NEW YORK, July 8, 2008 � Like every week during the season, it's time for the latest edition of the WNBA.com Power Rankings. There's parity aplenty among the top teams yet again, as teams 1 through 4 are locked in a veritable dead heat. Meanwhile, the solidly impressive Fever and Comets are on the way up, while the newly struggling Lynx and Mercury have taken a downturn.

As usual, there are plenty of close calls this week, but that's the beauty of these rankings: there's always room for discussion. Take a look at our full list below, then let us know what you think in our Fan Voice. Post your own Power Rankings and discuss them with your fellow fans.

2008 WNBA.com POWER RANKINGS: July 8
	TEAM (last week's ranking)	W/L	NOTES
1	San Antonio (4)	12-6	After a mediocre start to the season, the Silver Stars are the league's hottest team, having won four straight and nine of 11. Dan Hughes' squad has caught fire as Becky Hammon has come on, and last year's MVP runner-up has done just that, averaging 21.0 points and 5.3 assists a game over the past week. Sophia Young is a legit MVP candidate and Ann Wauters has been just what the doctor ordered down low. Looking ahead: 7/8 vs. NY, 7/10 @ CHI, 7/11 vs. ATL
2	Los Angeles (1)	11-6	The Sparks suffered through their first losing streak of the season, falling consecutively to the Mystics, Liberty and Lynx, all at home. But even after Sunday's solid victory over the Mercury, the Sparks are still just 6-4 at STAPLES Center. But with the high-low dominance of the league's dynamic duo of Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker, not to mention the solid play of rookie point guard Shannon Bobbitt, L.A. will be in the hunt for the long run. Looking ahead: 7/9 vs. HOU, 7/10 @ SAC, 7/12 @ SEA
3	Connecticut (2)	13-6	The Sun and Shock renew their Eastern rivalry tonight in the Motor City, so this ranking doesn't take that result into consideration, but Connecticut did score a good win earlier last week against the red-hot Comets before falling Saturday in Indy. Asjha Jones won last week's Player of the Week award and point guard Lindsay Whalen is one of the league's unsung heroes so far this season and just became the franchise's all-time leader in assists. Looking ahead: 7/8 @ DET, 7/13 @ WAS
4	Detroit (3)	12-6	Like the Sun, the Shock have struggled of late, losing three of their last five. Tonight's matchup at the Palace is a big one as it will settle the season series between the two teams and count be a tie-breaker as the season winds down. Veterans Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith and Cheryl Ford all continue to play their games and put up their numbers, but the recent injuries to Ford and Plenette Pierson have hurt down low. On the positive side, though, Kara Braxton has had two of her best games this season in Detroit's last two. Looking ahead: 7/8 vs. CON, 7/11 vs. WAS, 7/12 @ NY
5	Seattle (5)	11-7	The Storm are the owners of the league's best home record at 10-1. But unfortunately for Brian Agler and crew, they play half of their games on the road, where they are 1-6. Nonetheless, Seattle is one of the league's hotter teams of late, winning this week against the Liberty and Lynx. Lauren Jackson is staking her claim for a second-straight MVP with point totals of 33 and 34, respectively, which earned her her first Player of the Week award of 2008. Are the Storm fulfilling their preseason promise or simply benefiting from a couple of home games in a row? Upcoming matchups against Phoenix and L.A. will be telling. Looking ahead: 7/8 @ SAC, 7/10 vs. PHO, 7/12 vs. LA
6	New York (7)	9-8	On the surface, the Liberty are just 2-2 so far on their West Coast swing, but sandwiched around a loss last week in Seattle were hugely impressive wins in L.A. and Phoenix. New York boasts the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in Shameka Christon, whose 16.6 ppg so far seem to indicate that she's finally becoming the player everyone expected she could be. Pair her with reigning MIP Janel McCarville and the ever-solid Cathrine Kraayeveld and you have a potent frontcourt that's quick, versatile and capable of shooting from the outside. Looking ahead: 7/8 @ SAN, 7/12 vs. DET
7	Indiana (10)	9-8	It looks like the Fever are starting to get back on track with the return of superstar Tamika Catchings, who had missed the season's first eight games. While Catch gets back up to speed, fellow All-Stars Katie Douglas and Tammy Sutton-Brown have led the offense. Ebony Hoffman, too, has made a terrific case for a starting spot, averaging over 5.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg better than her career numbers. Looking ahead: 7/8 @ WAS, 7/12 vs. CHI
8	Houston (9)	9-9	Put aside a tough loss in Connecticut last Tuesday and the Comets have won six straight, making them one of the league's hottest teams. Several of those wins came without perennial All-Star Tina Thompson, who missed four games during that stretch with a broken finger. Sancho Lyttle has stepped up her game massively over the past few weeks and is now starting alongside Thompson and Michelle Snow in Houston's big, athletic frontcourt. Throw in the veteran-led backcourt of Shannon Johnson, Tamecka Dixon and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba -- not to mention electric rookie Matee Ajavon -- and you have a team built for the postseason. Looking ahead: 7/8 @ PHO, 7/9 @ LA, 7/12 @ MIN
9	Minnesota (6)	9-9	The Lynx continue their fall-off after a surprising 5-0 start, but they're still a force to be reckoned with, which they showed in Thursday's 18-point victory in L.A. Seimone Augustus stands sixth in the league in scoring at 18.9 ppg and rookie Candice Wiggins' impressive streak of double-figure scoring stands at 16 games. Fellow rookies Nicky Anosike and Charde Houston continue to make solid contributions as well, though the point guard tandem of Noelle Quinn and Lindsey Harding has had a rough go. Looking ahead: 7/9 vs. ATL, 7/12 vs. HOU
10	Phoenix (8)	8-9	The Mercury had won four straight and had moved over .500 for the first time all season... before losing their last two games at home to the Liberty and on the road in L.A. Cappie Pondexter missed two games this week to rest and Diana Taurasi cooled off from her two straight Player of the Week awards with just eight points against the Sparks, but Tangela Smith and Le'coe Willingham have been very solid in the paint of late. Don't count out the defending champs. Looking ahead: 7/8 vs. HOU, 7/10 @ SEA, 7/12 @ SAC
11	Sacramento (11)	8-10	Want something to blame for the Monarchs' mediocrity so far in 2008? Their once-stingy defense is allowing a very ordinary 75.17 ppg and allowing the second highest shooting percentage in the league at .450. It also doesn't help that veteran Kara Lawson has missed two straight contests with a bum shoulder. Ticha Penicheiro and Rebekkah Brunson are quietly putting up solid, if inconsistent numbers, and Nicole Powell has continued to struggle from the field (.359 on the season). Looking ahead: 7/8 vs. SEA, 7/10 vs. LA, 7/12 vs. PHO
12	Chicago (13)	5-11	It can't do wonders for team morale when you lose to an 0-17 team like the Sky did this week in Atlanta, but they did earn a solid win in Minnesota earlier in the week. Jia Perkins has become a legit scorer in this league and has hit double figures in every game since June 1. Candice Dupree is continuing to put up All-Star numbers and rookie center Sylvia Fowles should be returning to the lineup later this month. Looking ahead: 7/10 vs. SAN, 7/12 @ IND, 7/13 vs. ATL
13	Washington (12)	6-11	The Mystics continued to struggle this week with two more losses. But coach Tree Rollins should feel good about the future as rookie Crystal Langhorne -- despite being undersized for a post player at just 6-2 -- has impressed since replacing Nakia Sanford as the starting center. Alana Beard and Taj McWilliams-Franklin are the steady All-Stars they've always been and Monique Currie can light it up on occasion, but Washington still needs more out of the point guard spot. And signing Kendra Wecker hasn't yet helped the league's lowest-scoring team. Looking ahead: 7/8 vs. IND, 7/11 @ DET, 7/13 vs. CON
14	Atlanta (14)	1-17	The Dream finally have their first win as a franchise, thanks to a stellar performance Saturday against the Sky. Ivory Latta and Jen Lacy led six Atlanta scorers in double figures with 18 apiece, and it does wonders to have that goose egg gone from the W-L record. "It’s an amazing feeling!" said guard Kristin Haynie. "It was a great team effort. Now, it’s a new season. We are 1-0 now.” Sadly, the standings don't work that way, but Atlanta has a lot to build on for its upcoming road trip. Looking ahead: 7/9 @ MIN, 7/11 @ SAN, 7/13 @ CHI