WNBA Power Rankings: Caitlin Clark and Fever Slide Amid Rollercoaster Season

Stepping up to the No. 1 spot in the rankings this week, the Minnesota Lynx. Playing without the current MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride nearly dropped a 30 piece on the Sparks, showing the Lynx are deep, tough, and will just keep winning. 

2. The Phoenix Mercury

This week’s dark horse? The Phoenix Mercury. They’ve been on a tear—taking down the Liberty and snapping New York’s hold on the top spot. That win marked their fifth straight, the longest current streak in the league. And with a slew of fresh faces––combining vets and young talent––the Mercury look like they’ve found their rhythm.

3. The New York Liberty

Dropping two spots from last week’s No. 1 ranking, the Liberty have lost three of their last four games—hampered by the absence of three key starters at various points: Leonie Fiebich (EuroBasket), Jonquel Jones (ankle injury), and Sabrina Ionescu (neck injury). Having started off the season with the easiest schedule, we will see how this squad measures up heading into a tougher stretch of competition.

4. The Atlanta Dream

Despite blowing a sizable lead to the Liberty—which cost them a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final—the Dream remain a tough team to square-off against. Allisha Gray is having a breakout season––sparking chatter about her entering the MVP conversation.

5. The Seattle Storm

The Storm seem to be hitting their stride. Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams have been exceptional, and after coming out victorious over the Liberty this week and the Lynx before that, the Storm has shown they will not back down to even the top teams in the league.

6. The Golden State Valkyries 

The Golden State Valkyries are stamping a historic run in their inaugural WNBA season, currently sitting at 7-6 and firmly in the early season playoff conversation––a feat no other expansion team has yet achieved in the league. They can’t yet hit a shot, but sit up at No. 4 in net defensive rating in the league––and their home games give playoff energy, making them fun to watch...even from home.

7. The Indiana Fever

The Fever have had a full-on rollercoaster of a season. When they are bad, it can get ugly. But when they are good, they look unstoppable. Their last two games have been tough to watch as they have lacked cohesion and looked lost on the court. Much of the team’s success relies on their star guard, Caitlin Clark, who has been in a shooting slump––especially from deep––where she has gone 1-17 in her last two games.

8. The Las Vegas Aces

The Aces arguably rank just below the Fever right now, simply because they haven’t shown the same level of dominance Indiana has at its peak. Their late-game comeback against the Fever showed growth in the team, but the Aces have surprisingly lost five of their last seven games. Despite the rough patch, Jewell Loyd looks to be finding her rhythm after a tough start to the season––and with A’ja Wilson back from concussion protocol, we should expect a stronger showing from this team moving forward.

9. The Washington Mystics

Sonia Citron put on a show finishing with a jaw-dropping 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Dallas Wings in a come-from-behind, overtime nailbiter. Kiki Iriafen’s performance was show-stopping with 19 points and 5 steals. After nearly taking down a strong Atlanta team earlier in the week, the future looks bright for this young team.

10. The Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks have had a rough stretch, facing off against powerhouse teams like the Lynx and the Storm—and it hasn’t just been losses, it’s been blowouts. They’ve racked up three consecutive double-digit defeats, struggling to keep pace on both ends of the floor.

11. The Dallas Wings

The Wings picked up two wins this week—doubling their season total heading into it—and now sit at 3–12. While it’s a step in the right direction, Dallas still struggles to close out games, often letting games slip through their fingers late.

12. The Chicago Sky 

Chicago’s had a tough run, dropping three straight games this week. Much like Dallas, they’ve struggled to hold onto leads late in games. And while they technically sit above the Wings in the standings, Dallas seems to be finding some chemistry—something the Sky are still lacking. Chicago remains stuck in a frustrating rut, ranking second to last in offensive, defensive, and net rating.

13. The Connecticut Sun

The Sun can not catch a break this season. With a 2-12 record, they currently are off to the worst start in franchise history. Sitting at the bottom in defensive, offensive and net rating, things are looking pretty dark for the Sun.