WNBA Power Rankings

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 27, 2009

WNBA Power Rankings

Los Angeles Sparks

Yeah, this is risky, slotting the .500 Sparks back at the top after an 11-week hiatus, but we defy you to find a team that's playing better than them right now. In the last 10 days they've ticked off a league-most six straight wins. The team has been boosted by the returns of Lisa Leslie and Player of the Week Candace Parker (pictured), who have averaged a combined 34.0 points and 17.0 rebounds during the streak. But the Sparks have also gotten solid minutes from reserve post Noelle Quinn, who's averaging a career-high 11.7 points in the month of August. Next three: 8/27 vs. Phoenix; 8/30 vs. Connecticut; 9/1 vs. Atlanta

Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury succeeded where the Fever failed and locked up that last postseason slot last Saturday night. Still, it was a rocky road: After falling 91-81 to the Mystics last Friday, the Mercury caught a break when West rival Minnesota lost to Connecticut the next night. The playoff trip, the fifth in Mercury history, shows how far Diana Taurasi and company have come since a 2008 season when Phoenix finished a conference-worst 16-18 after winning its WNBA championship the previous year. Next three: 8/27 at Los Angeles; 8/29 vs. Connecticut; 9/1 at Detroit.

Indiana Fever

Losses to Sacramento (67-62) and Seattle (74-60) last week cost the Fever opportunities at becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot. While the defeats--the Fever's first back-to-back since starting 0-2--didn't undercut their wide lead over their Eastern conference rivals, they dropped Indiana's record against the West to 4-5. How the Fever fare in their next three games could reveal much about their chances in a WNBA finals -- assuming, of course, they continue to dominate inside their own conference. Next three: 8/27 vs. San Antonio; 8/29 vs. Sacramento; 9/2 vs. Phoenix

Seattle Storm

Last week was full of big moments for the Storm. It began with Lauren Jackson's (pictured) huge game against Detroit last Tuesday (she scored 36 points, the last nine on fourth-quarter threes, in a 79-75 win) and ended with an equally huge 74-60 victory over Indiana. Seattle not only denied the league's best team a second chance to clinch a playoff berth, but also held them to their lowest point total of the season. Next three: 8/27 vs. Connecticut; 8/29 vs. Atlanta; 9/1 at New York

Atlanta Dream

The Dream has been scoring at will all season. (Atlanta's 84.4 points per game trails only Phoenix's 92.2 for league-most.) And on Tuesday night they had their way again against the Monarchs, beating them 103-83. It marked the Dream's eighth victory in 10 games and the ninth time the squad scored more than 90 points this season. (Atlanta is 8-1 in those games.) "We are having so much fun," said guard Iziane Castro Marques (pictured), who led all scorers in that game with 30 points on 13-of-21 shooting. "This team is just getting better and better." Next three: 8/27 at Detroit; 8/29 at Seattle; 9/1 at Los Angeles

Connecticut Sun

Asjha Jones' Achilles injury could have thrown the third-place Sun's whole season into chaos, but Sandrine Gruda (pictured) has stepped up to steady the squad. The French pivot won the first Player of the Week award of her career on Monday after averaging 18.0 points on 51.0 percent shooting, 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 assists. After swatting a career-high four blocks last Wednesday against New York, she torched the Liberty again for personal bests in scoring (24) and rebounding (12). Next three: 8/27 at Seattle; 8/29 vs. Phoenix; 8/30 at Los Angeles

San Antonio Silver Stars

The Western conference champs have lost three straight and are in danger of falling out of the fourth and final playoff spot. And yet in the face of all those struggles All-Star forward Sophia Young (pictured) continues to thrive. The fourth-year pro scored her 2,000th career point last Friday in a 67-66 loss to Los Angeles. That made her the third player from the 2006 WNBA draft class after Minnesota's Seimone Augustus and Phoenix's Cappie Pondexter to achieve that milestone. Next three: 8/27 at Indiana; 8/29 vs. Detroit; 9/1 at Detroit

Washington Mystics

The week began promising enough for Monique Curry (pictured) and the Mystics, who kicked off the first of three Western conference road games last Friday with a 91-81 win over the Mercury. But the rest of the trip quickly went south from there. After losing by 22 in Sacramento the next night, they suffered a 10-point loss in Seattle three days later. Still, the Mystics remain in fourth place in the East and in control of their playoff destiny. Next three: 8/30 vs. Minnesota; 9/3 vs. Seattle; 9/4 at Chicago

Chicago Sky

If the Sky's postseason pursuit were any more tense it would require a dramatic score. After stringing together a pair of wins two weeks ago, Tamara Young (pictured) and the Sky suffered consecutive losses to Shock (76-67) and Sparks (75-63). Against Los Angeles, Chicago kept things close and was within four points in the fourth quarter but struggled to make shots down the stretch. "When you miss the wide-open shot and then you don't get back on defense and they get an easy basket, it's pretty tough," Sky coach Steve Key said. Next three: 8/28 vs. New York; 8/30 at New York; 9/4 vs. Washington

Detroit Shock

Tuesday night's 90-70 win over the Sun gave the Shock its third straight victory. They had entered the Connecticut matchup one game out of playoff position in the East. "We're not in a position where we can give any games away," said forward Taj McWilliams (pictured), who became the 10th player to score her 4,000th point last Sunday. "This was a very important win for our playoff hopes." Next three: 8/27 vs. Atlanta; 8/29 at San Antonio; 9/1 vs. Phoenix

New York Liberty

Like the Shock, the Liberty is making a run at the East's final playoff spot. Their 80-67 victory over Minnesota last Sunday gave them their second straight win. "It's getting toward the end of the season and we are trying to make a push," said Shameka Christon (pictured) who led all scorers in that game with 24 points. "Every game is very important and we are trying to focus on the little things and do what we can to make ourselves better." Next three: 8/28 at Chicago; 8/30 vs. Chicago; 9/1 vs. Seattle

Minnesota Lynx

Defeats at Connecticut (98-94) and at New York (80-67) extended the Lynx's league-leading losing streak to six in a row. At this rate, Candice Wiggins (pictured) and company are not only looking at missing out on the playoffs altogether -- Minnesota is tied for fourth place in the West with San Antonio -- but they might be in danger of getting leapfrogged by lowly (yet surging) Sacramento in the standings. However, Seimone Augustus, their injured leader, refuses to abandon hope. "We still aren't out of it," she told the Pioneer Press. "The team just needs to push through." Next three: 8/28 vs. Sacramento; 8/30 at Washington; 9/1 at San Antonio

Sacramento Monarchs

To say the last-place Monarchs have had a less than perfect season would be putting it mildly. (Their timing's been off, too: after they were effectively eliminated from the playoffs last week, they went on to win two of three.) The lone exception has been Nicole Powell (pictured). The All-Star forward has made all 42 of her free throw attempts at home this season. She leads the league in accuracy from the charity stripe, at 97.4 percent. Next three: 8/28 at Minnesota; 8/29 at Indiana; 9/1 vs. Connecticut