WNBA.com Power Rankings: August 25, 2009
Like every Tuesday during the season, it's time for the latest edition of the WNBA.com Power Rankings.
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.
Note: These rankings reflect games played through August 24.
| 2009 WNBA.com POWER RANKINGS: August 25 | |||
| TEAM (last ranking) | W / L | NOTES | |
| 1 |  Indiana (1) |
19-7 | The last time the Fever lost consecutive games they went on to win 11 straight. Can they get on a similar run this time around? We'll see on Thursday when the Fever host the Silver Stars. Despite dropping both of its games last week the Fever remain comfortably atop the Eastern Conference and still hold the best record in the league.
Looking back: 8/20 @ SAC (L 67-62), 8/22 @ SEA (L 74-60) Looking ahead: 8/27 vs SAN, 8/29 vs SAC |
| 2 |  Phoenix (2) |
18-9 | Were it not for its home loss to the Mystics on Friday, the Mercury would have claimed the top spot in the rankings for the first time this season. One first the Merc did accomplish this week was becoming the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Up next is a showdown with the red-hot Sparks.
Looking back: 8/18 @ CHI (W 106-99), 8/21 vs WAS (L 91-81) Looking ahead: 8/27 @ LA, 8/29 vs. CON |
| 3 |  Los Angeles (9) |
13-13 | The Sparks have caught fire, winning all four games last week to extend their winning streak to five games and counting. Player of the Week Candace Parker looks better and better with every game and Lisa Leslie returned from her knee injury as strong as ever. This is the team we all expected to see. It just took two months for us to see it come together.
Looking back: 8/18 vs WAS (W 72-69), 8/19 vs MIN (W 78-63), 8/21 @ SAN (W 67-66), 8/23 @ ATL (W 91-87) Looking ahead: 8/25 vs CHI, 8/27 vs PHX, 8/30 vs CON |
| 4 |  Seattle (4) |
15-11 | The Storm had lost four of its last five games heading into last week and needed to stop the bleeding before they lost hold of their playoff position out West. Enter Lauren Jackson, who scored 36 points against the Shock in the Storm's win over Detroit. The Storm followed that up with an impressive 16-point win over Indiana that featured six players scoring in double figures.
Looking back: 8/18 @ DET (W 79-75), 8/22 vs IND (W 74-60) Looking ahead: 8/25 vs WAS, 8/27 vs CON, 8/29 vs ATL |
| 5 |  Atlanta (3) |
14-12 | The Dream remain one of the hottest teams in the league, winners of seven of their last nine games. Angel McCoughtry has been impressive over the past week, averaging 24.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.0 steals in the last three games. However, there is some cause for concern as leading scorer Chamique Holdsclaw missed the Dream's last game and most of the game before with soreness in her knee.
Looking back: 8/20 vs SAN (W 93-87), 8/23 vs LA (L 91-87) Looking ahead: 8/25 vs SAC, 8/27 @ DET, 8/29 @ SEA |
| 6 |  Connecticut (5) |
14-12 | The Sun have gone 2-1 in the three games that Asjha Jones missed this week due to her Achilles injury. Eastern Conference Player of the Week Sandrine Gruda has stepped up admirably in her place thus far. However, the Sun's schedule does not let up as they host Detroit Tuesday before heading out on a West Coast trip with four games in six days.
Looking back: 8/19 vs NY (W 74-69), 8/21 @ NY (L 85-83), 8/22 vs MIN (W 98-94) Looking ahead: 8/25 vs DET, 8/27 @ SEA, 8/29 @ PHX, 8/30 @ LA |
| 7 |  Chicago (6) |
13-14 | After opening the second half of the season by winning five of their first seven games, the Sky suffered a pair of setbacks this week with losses to Phoenix and Detroit. What makes the losses so rare is that they came at home, where the Sky are 9-4 on the season (9-2 heading into last week). However the bigger loss was that of All-Star center Sylvia Fowles, who has missed the past two games due to a sprained right ankle.
Looking back: 8/5 @ IND (L 76-67), 8/8 @ ATL (W 82-80), 8/9 @ DET (L 64-58) Looking ahead: 8/14 @ NY, 8/15 vs MIN |
| 8 |  Washington (7) |
13-14 | The Mystics conclude their four-game West Coast trip Tuesday in Seattle with hopes of heading back to D.C. with a 2-2 record for the trip. They already picked up an impressive win over the West-leading Mercury, but followed it up with a blowout loss to the last-place the following night. The Mystics need Alana Beard to break out of her current shooting slump as she is shooting just 26 percent (9-of-35) over the past three games.
Looking back: 8/18 @ LA (L 72-69), 8/21 @ PHX (W 91-81), 8/22 @ SAC (L 82-60) Looking ahead: 8/25 @ SEA, 8/30 vs MIN |
| 9 |  Detroit (10) |
11-14 | Just when a three-game losing streak looked to doom the Shock's playoff hopes, they responded with back-to-back wins to close the gap on Washington and Chicago ahead of them. Katie Smith has led the charge, scoring a total of 48 points during the two-game streak, after scoring a total of 10 in the previous two games.
Looking back: 8/18 vs SEA (L 79-75), 8/22 @ CHI (W 76-67), 8/23 vs SAN (W 99-84) Looking ahead: 8/25 @ CON, 8/27 vs ATL, 8/29 @ SAN |
| 10 |  New York (12) |
11-16 | New York has also won two straight games and three of their last four to keep their playoff window slightly cracked. The Liberty have plenty of work still to do as they will need to leap three teams to get to the No. 4 spot and they are currently two games back in the loss column. That said, they have games coming up against each of those teams which will give them a chance to move up.
Looking back: 8/19 @ CON (L 74-69), 8/21 vs CON (W 85-83), 8/23 vs MIN (W 80-67) Looking ahead: 8/28 @ CHI, 8/30 vs CHI |
| 11 |  San Antonio (8) |
11-16 | An 11-16 record puts you in last place in the East, but out West it still has you qualified for the playoffs. However, the Silver Stars have not looked much like a playoff team this month as they have lost seven of their 10 games, including three straight. With Becky Hammon and Sophia Young both on pace for career-best seasons, the Silver Stars need other players to step up and help them.
Looking back: 8/20 @ ATL (L 93-87), 8/21 vs LA (L 67-66), 8/23 @ DET (L 99-84) Looking ahead: 8/27 @ IND, 8/29 vs DET |
| 12 |  Sacramento (13) |
9-18 | Just when it looked like the Monarchs were just playing out the season for pride, they find themselves back in the playoff hunt as they have won four of their last five games and San Antonio and Minnesota have tumbled over the past two weeks. Sacramento now sits just one game back of the Silver Stars and Lynx with seven games to play, including two with the Lynx (season series tied 1-1) and one with the Stars (Monarchs lead season series 2-1).
Looking back: 8/20 vs IND (W 67-62), 8/22 vs WAS (W 82-60) Looking ahead: 8/25 @ ATL, 8/28 @ MIN, 8/29 @ IND |
| 13 |  Minnesota (11) |
11-16 | The Lynx have lost six straight games and nine of their last 10 as they continue to stumble down the stretch for the second straight season. With two of their next three games against Sacramento and San Antonio, the Lynx need to snap their losing streak soon if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Looking back: 8/19 @ LA (L 78-63), 8/22 @ CON (L 98-94), 8/23 @ NY (L 80-67) Looking ahead: 8/28 vs SAC, 8/30 @ WAS |