WNBA Power Rankings

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 20, 2009

WNBA Power Rankings

Indiana Fever

For proof that no team is playing better all-around basketball than the Fever, look no further than the home-and-home hurtin' they put on Chicago. After blowing out the Sky 83-54 last Friday and setting franchise records for first-quarter points (33), first-half points on the road (54) and points led at halftime (31), Indiana forced 21 turnovers to beat Chicago 84-74 on Wednesday for its 10th consecutive victory. That ties the seventh-longest win streak in league history. Next three: 7/17 vs. Atlanta; 7/19 at Connecticut; 7/21 at Washington

Phoenix Mercury

Despite all good news that has streamed out of the desert the past week -- especially for Rookie of the Month DeWanna Bonner and Conference Player of the Week Cappie Pondexter -- none of it washed away the blight of Diana Taurasi's (pictured) recent DUI citation. On Tuesday came news that the league-leading scorer (20.7 ppg) faces three drunk-driving related charges. Taurasi, whose blood-alcohol level was reportedly 0.17 percent (or more than twice the legal limit), was leading the All-Star voting before news of her DUI broke. Taurasi wound up ninth in the final tally (with 75,263 votes), which cost her a starting spot on the West squad. Next three: 7/18 vs. Detroit; 7/22 vs. Minnesota; 7/26 at New York

Minnesota Lynx

Count Roneeka Hodges (pictured) among the Lynx players who have elevated their games since Seimone Augustus went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Acquired in Houston's dispersal draft last December, the fifth-year forward is one reason the Lynx still rank among the Western Conference's frontrunners. She is averaging career-highs in points (9.4 ppg), field-goal percentage (45.5 percent) and three-point accuracy (46.9 percent). Next three: 7/19 at Seattle; 7/22 at Phoenix; 7/28 vs. Los Angeles

Seattle Storm

All over the league, it seems teams have been reupping their commitment to stopping Lauren Jackson (pictured). But no one wanted to see her neutralized the way she was on Wednesday, when she left the last 131/2 minutes of the Storm's game against the Shock with a strained left calf. She had been held to 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. After MRI results revealed a mild strain of her left Achillies tendon, the Storm said she'll be missing the trip to Sacramento and day-to-day after that. Next three: 7/17 at Sacramento; 7/19 vs. Minnesota; 7/22 vs. Los Angeles

San Antonio Silver Stars

By losing 83-76 to the Lynx last Sunday, Becky Hammond (pictured) and company denied their fans the satisfaction of seeing them win their fifth in six home games and get over the .500 mark for the first time this season. But fans should take solace in San Antonio's impressive road victories last Friday at Minnesota (77-61) and Wednesday at Washington (79-78), against whom they nearly blew a 10-point lead. Prior to the road trip, the Silver Stars were 0-4 away from the AT&T Center. Next three: 7/17 vs. Connecticut; 7/19 at Chicago; 7/23 vs. Indiana

Washington Mystics

Alana Beard (pictured), who averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals last week on the way to scoring Conference Player of the Week honors, continues to make the Mystics look good. But the 79-78 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday was Washington's fifth in seven games and perhaps a sign that the much-improved Mystics may be regressing. Next three: 7/18 vs. New York; 7/21 vs. Indiana; 7/23 vs. Chicago

Connecticut Sun

One would've expected the Sun to catch a break in home games against struggling powerhouses Detroit and Los Angeles, but they only partly did. After losing 79-77 in overtime against Detroit last Saturday, Connecticut got a season-high tying 24 points from Asjha Jones and 14 more from Sandrine Gruda (pictured) in a 82-71 victory over Los Angeles. That victory put them at .500 for the season and in the East playoff hunt. Next three: 7/17 at San Antonio; 7/19 vs. Indiana; 7/22 vs. Sacramento

Atlanta Dream

One of the league's hottest shooting teams, the Dream headed into its five-game road swing among the league leaders in field-goal shooting with 45 percent. Atlanta lost its touch for a moment last Saturday at New York, shooting just 37.7 percent (while going 7-of-21 from 3-point range) in a 71-69 loss, but regained it in a 91-77 upset at Minnesota on Wednesday. Chamique Holdsclaw (pictured) scored a season-high 28 points and Iziane Castro Marques added 20 more as the Dream shot a blistering 53.1 percent from the field. Next three: 7/17 at Indiana; 7/19 at New York; 7/22 at Detroit

Chicago Sky

As unfortunately timed ads go, you can't do worse than the one the Sky ran on their big screen for coach Steve Key's basketball clinic last Friday, less than a minute into their homestand against the Fever. Not only had the Sky just given up seven unanswered points, but they proceeded to get outscored 26-9 in the first quarter on the way to an 83-54 loss. Though they were 20 points better against the Fever the second time around, the Sky still turned the ball over a staggering 21 times. At this rate, maybe Key should consider waiving the $35 admission fee. Next three: 7/19 vs. San Antonio; 7/22 vs. New York; 7/23 at Washington

Detroit Shock

Is there a more determined player on the planet than the Shock's Katie Smith (pictured)? Detroit just gets dealt setback after setback, and the 11th-year guard refuses to let her team succumb to circumstance. After hitting the game-winning jumper with 6.3 seconds left to lift Detroit to a 79-77 overtime win at Connecticut last Saturday, she hit the go-ahead bucket with 1:01 left that sealed a 66-63 victory at Seattle. Next three: 7/18 at Phoenix; 7/19 at Sacramento; 7/22 vs. Atlanta

New York Liberty

The Liberty's offense may be in disarray -- they score the fewest points of any team and shoot the second-worst percentage from the field -- but the defense is good enough to bail them out every now and then. Facing Atlanta at home on Monday and tied at 69 with 43 seconds left, New York saw Sancho Little miss a 15-footer, then blocked Chamique Holdsclaw's putback attempt. Eleven seconds later, Liberty's Cathrine Kraayeveld sank two free throws to win the game. Next three: 7/18 at Washington; 7/19 vs. Atlanta; 7/22 at Chicago

Los Angeles Sparks

Most teams are lucky to have one Olympian, but the Sparks have four. (Four!) And even though one (Lisa Leslie) is out injured and another (Candace Parker) is working her way back from childbirth, you'd think this team would at least be playing .500 ball, or something close to it. But with the Sparks four games below the Mendoza line, maybe coaching is the problem. How much is Michael Cooper holding down two jobs at once -- his current one in LA, and his new one at USC -- to blame for L.A.'s woes? Next three: 7/22 at Seattle; 7/28 at Minnesota; 7/29 at Chicago

Sacramento Monarchs

One can't help but sympathize with Jenny Boucek (pictured), who was fired on Monday after going 40-41 and making the playoffs twice over two-plus seasons. The league didn't do her any favors by scheduling eight of Sacramento's first 12 games on the road, and management didn't do her any favors by assembing an aging roster. General manager and former coach John Whisenant takes over and believes he can have this lot playing with the same intensity that won Sacramento a title in 2005. Next three: 7/17 vs. Seattle; 7/19 vs. Detroit; 7/22 at Connecticut