‘Twas the week before the Olympic/All-Star break, and all through the league, teams aimed to make one final push to solidify their spots at the season’s midway point. Some rose to the occasion, and some fell injury-ridden. Let’s dive into my power rankings after Week 8 of gameplay. How did your favorite team fare? 

Stats and analysis as of Sunday, July 14. 

1. New York Liberty (20-4)

• Previous Ranking: 1
• Last Week: W at Sun 71-68, W vs. Sky 91-76, W vs. Sky 81-67
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Sun
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 107.7 (1); DefRtg: 95.8 (4); NetRtg: 11.9 (1); eFG%: 52.8 (1)

The Liberty are getting pretty cozy in this top spot. Last week, the team in teal had three huge wins, becoming the first to 20 wins this season. Connecticut made it challenging, but Stewie went to work with an 18-point, 14-rebound performance in the win.

Chicago has been a gritty matchup for them this season so far, but not this time around. In a two-game series last week, NY went 2-0 over Chi as Sabrina Ionescu put on her cape and saved the day. In Thursday’s game, after going 1-8 in the first half, she fired off for 19 points in the second. In the rematch on Saturday, Ionescu erupted for 28 and 6 assists.

“This is a veteran team, an experienced team,” head coach Sandy Brondello said after Thursday’s win over the Sky. “They can lock in. We’ve got great leadership. There’s a commitment to excellence. Even if you struggled one quarter, they’re always encouraging each other, ‘Come on, let’s do it. Let’s be better.’”

It’s New York’s best start in franchise history. Fraud watch? I think not. So far, it’s not a fluke; they’re for real. 

2. Connecticut Sun (18-5)

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Last Week: L vs. Liberty 68-71, W vs. Mercury 96-69 
• This Week: Tuesday at Liberty
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 103.0 (3); DefRtg: 93.4 (2); NetRtg: 9.6 (2); eFG%: 48.1 (9)

Rachel Banham was red hot off the bench on Sunday as the Sun stomped the Mercury. With her eight 3-pointers made, Banham made history by tying the franchise record for made 3s, earning a new career high, and breaking the WNBA record for most made 3-pointers in a game from a non-starter. She led all scorers with 24 points as the Sun cruised to a 27-point victory. The Sun drafted Banham in 2016, and after a four-year stint with Minnesota, Connecticut brought her back this offseason. 

But on Wednesday, the Sun dropped a close game to the Liberty for the second straight time this season, a two-year regular-season losing streak that dates back to July 2022. Connecticut struggled on the offensive end—they only put up 10 points in the first quarter—and Alyssa Thomas was limited to merely 3 points in the contest. 

“You just can’t make a lot of mistakes, and you’ve got to be able to match their scoring,” head coach Stephanie White said. “They have a lot of weapons on both ends of the floor … When they go with that big lineup, they’ve got length at four or five positions, and that creates some challenges defensively because of what they can do. I always feel really good about our defensive effort … but we’ve got to be able to score with them.”

The Sun get one more opportunity before the break to get a win over the Liberty on Tuesday. All eyes will be on how they respond. 

3. Las Vegas Aces (16-7)

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Last Week: W at Storm 84-79, W at Dream 84-70, W at Mystics 89-77
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Sky
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 107.4 (2); DefRtg: 99.9 (5); NetRtg: 7.4 (5); eFG%: 52.2 (2)

The reigning champs have had issues with their starts. Against Seattle, they recorded only 30 points in the half (the second fewest this season), but they erupted for 54 in the second half to secure the road win. A’ja Wilson went off for 24 points (!) and 20 rebounds (!!), and Jackie Young scored 27 with four assists. 

Against the Mystics, it was the same tune. Washington went up by 11 points after the first quarter, and by halftime, the Aces were still down by three. But in the second half, Vegas turned up the offense and outscored the Mystics 49-34 combined in the third and fourth quarters. Wilson had a monster game (again) with 28 points and 17 rebounds. Plum added 22 points, and Tiffany Hayes had a season-high 17 points (6-9 from the field). 

“For the past couple years, the Aces have been good enough to where slow starts and maybe not coming in as fired up is OK, because [the Aces] were just so much better, and we were so much better in that way,” Alysha Clark told Yahoo Sports last month. “But teams are better this year. Last year, yeah, they came in wanting our number because they were the defending champs. But after being the two-time champ, it’s amped up even more.”

With five Olympians on their roster (four for Team USA and Megan Gustafson for Spain), there won’t be much rest during the break, but quicker starts will be top of the game plan for the back half of the season; I’m sure. 

4. Minnesota Lynx (16-8)

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Last Week: W at Sparks 82-67, L at Storm 63-91, L vs. Fever 74-81
• This Week: Wednesday vs. Dream
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.7 (6); DefRtg: 93.3 (1); NetRtg: 7.5 (4); eFG%: 51.1 (3)

“That McBride kid can shoot that thang!” That was my dad’s reaction to Kayla McBuckets dropping 27 points (6 for 12 from beyond the arc) in 25 minutes during Friday’s loss to the Storm. He was all of us. Just look at this beautiful shot chart! The 10-year vet is so good at picking her spots, and when she kicks into another gear, it’s remarkable to watch. And, after drilling two more from deep in Sunday’s loss against the Fever, McBride moved to the top-10 all-time in career made 3-pointers. The All-Star is just like that. 

Napheesa Collier was still out with a left foot injury, and the Lynx missed her dearly—not only in the brutal 28-point loss to Seattle but also in the narrow seven-point loss to Indiana. Collier brings the defensive intensity, but Minnesota isn’t used to playing without her MVP-caliber offensive production. The Lynx are 2-3 since Collier aggravated her Plantar Fasciitis on July 4. They’ll return to their winning ways once she’s a healthy post-Olympic break. 

5. Seattle Storm (16-8)

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Last Week: L vs. Aces 79-84, W vs. Lynx 91-63, W vs. Dream 81-70
• This Week: Tuesday at Sparks
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 102.2 (4); DefRtg: 93.9 (3); NetRtg: 8.3 (3); eFG%: 47.7 (10)

Seattle wrapped a nine-game homestand with a win over Atlanta on Sunday. They went 7-2 during that stretch and sit tied for the third-best home record in the league (10-3). Not having to travel for nearly a month definitely helps, but the Storm has just been clicking. A close loss to the Aces and then two double-digit wins over the Lynx and Dream have them at a solid spot heading into the back end of the season. Nneka Ogwumike has been the head of the snake. The 12-year vet is playing some of her best basketball. Against Minnesota, she shot over 70% from the field for 26 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Ogwumike looks healthy, happy, and in complete control. 

Seattle’s defense has also been much improved. The team is now third in defensive rating and leads the league in steals and blocks (thanks, Ezzi Magbegor). Sidenote: Since moving Jordan Horston into the starting lineup, the Storm are 6-2. The second-year forward brings excellent length, which has helped their overall defensive scheme.

6. Indiana Fever (11-14)

• Previous Ranking: 6
• Last Week: L vs. Mystics 84-89, W vs. Mercury 95-86, W at Lynx 81-74
• This Week: Wednesday at Dallas
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.7 (7); DefRtg: 107.7 (11); NetRtg: -7.0 (9); eFG%: 50.7 (4)

The Fever are playing some of the best basketball in the league right now. Despite their close loss to the Mystics at the top of last week, they picked up two big Western Conference wins. In the matchup with the Mercury, it was like they were shot out of a cannon after the opening tip. Caitlin Clark had seven assists in the first eight minutes of the game. She finished the night with 13 assists and 20 points. The ball zipped as Indiana looked to have figured out their offense. The beneficiaries of those Clark assists: Kelsey Mitchell with 28 points, Aliyah Boston added 21 points and 13 rebounds, and NaLyssa Smith finished with 14 points and ten rebounds.

I felt like the Fever’s first matchup with the Lynx on Sunday was going to be a great test—their tweaked, humming offense versus the league’s number-one defense. Minnesota missed Napheesa Collier, but Indiana picked up a crucial, close road win. Still, Boston had a 17-16 game; Mitchell had 21 points, and Clark finished with 17 points and six assists. It showed maturity and poise, two things we could not say about this Fever team at the beginning of the season.   

7. Phoenix Mercury (12-12)

• Previous Ranking: 7
• Last Week: W vs. Wings 100-84, L at Fever 86-95, L at Sun 69-96
• This Week: Tuesday at Mystics
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 101.5 (5); DefRtg: 105.1 (9); NetRtg: -3.5 (7); eFG%: 50.2 (5)

The Mercury, who have four Olympians on their roster, were just trying to survive the week before the break. After a comfortable win over the Wings, Phoenix only had seven available players ahead of Friday’s Fever match-up. Then, Brittney Griner went down with a hip injury in the second quarter, leaving them with only six available for the remainder of the contest. Indiana went up by 20 points at halftime, but a late rally by the Mercury cut it to single digits. Kahleah Copper exploded for 36 points (11-13 from the free-throw line), and Sophie Cunningham drilled five 3-pointers (21 total points), but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Fever.

Phoenix was back at full roster strength against Connecticut on Sunday but fell flat again. The 27-point loss was the worst of the season—only second to a 23-point defeat also to the Sun in late May. Copper had 17 points, and BG contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. The Mercury has one more game on the road before returning home to host the 2024 WNBA All-Star game. 

8. Chicago Sky (9-14)

• Previous Ranking: 8
• Last Week: W vs. Dream 78-69, L at Liberty 76-91, L vs. Liberty 67-81
• This Week: Tuesday at Aces
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.4 (11); DefRtg: 100.5 (6); NetRtg: -3.1 (6); eFG%: 45.5 (11)

If the season ended after Week 9, the Sky would be a playoff team. Did anyone have that on their pre-season bingo card? This young squad can look cohesive in stretches, but the Liberty dimmed their light in the two-game series last week. New York was just too much for them (in the paint and from 3), and Chicago couldn’t ever get over the hump. 

Notes from the series: Welcome back, Marina Mabrey! After a skid of inconsistencies, she scored 15 points and 21 points, respectively. She was a combined 8-12 from deep (66%) in the two losses against NY. And after barely getting 10 points and ten rebounds in the week’s first meeting with NY, they stopped Angel Reese’s incredible 15-straight double-double streak the second time around. She finished with 8 points and 16 boards, and in the final seconds, the Liberty quadruple-teamed her to prevent the streak from extending. 

Quick shoutout to Michaela Onyenwere—a big 14-point (6-7 from the field) performance in 20 minutes of action on Saturday. Her role has changed from the beginning of the season from a starter to limited minutes off the bench. However, going up against her former team (Onyenwere was drafted by the Liberty in 2021 and won Rookie of the Year) seems to add some extra motivation. She had 13 points in their May 23 meeting as well. 

9. Atlanta Dream (7-16)

• Previous Ranking: 9
• Last Week: L at Sky 69-78, L vs. Aces 70-84, L at Storm 
• This Week: Wednesday at Lynx
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 94.0 (12); DefRtg: 101.1 (7); NetRtg: -7.1 (10); eFG%: 45.0 (12)

The Dream have lost seven straight and 10 of their last 11 games. But Maya Caldwell—signed on a hardship contract at the end of June—has been a bright spot for Atlanta. She added 13 points against Vegas on Friday, and on Sunday, she had a game-and-career-high 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists. This is her second stint with ATL; as a lengthy, quick wing, she has given them quality minutes in her two weeks with the team.  

Right now, Atlanta is simply trying to stay afloat. Post-break, they’ll look to have Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada back in the starting lineup. Only then will we (finally) be able to judge this squad as a whole. 

10. Washington Mystics (6-18)

• Previous Ranking: 12
• Last Week: W at Fever 89-84, L vs. Aces 77-89
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Mercury
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.5 (10); DefRtg: 102.9 (8); NetRtg: -5.4 (8); eFG%: 50.2 (6)

With recent wins over both the Sparks and Fever, the Mystics move up from last place in these rankings. Ariel Atkins has been on a tear; she was vital to Washington’s win over Indiana on TK with 26 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Four other Mystics were also in double figures to rally over Caitlin Clark and Co. and earn their sixth win of the season.  

Atkins remained on fire when Las Vegas came into town on Sunday. She scored 16 points (6-9 from the field) in the first quarter. Washington, historically, has had great starts against the Aces, but then the reigning champs turn it on. Atkins finished with a career-high 36 points but had little help as no other Mystics reached double figures. 

11. Los Angeles Sparks (6-17)

• Previous Ranking: 11
• Last Week: L vs. Lynx 67-82, W at Wings 87-81
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Storm
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.8 (9); DefRtg: 105.4 (10); NetRtg: -7.5 (11); eFG%: 48.3 (8)

The timing for the Olympic break couldn’t be worse for the Sparks because just as they’re starting to hit a groove, they’re forced to pause. They won their second game in their last four against Dallas, and Dearica Hamby shined with 27 points (13-24 from the field), eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. Whew! What a stat line. Rickea Jackson’s smooth career-high 23 points was the difference maker, though. Her confidence is blooming, and her teammates continue empowering her to call her own number. 

Here’s what Hamby said about Jackson after the win: “I’m very proud of [Rickea]. Since she’s been here I’ve been in her ear about keeping her confidence and that her game was going to come and translate. She’s been playing well in the last month, so just really proud of her.” 

Jackson has claimed her stake as the third-best rookie in this stacked 2024 Draft Class. And the best is yet to come. 

12. Dallas Wings (5-19)

• Previous Ranking: 10
• Last Week: L at Mercury 84-100, L vs. Sparks 81-87
• This Week: Wednesday vs. Fever
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 98.9 (8); DefRtg: 109.3 (12); NetRtg: -10.4 (12); eFG%: 48.3 (7)

Last week, Dallas dropped both games against West Coast opponents, the Mercury and Sparks. In Saturday’s match at home against LA, Odyssey Sims led the Wings with 23 points. BTW, she has scored in double-figures in seven of eight games, including each of the last six, since she reunited with the team in late June. 

Dallas has won just twice since May 26. I can’t think of a team more ready for this Olympic break. Come the season’s return in mid-August, Dallas could be a team to watch. They’ll get back All-WNBA, last season’s Most Improved Player, Satou Sabally, and (hopefully) promising rookie Jaelyn Brown. Meanwhile, they are clinging on for dear life until then.