including a close one to the surging Phoenix Mercury and one to the Sky.

In the Monday night win, Collier had 29 points, five assists and three steals, according to The Associated Press. Courtney Williams added 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals for the Lynx.

Napheesa Collier tonight

• 29 points
• 5 assists
• 3 steals
• 3 rebounds
• 4/7 3PM
• 7/14 FGpic.twitter.com/bLOH0lgKxJ
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) July 15, 2025

Before the WNBA All-Star break hits, the Lynx and Mercury will battle it out one more time at 1 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, July 16.

Minnesota Lynx will look to get 20th victory against Phoenix at Target Center before WNBA All-Star break hits

"It's hard to nail down a similar thread between Minnesota's losses last week at Phoenix and Chicago," Michael Voepel of ESPN wrote. "The Lynx weren't as good as they needed to be offensively against the Mercury, and their defense was not as sharp vs. the Sky in an 87-81 defeat Saturday.

"But in both cases, they bounced back with victories," Voepel wrote. "They beat Los Angeles 91-82 the day after losing to Phoenix, and in the rematch at Chicago on Monday did a much better job controlling the game.

"MVP favorite Napheesa Collier's remarkable free throw shooting continued Monday: She was 11 of 11 from the line and is at 95.4% (104 of 109) for the season," he wrote. "She also made a career-high four 3-pointers in Monday's game."

Entering Wednesday's home game at Target Center, Collier is averaging 21 points per game over her last 10 contests. Alanna Smith is averaging 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks at this time.

Can head coach Cheryl Reeve get the Lynx ready for this battle against Phoenix? She's been doing pretty good with her lineups on offense and defense. Minnesota would love to hit that 20-win plateau before a much-deserved break from action.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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