Note: WNBA.com’s Race to the MVP, released every Wednesday during the season, is the opinion of this writer and does not reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.

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What a difference a week can make: Suddenly it’s the Sparks chasing history out in L.A. rather than the Lynx in Minnesota.

Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike ensured that with a statement-making payback win in Minnesota on Friday, halting the Lynx’s unbeaten streak at 13-0. After the Lynx dropped their next game in Washington, the Sparks took down the Sun and Wings — the latter behind a Herculean effort from Parker (31 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists).

Approaching the halfway point of the season, the MVP award in this writer’s eyes is a virtual toss-up between the two star Sparks forwards. Parker’s rare skills at her size, which allow her to be the centerpiece of what L.A. does on both ends of the floor, give her the slight edge.

1. Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Last Week: 4
Stats: 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.1 blocks

CP3 delivered perhaps the performance of the season so far on Tuesday, the day she lost beloved college coach Pat Summitt. With her team down 19 at half, Parker rallied the troops with 25 second-half points en route to her second 30+point game this season.

But it was her season-high 13 rebounds that meant the most: “I see Coach’s glare and I hear her voice screaming at me to rebound,” she said in an emotional postgame interview.

2. Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
Last Week: 1
Stats: 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals

Consecutive losses are considered a rough patch only for teams of Minnesota’s caliber. Moore did her best to avoid the first one, pouring in 28 points in L.A. The Lynx’s first losing streak of 2016 could call for her to turn up the switch heading into the Olympic break.

3. Tina Charles, New York Liberty
Last Week: 2
Stats: 22.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals

Incredibly, Charles shows no signs of slowing down as she lifts the Liberty to the top of the East. The seven-year vet has put up seven-straight games with 20 or more points, ranking first in the league in points and rebounds, rounding out her game at sixth in assists.

4. Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
Last Week: 3
Stats: 17.1 points, 68% FG, 8.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals

Ogwumike came up huge in back-to-back wins over the Lynx (20 points, 9/15 FG) and Sun (27 points, 11/16 FG). The fifth-year forward continues to score with record efficiency — her 68.3% shooting remains ahead of Tamika Raymond’s all-time best mark of 66.8% in 2003.

5. Angel McCoughtry
Last Week: 5
Stats: 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 steals

Four-straight losses have the Dream leaking oil, but McCoughtry has stayed rock solid. Just 2.2 points behind league leader Tina Charles, Angel has a third career scoring title in her sights.

6. Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
Last Week: Unranked
Stats: 18.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.3 steals

How many players in the league — or in league history, for that matter — could have put together the type of game Stewart did on Tuesday: 38 points, 12-of-16 shooting (3-of-4 from three), 6 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Her otherworldly averages over the past four games, when she’s carried the Storm back into playoff contention: 29.3 points (68/59/90%), 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.5 threes, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks.

7. Emma Meesseman, Washington Mystics
Last Week: 8
Stats: 15.1 points, 55% FG, 5.9 rebounds

Meesseman’s stellar season finally paying off in Washington’s win column, as the Mystics have won seven of nine. She’s the only player in the league shooting above 50% attempting at least ten field goals per game, speaking to her consistency and attention defenses must give her.

8. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
Last Week: 10
Stats: 19.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.9 3PM/G

Back-to-back big games from Taurasi — and, more importantly, back-to-back wins for the Mercury. The WNBA’s Mamba sunk five threes in both games and became the third player ever to surpass 7,000 career points. Her push for No. 1 in all-time scoring is more of a “when” than an “if” question.

9. Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx
Last Week: 7
Stats: 14.0 points, 59% FG, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.3 blocks

Fowles anchors a Lynx defense that fell apart in their first two losses of the season. But her offensive output peaks when the team’s at its best, with ball movement and Fowles’ activity leading to buckets inside. She’s scored just 27 points on a combined 18 shot attempts over their last three games.

10. Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky
Last Week: 6
Stats: 19.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.6 blocks

While the Sky can’t seem to find their rhythm, EDD has found her’s on the offensive end. Highlighted by a 31-point, five-three outburst in a one-point loss to New York, she’s averaging 25.3 points on 52% shooting over her last four games.