| 2007 WNBA.com POWER RANKINGS: Week 1 | |||||
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TEAM (last week)
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W/L
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NOTES
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| 1 |
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1-0 | The Shock were far from perfect in their season
opener against the Monarchs, but they're still loaded. Although Cheryl Ford
and Katie Smith were in foul trouble, Deanna Nolan, Swin Cash and the incredible
Plenette Pierson showed
that the Shock have both balanced scoring and the killer instinct to win
even when they're not at their best. Upcoming: vs. Minnesota |
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| 2 |
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1-0 | Balanced scoring led the way
for the Fever, as well, against the hapless Lynx, as they had five players
in double figures. You expect it out of Tamika Catchings and Tamika Whitmore...
probably even Anna DeForge. But if Tan White can contribute 10-15 a night,
this team will be tough to stop. Upcoming: vs. Los Angeles |
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| 3 |
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1-0 | A solid opening night win on the road against
a Mystics team minus Alana Beard keeps them in the No. 3 spot. Their balanced
scoring attack, led by Nykesha Sales, Katie Douglas and Lindsay Whalen,
is superb. If Erika DeSouza continues to develop as a presence on the inside,
the Sun will be a force to be reckoned with. Upcoming: at San Antonio, vs. Los Angeles |
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| 4 |
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1-1 | Yes, they were beaten by a superior
team in Detroit, but their domination of Minnesota on Sunday reinstituted
-- at least in our minds -- the Monarchs' reign atop the Western Conference.
The injury to Ticha Penicheiro is mildly troubling, but the way Kara Lawson
stepped up bodes well for the Monarchs in 2007. Upcoming: at Washington |
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| 5 |
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1-0 | A 22-point deficit at home against the Comets
definitely had Seattle fans... ahem... sleepless, but the Storm came back
in the second half -- including a 28-7 fourth quarter -- behind Lauren Jackson
and Iziane Castro Marques to post a 13-point win. With the guard tandem
of Sue Bird and Betty Lennox penetrating and scoring, they'll be among the
best in the West. Upcoming: vs. Phoenix, at San Antonio |
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| 6 |
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0-0 | Yes, the Sparks have fallen
two spots. Yes, we know they haven't played yet. But they have three games
this week -- including tough matchups against Indiana and Connecticut --
during which they can prove themselves. Another reason for the Sparks' fall?
Point guard Temeka Johnson is still recovering from offseason arthroscopic
knee surgery and word is she's not yet ready to play. Upcoming: at Chicago, at Indiana, at Connecticut |
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| 7 |
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0-1 |
The Mystics lost their opener to Connecticut on Saturday, but they hung
tight with a good team without their best player, Alana Beard. If Beard
is ready to come back and is close to full speed, she'll complete an excellent
starting five. The Mystics will be squarely in the playoff chase in the
East. |
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| 8 |
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1-0 | The Mercury held serve at home
against a solid Silver Stars squad -- say that five times fast -- in a game
in which Cappie Pondexter had only four points. Kelly Miller and Kelly Mazzante
had 15 and 12, respectively, while Tangela Smith was the force down low
Phoenix hoped she'd be when they dealt the rights to Lindsey Harding. The Mercury are on
the rise. Upcoming: at Seattle, vs. Houston |
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| 9 |
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0-1 | This is a team that has clearly improved over
last season, but they still appear to be right on the verge of the playoffs.
They lost to Phoenix on the road, but Becky Hammon and Ruth Riley were solid,
Sophia Young is still getting better and Marie Ferdinand-Harris is getting
used to being back on the court. They'll play better as the season goes
on than they did Saturday night. Upcoming: vs. Connecticut, vs. Seattle |
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| 10 |
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0-1 | The Comets are tough to gauge.
They looked amazing in the first 25 minutes of the game, jumping out to
a 22-point lead on the Storm behind Sheryl Swoopes, Michelle Snow and impressive
rookie Ashley Shields. But from that point on, they couldn't make a shot
and were outscored 44-9 over the final 15 minutes. They'll still win their
fair share of games, but they'll need to be more consistent on the offensive
end. Upcoming: at Phoenix |
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| 11 |
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1-0 | Much like the Storm, the Liberty looked awful
in the first half Sunday against Chicago. But they put it together in the
second half behind seven 3's and 28 points from Erin Thorn to post a very
solid season opening win. The playoffs are still a ways off for the Liberty,
but as Loree Moore and Shameka Christon learn to take charge on the court
and young posts Jessica Davenport and Tiffany Jackson get up to speed, there's
plenty of room for improvement in the Big Apple. Upcoming: vs. Washington |
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| 12 |
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0-1 | Chicago had a lot of trouble
scoring in the second half Sunday at Madison Square Garden against the Liberty,
but they showed a ton of promise in the first. Monique Currie took over
for periods of the game, Candice Dupree has the makings of a future star
and Armintie Price is going to be fun to watch. Bo Overton has too much
talent on his roster not to compete with every team in this league and fight
hard in every game. They'll do both. Upcoming: vs. Los Angeles, at Minnesota |
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| 13 |
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0-2 | It was a tough weekend for the Lynx. The Opening
Day loss to Indiana wasn't wholly unexpected, though the injury to Seimone
Augustus was frightening. Of course, Augustus showed she was just fine,
netting 28 in Sunday's loss to Sacramento, but aside from her, where will
the points come from? Lindsey Harding was 1-12 from the field against the
Monarchs. They play at Detroit tonight. Yikes. Upcoming: at Detroit, vs. Chicago |
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