It hasn’t taken long for some of the marquee players that switched teams this offseason to see their former squads this season. This past week, we saw Dearica Hamby return to Las Vegas for the first time – and receive her championship ring as a key member of the 2022 championship team – when the Sparks visited the Aces on Saturday. We also saw Jonquel Jones take on her former teammates when the Connecticut Sun visited Jones and the Liberty in Brooklyn on Saturday.

The Jones’ reunion was the first for the Liberty’s big offseason acquisitions, with the other two on deck this week. Breanna Stewart makes her first trip back to Seattle since leaving the team that drafted her in 2016 and won titles with in 2018 and 2020 when the Liberty visit the Storm on Tuesday. The next stop on the road trip is Chicago, where Courtney Vandersloot will return to her only previous WNBA home since being drafted by the Sky in 2011 and leading the team to its first championship a decade later.

Before the tribute videos start to roll out, let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings.

Rankings and stats through games played on Sunday, May 28

1. Las Vegas Aces (4-0)

• Previous Ranking: 1
• Last Week: (3-0) W at Sparks 94-85; W vs. Sparks 93-65, W vs. Lynx 94-73
• This Week: Friday at Dream; Sunday at Fever
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 112.9 (1), DefRtg: 84.2 (1), NetRtg: 28.7 (1), eFG%: 57.0 (1), Pace/40 Min: 85.37 (3)

What more can we say about the start to the season for the defending champs other than “Wow!” The Aces have exploded out of the gates, not only winning all four of their games but being utterly dominant with an average margin of victory of 24.8 points.

The Las Vegas Aces are starting off hot:

🏀 First team in WNBA history to score 90 pts in each of their first 4 games of the season
🏀+99 point diff. largest in first 4 games of a season in WNBA history
🏀44 3-pointers, 2nd most in first 4 of games of a season in WNBA history pic.twitter.com/8xdfZqSVcJ

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 29, 2023

Last season, Jackie Young was named Most Improved Player after elevating her game from a 12.2 ppg scorer (25^th in the WNBA) to a 15.9 ppg scorer (12th in the WNBA). Through four games, she’s averaging a team-best 23 ppg (4^th in the WNBA) while shooting 61.8% from the field and 56.5% from 3-point range on nearly six attempts per game.

2. New York Liberty (2-1) 

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Last Week: (1-0) W vs. Sun 81-65
• This Week: Tuesday at Storm; Friday at Sky; Sunday vs. Sky
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.2 (4), DefRtg: 90.8 (3), NetRtg: 8.3 (2), eFG%: 50.7 (2), Pace/40 Min: 79.50 (12)

Through three games in New York, Breanna Stewart has been outstanding – the league’s second-leading scorer (26 ppg), third-leading rebounder (10 rpg), eighth-leading shot blocker (1.7 bpg), and the only player averaging 20 and 10 to start the season. The Liberty’s other offseason former MVP acquisition, Jonquel Jones, has gotten off to a slower start with her new squad, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 17.6 minutes per game. Don’t expect those numbers to stay down for long as this team continues to come together and get more time on the court as a collective.

3. Connecticut Sun (3-1) 

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Last Week: (1-1) W at Mystics 88-81; L at Liberty 81-65
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Fever, Thursday at Lynx, Sunday vs. Wings
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 94.7 (8), DefRtg: 93.7 (5), NetRtg: 1.0 (6), eFG%: 42.4 (11), Pace/40 Min: 79.62 (11)

The Sun opened the week with the second-straight win over the Mystics as they took both games of their home-and-home set. They followed that up with a loss to former teammate Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty in a game that saw Alyssa Thomas held without a field goal made for the first time since Aug. 1, 2020. Connecticut will look to bounce back when they host Indiana – coming off their first win since June 19, 2022.

4. Washington Mystics (2-2) 

• Previous Ranking: 2
• Last Week: (1-1) L vs. Sun 88-81; W at Sky 71-69
• This Week: Friday vs. Wings; Saturday vs. Lynx
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 93.9 (9), DefRtg: 92.0 (4), NetRtg: 1.8 (5), eFG%: 45.2 (T-6), Pace/40 Min: 81.62 (6)

The Mystics have handed the only losses of the season to both the 3-1 Liberty and the 3-1 Sky. The only team Washington has not been able to solve so far is the 3-1 Sun as they are 0-2 against Connecticut. Elena Delle Donne has looked great through four games, averaging 21 points on 54.1% shooting from the field and 58.3% from 3-point range. This week offers a test to the plan for her not to sit any games this year for injury management as Washington faces its first back-to-back of the season, hosting the Wings on Friday and the Lynx on Saturday.

5. Chicago Sky (3-1)

• Previous Ranking: 6
• Last Week: (1-1) L vs. Mystics 71-69; W vs. Wings 94-88
• This Week: Tuesday at Dream; Friday vs. Liberty; Sunday at Liberty
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.3 (6), DefRtg: 90.5 (2), NetRtg: 5.9 (3), eFG%: 48.0 (T-4), Pace/40 Min: 81.50 (T-7)

The Sky own the second-best point differential (+21) in the league through the first 10 days of the season, as their only loss of the season came by just two points to Washington on Friday. Chicago ranks second in both defensive rating (90.5 points per 100 possessions) and opponent effective field goal percentage (43%). They only trail the unbeaten Aces in all three categories: point differential, defensive rating and opponent eFG%.

6. Dallas Wings (2-1) 

• Previous Ranking: 7
• Last Week: (1-1) W at Storm 95-91; L at Sky 94-88
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Lynx; Friday at Mystics; Sunday at Sun
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 104.7 (2), DefRtg: 101.9 (7), NetRtg: 2.7 (4), eFG%: 48.0 (T-4), Pace/40 Min: 85.67 (2)

There are seven players averaging at least 20 points per game so far this season – and two of them represent the Dallas Wings. It starts with league leader Arike Ogunbowale (26.7 points per game), who has scored 25 or more points in all three games this season. Arike already owns the second-longest streak of 25+ point games with six in a row back in 2019; she’s halfway to matching that mark to open the 2023 season. The other 20 ppg scorer is Satou Sabally, who was limited to 11 games last season due to injuries but has looked fantastic to open the 2023 season. Not only is she averaging 22 points per game, but she’s also doing so with 50-40-90 efficiency: 51.2% FG, 41.7% 3P, and 94.4% FT, to be exact.

7. Los Angeles Sparks (1-2)

• Previous Ranking: 5
• Last Week: (0-2) L vs. Aces 94-85; L at Aces 93-65
• This Week: Friday at Mercury; Saturday vs. Storm
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.6 (5), DefRtg: 104.0 (10), NetRtg: -6.4 (8), eFG%: 45.2 (T-6), Pace/40 Min: 83.00 (4)

After opening the season with a 23-point win over Phoenix, the Sparks drew consecutive games – and suffered consecutive losses – against the defending champion Aces. In their first matchup in L.A., the Sparks held a 10-point halftime lead, but the Aces rallied in the third quarter to seize control of the game. Their matchup in Las Vegas two days later was an Aces rout. The Sparks try to get back on track with another meeting with the Mercury, this time in Phoenix on Friday.

8. Phoenix Mercury (1-2)

• Previous Ranking: 8
• Last Week: (1-0) W vs. Lynx 90-81
• This Week: Friday vs. Sparks
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 95.0 (7), DefRtg: 102.5 (9), NetRtg: -7.4 (9), eFG%: 50.6 (3), Pace/40 Min: 81.00 (T-9)

The opening week of the season featured two emotional moments for the Mercury – Brittney Griner’s first WNBA game in 579 days (a loss in Los Angeles) and her first home game in 585 days (a loss to Chicago). After opening the season 0-2, the Mercury earned their first win over the season on Thursday against Minnesota behind 23 points and 10 assists from Diana Taurasi and 19 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks from Griner. It’s another slow week on the schedule for Phoenix as they host L.A. on Friday in their only action this week.

9. Indiana Fever (1-2)

• Previous Ranking: 12
• Last Week: (1-0) W at Dream 90-87
• This Week: Tuesday at Sun; Sunday vs. Aces
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 91.1 (11), DefRtg: 101.6 (6), NetRtg: -10.6 (10), eFG%: 43.7 (9), Pace/40 Min: 81.50 (T-7)

On Sunday, the Fever not only earned their first win of the season, but they also snapped a 20-game losing streak that dated back to last season. They avoided taking sole possession of the record for the longest losing streak in league history – they still share it with the 2011 Tulsa Shock. NaLyssa Smith led the way in the Fever’s win over the Dream, finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds as six Indiana players scored in double figures. With the dark cloud of that historic losing streak no longer hovering over them, the Fever can look to build on Sunday’s win. They’ll do so against some strong competition, with games against Connecticut and Las Vegas on tap this week.

10. Atlanta Dream (1-2) 

• Previous Ranking: 10
• Last Week: (1-1) W at Lynx 83-77; L vs. Fever 90-87
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Sky; Friday vs. Aces
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.8 (3), DefRtg: 102.4 (8), NetRtg: -1.6 (7), eFG%: 44.0 (8), Pace/40 Min: 82.00 (5)

After being held to 10 points in her debut game with the Dream against her former team in Dallas – where she spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career –, Allisha Gray posted 26 points in a win over Minnesota and 19 points in a loss to Indiana. Gray currently leads the Dream in points (18.3 ppg), rebounds (7.0 RPG), and assists (4.0 apg), while Cheyenne Parker and reigning Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard each added 17 points per game. After splitting two of their games last week against the Lynx and Fever, the Dream will face the 3-1 Sky and 4-0 Aces this week.

11. Seattle Storm (0-2)

• Previous Ranking: 11
• Last Week: (0-1) L vs. Wings 95-91
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Liberty; Saturday at Sparks
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 90.1 (12), DefRtg: 115.6 (12), NetRtg: -25.5 (12), eFG%: 42.3 (12), Pace/40 Min: 86.25 (1)

After being on the wrong end of the most lopsided season-opening game ever with their 41-point loss to the Aces, the Storm were much more competitive against Dallas in a game that featured a scoring duel between Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale (26 points) and Seattle’s Jewell Loyd (30 points) – who enter this week ranked first and tied for second in the league in scoring, respectively. Still searching for their first win of the season, the Storm will welcome back Breanna Stewart when they host the Liberty on Tuesday before hitting the road to take on the Sparks in L.A. on Saturday.

12. Minnesota Lynx (0-4)

• Previous Ranking: 9
• Last Week: (0-3) L vs. Dream 83-77; L at Mercury 90-81; L at Aces 94-73
• This Week: Tuesday at Wings; Thursday vs. Sun; Saturday at Mystics
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 92.0 (10), DefRtg: 105.8 (11), NetRtg: -13.9 (11), eFG%: 42.8 (10), Pace/40 Min: 81.00 (T-9)

For the third straight year, the Lynx have opened the season 0-4, after suffering losses to Atlanta, Phoenix, and Las Vegas this past week. Last season, the Lynx got their first win in Game No. 5 but struggled to a 3-13 record through the first six weeks of the season before going 11-9 over the final 20 games of the season. Minnesota will look to make that turnaround a bit earlier this season and get their first shot at doing so Tuesday in Dallas against the Wings.

Longtime WNBA reporter Brian Martin writes articles on WNBA.com throughout the season. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.