WNBA Power Rankings: What's on the line for each team in the final week?
-
Michael Voepel, ESPN Senior Writer
ESPN’s WNBA Power Rankings for the 2024 season have reached the end of the line. Next stop: the playoffs, which start Sunday. But before that, a few things are still up for grabs in the final few days of the regular season.
That includes the eighth and last playoff spot (the Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky are still trying to sort that out) and the No. 1 overall seed (it will be the New York Liberty or Minnesota Lynx). But in our Power Rankings, the last No. 1 is settled: It’s Minnesota, which is 12-1 since the Olympic break ended and is coming off Sunday’s victory over previous No. 1 New York.
The Lynx underwent some important roster construction in the offseason, but it meant they came into 2024 with some question marks — at least from the outside. They answered those quickly, though, going from No. 9 in the preseason to No. 4 in the first regular-season Power Rankings.
Minnesota has fallen out of the top four in the Power Rankings only once the rest of this season: at No. 6 just before the Olympic break. That followed a stretch the first two weeks of July when the Lynx lost four of six games. Lynx star Napheesa Collier missed the last two of those losses with plantar fasciitis.
She was back strong for the Olympics and the second part of the WNBA season. Were it not for Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson‘s incredible season that essentially already has wrapped up MVP, Collier could have won the honor. As it is, she’s positioning the Lynx for a long playoff run.
Minnesota still has a chance to nab the top seed in the playoffs from New York; the Liberty would have to lose their last two games and the Lynx need to win both of theirs. If that happened, the Lynx would have the tiebreaker after winning the season series against the Liberty.
The No. 6 seed Indiana Fever and No. 7 seed Phoenix Mercury already have locked in their seeds for the playoffs. The Fever haven’t been to the playoffs since 2016, while the Mercury missed last year but had made the postseason 10 years in a row before that.
Previous rankings: Preseason | May 20 | May 27 | June 3 | June 10 | June 17 | June 24 | July 1 | July 8 | July 15 | Aug. 19 | Aug. 26 | Sept. 2 | Sept. 9
Previous ranking: 2
This week: @ CONN (Sept. 17), vs. LA (Sept. 19)
The Lynx went 3-0 last week, the most impressive win coming Sunday in Brooklyn, 88-79 against New York. Collier has been great all season, but she also would credit the effectiveness of her supporting cast. The win against the Liberty was a good example, as Bridget Carleton had 19 points and Courtney Williams 15, while Collier had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Adding Myisha Hines-Allen in a trade Aug. 20 with Washington has been big, too, as she has contributed valuable minutes in her 11 games with the Lynx.
Minnesota technically still could be the 1, 2 or 3 seed in the WNBA playoffs, but second seems the most likely. If so, the Lynx would face the Mercury in the first round of the playoffs; they went 3-1 vs. Phoenix this season.
Previous ranking: 1
This week: @ WAS (Sept. 17), vs. ATL (Sept. 19)
The Liberty are closing in on the No. 1 seed, but they likely have some concern about losing at home to Minnesota on Sunday despite Breanna Stewart‘s huge game (38 points, 18 rebounds). New York is 10-3 since play resumed after the Olympics. Against every team except Minnesota, the Liberty still look like the favorite. But a potential WNBA Finals pairing with the Lynx would be tough. New York isn’t looking ahead to that; the Liberty just want to win at least one of their last two games to claim No. 1.
Previous: 3
This week: @ SEA (Sept. 17), vs. DAL (Sept. 19)
Make no mistake: The Aces are still in the hunt for their third consecutive championship. They went 3-0 last week, beating Indiana twice and Connecticut, with A’ja Wilson scoring her record 1,000th point of the season in the victory over the Sun. A win at Seattle on Tuesday would guarantee the Aces a top-four seed, which means they’d host the first round. While the Aces have been concerned about their defense most of this season, it has been effective in the past eight games: Las Vegas has held opponents to 73.0 PPG and has gone 7-1.
0:18
Bridget Carleton scores and draws the foul
Bridget Carleton scores and draws the foul, 09/15/2024
Previous ranking: 4
This week: vs. MIN (Sept. 17), vs. CHI (Sept. 19)
The Sun went 2-1 out West last week, with victories over Los Angeles and Phoenix before a loss Sunday to Las Vegas. Now Connecticut is back home for its last two games. The Sun still have a chance at the No. 2 seed, but they also could fall to No. 4. If they stay in third place, they will face the Fever in the first round of the playoffs. Connecticut went 3-1 against Indiana this season.
Previous ranking: 6
This week: vs. LV (Sept. 17), @ PHO (Sept. 19)
The Storm stayed in the hunt for a top-four seed and chance to host the first round by going 3-0 last week, with two wins against Los Angeles and one against Dallas. Admittedly, those aren’t playoff teams, but the Storm were still able to avoid upsets, and they have won five of their past six overall. Fifth-place Seattle is 1-2 this season against fourth-place Las Vegas going into their matchup Tuesday.
Previous ranking: 5
This week: @ WAS (Sept. 19)
The Fever weren’t able to crack the code against the Aces this season. They lost all four games against the defending champions, including two last week in Indianapolis. But the Fever finished their regular-season home slate on a positive note, beating Dallas 110-109 Sunday, tying for the most points scored in franchise history. Caitlin Clark had a season-high 35 points against the Wings. She has set the WNBA rookie season scoring record, and Clark and Kelsey Mitchell continue to be one of the most offensively powerful backcourts in the league.
1:50
A’ja Wilson’s historic game lifts Aces past Sun
A’ja Wilson becomes the WNBA’s first player with 1,000 points in a season and records her 33rd 20-point game of the season in the Aces’ win over the Sun.
Previous ranking: 7
This week: @ LA (Sept. 17), vs. SEA (Sept. 19)
The Mercury went 1-1 last week, falling to Connecticut and beating Chicago. This week, they are competing for playoff momentum, rather than a seed, as they are locked in at No. 7. It has not been an impressive post-Olympic stretch for Phoenix, which is 5-8 since play resumed after the Paris Games. Still, Phoenix is in the postseason, and we’ll wait to see whether 20-season veteran Diana Taurasi announces whether this will be her last trip to the playoffs.
Previous ranking: 9
This week: vs. NY (Sept. 17), vs. IND (Sept. 19)
The team that started this season 0-12 now goes down to the wire seeking a playoff spot. This week, the Mystics must face two teams already in the postseason. Meanwhile, Washington is in a tie with Atlanta and Chicago record-wise to try to get the last spot. The Mystics beat both teams last week but also lost to the Dream in overtime. Washington is 7-3 over its past 10 games, which is how the Mystics joined this race for eighth.
Previous ranking: 10
This week: vs. CHI (Sept. 17), @ NY (Sept. 19)
The Dream were on the verge of playoff elimination Sunday but rallied to beat Washington 76-73 in overtime behind Tina Charles‘ 20 points and 10 rebounds. It was the second OT game Atlanta has won in September. Charles, 35, hopes to return to play again in the WNBA next year whether or not the Dream make the 2024 playoffs. She has been a key factor all season for Atlanta.
Previous ranking: 8
This week: @ ATL (Sept. 17), @ CONN (Sept. 19)
Of the three teams still grappling for the last playoff spot, the Sky are struggling the most. They lost Angel Reese for the season Sept. 7. Then Sunday, in a loss to Phoenix, fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso was limited to nine minutes due to shoulder pain. Chicago is 3-11 since WNBA play resumed after the Olympic break. If the Sky get a playoff spot, they will have to do it the hard way: with two road wins this week.
Previous ranking: 11
This week: @ LV (Sept. 19)
After making the WNBA semifinals in 2023, this just wasn’t the Wings’ year. It looked as if they might climb into playoff contention with three wins to finish August. But Dallas has lost all eight of its games in September. Sunday was the end of an 0-4 week and the perfect example of how frustrating a season it has been for the Wings: They scored 109 points against Indiana and still lost.
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. PHO (Sept. 17), @ MIN (Sept. 19)
The good news for the Sparks is that rookie Rickea Jackson continues to play well, and that they will be in the draft lottery again next year. But this season is sputtering to a close. Los Angeles went 0-3 last week and has won just once since the Olympic break ended.
