It only took five weeks, but the dreaded "p" word is back in the WNBA: parity. That makes the voting and compilation of Power Rankings date that much more challenging. Several votes were changed at the last minute and the fluctuations make things look rather different than last week in the middle of the pack. We have a feeling that will continue throughout the course of the summer. Meanwhile, Connecticut, Sacramento and Indiana remain unchanged at the top. 10 teams are currently battling for the 8 spots, though it is still early enough for Phoenix, San Antonio and Charlotte to make a run.
| 2005 WNBA.com POWER RANKINGS: Week Five | |||||
| |
TEAM (last) |
REC. |
NOTES | ||
| 1 |
| 10-2 | The
Sun may or MAY be for real. We said last week that the western swing of their
road trip would truly define this team for the first half of the season. And what
has happened? Well, they're 2-1 so far. The Sun lost only their second game of
the season in the first game, a Finals re-match in Seattle, but rebounded to win
at Sacramento and Phoenix. Upcoming: vs. Sacramento, vs. Minnesota | ||
| 2 |
| 9-3 | By
sheer inertia, the Monarchs stay in the second slot despite splitting their two
games in the week that was. Sacramento lost at home to the Sun on Friday night
despite Yolanda Griffith surpassing the 3,000-point plateau, but were then able
to win a close game on the road at Washington. Like the Sun, the Monarchs will
be tested on the road with games at Connecticut and New York this week. We'll
see how they fare Upcoming: at Connecticut, at New York, at Detroit | ||
| 3 |
| 8-4 | The
Fever stayed hot in beating Minnesota in their only game of the week. But they
will be back in action and tested off the bat as the L.A. Sparks come to town.
In a scheduling anomoly, the Fever are then off for another week and a half until
next Thursday night. Of course that that means they have a tightly-packed schedule
after the All-Star break, so every win they can get as a well-rested team will
help down the road. Their 5-1 conference record and 6-0 home record are two impressive
records so far this season. Upcoming: vs. Los Angeles | ||
| 4 |
| 6-5 | Sunday's
come-from-behind win against Los Angeles may be the spark that the Shock need
to get them back on the right track and find the early-season success that they
enjoyed. Based on their hot start and talent alone, the Shock are at the top of
this tight pack of teams hovering around .500. Perhaps the Bill Laimbeer NBA coaching
rumors are reall a bit of a distraction? Upcoming: vs. Sacramento | ||
| 5 |
| 6-5 |
What a difference a week makes. Last week, the Comets looked on the verge of falling
apart with four straight losses. But two wins against the Silver Stars brought
them back above .500. The Comets beat the Silver Stars in their only game of the
week, but the pace picks up in the nine days before the All-Star game with four
games. Upcoming: vs. Seattle, vs. Charlotte | ||
| 6 |
| 7-6 | Another
streaky team so far this season, the Lynx opened up the week with a win against
Phoenix, then lost to the Fever in Indianapolis but hung on for a big win at home
on Sunday against the Storm. Katie Smith continues to pace the Lynx in scoring,
but she is getting help in a number of places on different nights, which makes
Minnesota a challenging team to defend. Upcoming: vs. San Antonio, at Connecticut | ||
| 7 |
| 7-6 | Dropping
three slots this week, the Storm actaully went 1-2 since Sue Bird returned from
a 4-game break due to her facial injuries. In that first game back, the Storm
knocked off the red-hot Sun at home, but then went on the road. Road teams have
not fared well in the past few weeks, and Seattle is no execption, losing at L.A.
and Minnesota. Two more games remain on the road trip, and Seattle needs a win
desperately. Upcoming: at Houston, at San Antonio | ||
| 8 |
| 5-5 | New
York was one of the league's hottest teams over the past two weeks, and continued
their impressive run back up the standings with a win on Tuesday against San Antonio,
but a loss in Charlotte over the weekend brought them back to even. They have
one more game at home before embarking on a mini pre-All-Star west coast swing. Upcoming: vs. Sacramento, at San Antonio | ||
| 9 |
| 7-6 | We
remain baffled by the Sparks, who have looked like the league's most dominant
team as well as the league's meekest team. All in one game. On Friday night, the
Sparks knocked off the defending champs at home and carried that momentum into
the first half of the game against the Shock on Sunday, opening up a 25-point
lead. However, foul trouble and the inability to convert on either end of the
floor cost them the lead and that game. Upcoming: at Minnesota, vs. Phoenix | ||
| 10 |
| 6-7 | Had
the Power Rankings been voted on and written on Saturday, the Mystics would definitely
have move up. However, a loss at home coupled with other factos and other teams
means the Mystics remain locked in at No. 10. They had won three in a row and
got to .500 before losing a close one at home to the Monarchs on Sunday. They
are just a win or two away from being the upper half of teams. That's how close
it is at this point. A home-and-home with the Sting on Tuesday and Thursday, who
have the fewest wins in the WNBA so far this season, could just get them there. Upcoming: at Charlotte, vs. Charlotte | ||
| 11 |
| 3-11 | Yes,
the Silver Stars have the most losses in the league so far, but a split this past
week and a win over the Sting help move the Silver Stars up a notch in the Rankings.
Guard Marie Ferdinand has begun to show glimpses of her pre-injured elbow form
and rookie Katie Feenstra has become a significant contributor to the team off
the bench. They may not have a playoff run in them at this stage in their redevelopment,
but they are capable of beating anyone on any given night. Such is life in the
WNBA. Upcoming: at Minnesota, vs. Seattle | ||
| 12 |
| 3-10 | The
Mercury have lost four games in a row and the frustration has certainly been well-documented
in the past week. However, Phoenix has a have a week off to prepare for the Sparks
and a huge boost in the return of 6-8 center Maria Stepanova to the lineup. It
will take some time for her to adjust to the players and the system, but 6-8 is
still 6-8, and she has years of international experience playing against the likes
of Lisa Leslie, Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson.. Upcoming: at Los Angeles | ||
| 13 |
| 2-9 | If
any team can use a little momentum, it is the Sting. While Charlotte lost at home
to San Antonio last week, they did beat the Liberty at home this weekend to double
their win total for the season. The Sting remain the team with the fewest wins,
yes, but are one winning streak away from climbing back into the playoff picture
and really throwing a wrench into the Power Rankings. Upcoming: vs. Washington, at Washington, at Houston | ||
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