WNBA Power Rankings: Aces' Scorching Rise Continues Behind Dominant A'ja Wilson

The Las Vegas Aces are soaring up the WNBA standings and our power rankings as they ride a 7-game winning streak.

Aug 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) shoots over Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper (2), forward Alyssa Thomas (25), forward DeWanna Bonner (14), and guard Sami Whitcomb (33) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With four weeks left to play in the 2025 WNBA regular season, the race for the playoffs is tight as ever.

The league-leading Minnesota Lynx have officially clinched a postseason berth after this past weekend's slate. With nine other teams still very much in the mix and seven playoff spots remaining, it's all lined up for an exciting road to the finish line.

Here's how it all shakes out in this week's WNBA power rankings.

1. Minnesota Lynx (28-5)

Aug 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) celebrates with guard Natisha Hiedeman (2) during the first quarter against the New York Liberty at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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The Lynx only played once this week, a Saturday afternoon affair against the New York Liberty, but they made it count. An 86-80 win over New York stamped a 6-game winning streak for Minnesota, who are now 4-0 since MVP-favorite Napheesa Collier went down with an ankle sprain.

Five of their last six wins have been over teams currently in a playoff spot, with three coming against the reigning champion Liberty. While a wide disparity in free-throw attempts certainly helped seal the deal on Saturday, it doesn't change the fact that the Lynx are incredibly deep and incredibly dominant.

Let's put it like this. Minnesota has a 6.5-game lead over the second-place Atlanta Dream. That's a wider gap than the 6-game lead the Dream have on the No. 10-seed Washington Mystics.

2. Las Vegas Aces (21-14)

Aug 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) brings the ball up court against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Change: +3

With seven straight wins, the Aces might just be the hottest team in the WNBA right now.

Las Vegas picked up three more wins this week, improving to 9-1 in their last 10 games. Thanks to a stunning second-half turnaround, the Aces now sit fifth in the standings, just a game and a half behind the Dream for second place.

Star center A'ja Wilson remains the headliner, posting back-to-back 30-point efforts to close out the week. The three-time MVP leads the WNBA in 30-point games this season, reaching that mark in three of her last four games. She's been the driving force as Las Vegas soars up the standings.

A'ja Wilson is a force to be reckoned with 😤

She leads the league in 30-PT games this season 👏 pic.twitter.com/tenHpBAK5q

— espnW (@espnW) August 17, 2025

3. Atlanta Dream (22-12)

Aug 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon (00), guard Allisha Gray (15), forward Brionna Jones (24), and guard Rhyne Howard (10) huddle during a game against the Golden State Valkyries in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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The No. 2 seed Dream may not have a comfortable lead over the teams below them, but they're certainly playing well enough to protect it. Atlanta saw their six-game winning streak end on Friday against the Seattle Storm, but they bounced right back with a strong 79-63 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday.

The Dream are 8-2 in their last 10 games and continue to impress defensively. Coming back from a lengthy injury stint, Rhyne Howard has led the team in scoring for three consecutive games, giving Atlanta some extra punch on the offensive end. Jordin Canada's hamstring is the only thing in the way of a fully healthy Dream squad, and that's a frightening prospect for the rest of the league.

4. Phoenix Mercury (20-13)

Aug 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) drives around Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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The Phoenix Mercury are 4-3 in the month of August. Those three losses have come against two of the hottest teams in the league, falling to the Aces and the Dream (twice). There's no shame in getting beat by a great team, but those are the games you need to win at this time of the year.

Phoenix eked out an 85-82 win over Seattle on Sunday to keep themselves from falling below Las Vegas in the standings, but they're far from out of the woods yet. This upcoming slate shows two matchups against the Valkyries and a Thursday night affair with the Aces, making this week of utmost importance.

Alyssa Thomas continues to play at a flat-out historic pace, recording her fifth double-double on Sunday. To put that in perspective, she's got more double-doubles this season than any WNBA player has in their entire career. As long as Thomas is playing at an MVP-level, the Mercury can't be counted out.

Alyssa Thomas vs Seattle:

19 PTS
10 REB
11 AST
3 STL

She has more triple-doubles this season than any other player has in their entire career. pic.twitter.com/f2PJQ2ImfM

— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 18, 2025

5. New York Liberty (21-13)

Aug 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Liberty center Emma Meesseman (33) drives towards the basket as Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton (6) defends during the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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The Liberty still sit in third place, but it's clear they need Breanna Stewart back as soon as possible. Granted, the eye test indicates they're trending back in the right direction. A 105-97 win over the Los Angeles Sparks and a pair of 6-point losses to the Aces and Lynx is far from an atrocious week. That said, they've dropped three of four and no longer have much of a cushion in the standings.

Emma Meesseman has proved to be a terrific addition, reaching the 20-point mark twice this past week. Still, the Liberty look outmatched without Stewart on the court, and a 4-7 record in her absence lends some credence to that notion.

6. Golden State Valkyries (18-16)

Aug 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (14) reacts after the second half against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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The Valkyries continue to be a thorn in the rest of the league's side. Sunday's loss to the Dream snapped a four-game winning streak, but Golden State keeps picking up valuable wins over the teams around them in the standings.

With Wednesday's win over the Mystics, the Valkyries clinched the tiebreaker over Washington. This comes after already securing tiebreakers over Los Angeles and the Indiana Fever, and they'll have a chance to seal the deal against Seattle in the final week of the season. As long as Golden State can keep pace with the teams around them -- which they've had no problem doing -- they're in an excellent spot to be one of eight teams left standing.

7. Indiana Fever (19-16)

Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) drives the ball against Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10) in the second half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

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The Fever got a much-needed win Sunday, erasing a 21-point deficit to take down the Connecticut Sun in overtime. Of more import, however, are the results from Sophie Cunningham's MRI after the seventh-year guard had to be helped to the locker room following a scary-looking right-leg injury.

With Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson both out for the season and Caitlin Clark working towards an unspecified return, losing Cunningham for any length of time would be a devastating blow. The Fever have only managed wins over the Sun and Chicago Sky since McDonald and Colson went down, and while Sunday's win was an inspiring one, it took a herculean 38-point effort from Kesley Mitchell to get there.

Odyssey Sims has been productive on a hardship contract, but I question whether Indiana can truly hold their own against stronger teams given the state of their injuries.

8. Los Angeles Sparks (16-18)

Aug 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (10) dribbles the ball past a screen set by Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) as Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) defends in the first half at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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The Sparks finally cooled off after a scorching 9-2 stretch, dropping two of three this past week. Losses to the Liberty and Mystics sandwiched a 1-point win over the Dallas Wings, perhaps signaling a return to earth of sorts for Los Angeles.

Despite an impressive hot stretch, the Sparks still sit outside a playoff spot, and their defense, or lack thereof, might just be their undoing. Los Angeles has had no problem scoring the rock, reaching 90 points in each of their last four contests as Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby prove to be a deadly duo. But as good as the offense has been, the defense has been as bad, if not worse.

The Sparks are allowing a league-worst 92.3 PPG since the All-Star break, and that's simply not conducive to winning basketball.

9. Washington Mystics (16-18)

Aug 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) shoots the ball over Los Angeles Sparks guard Rae Burrell (12) in the second half at CareFirst Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Sonia Citron's push for WNBA Rookie of the Year might catapult the Mystics into the postseason. The exciting rookie guard closed out the week with a pair of 20-point performances, leading Washington to crucial wins over Indiana and Los Angeles in the process.

We've yet to see a full-on hot streak from the Mystics, but if the teams above them continue to struggle, they may not need one.

10. Seattle Storm (17-18)

Aug 17, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor (13) is fouled by Phoenix Mercury forward Natasha Mack (4) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Sunday's loss to the Mercury sank the Storm below .500 for the first time since June 1, barely two weeks into the season. Needless to say, it's been a stunning decline.

Entering August, Seattle sat comfortably in a playoff spot at 16-11. Since then, they've dropped seven of eight games, clinging onto the No. 8 seed by a thread. The once stingy Storm defense ranks third-to-worst in that span, only behind Dallas and Los Angeles.

With all that said, they still have time to turn things around, and they've certainly got the talent to do it. Seattle hasn't been getting blown out -- six of their seven losses in August have come by single-digit margins -- but they've struggled mightily in close-game scenarios. It's bleak right now, but the Storm are more than capable of resurrecting this season.

11. Dallas Wings (9-26)

Aug 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist (20) scoes a basket ahead of Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark (32) during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

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As big a gap as there is between the #1 Lynx and #2 Dream, there's an even bigger gap between the #10 Mystics and #11 Wings -- 7.5 games to be exact. While not officially eliminated from postseason contention, Dallas isn't in the playoff picture this year.

But there is plenty to like about the way they've been playing lately. The Wings upset a shorthanded Fever squad on Tuesday, and battled closely with the Sparks in a 97-96 defeat on Thursday. The weekend ended on a sour note, getting trounced by the red-hot Aces, but Dallas is showing plenty of fight.

Maddy Siegrist has reached double figures in five of six games since returning from a two-month injury stint, and Paige Bueckers is doing her best to hold off Citron in the Rookie of the Year race. If nothing else, the Wings' young core should breed some hope for the future.

12. Connecticut Sun (6-27)

Aug 17, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) on the court against the Indiana Fever in overtime at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

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The Connecticut Sun were a good half of basketball away from their first two-game winning streak of the season. After a 71-62 win over the Sky on Wednesday, the Sun took a 19-point lead into halftime against the Fever on Sunday.

What followed was a ridiculous half of basketball from Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell, who scored a career-high 38 points, willing the Fever to a comeback victory. Youngsters like Leila Lacan and Aneesah Morrow are impressing for Connecticut, but it looks like wins will still be hard to come by.

13. Chicago Sky (8-25)

Aug 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) drives to the basket against Chicago Sky guard Hailey Van Lith (2), left, and guard Ariel Atkins (7) during the second half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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If you ever needed proof of how important Angel Reese is to the Sky, look no further than this recent stretch of basketball. Chicago is 1-6 since Reese was sidelined with a back injury, outscored by a league-worst 13.1 PPG in that span.

Of course, the struggles predate Reese's injury as the Sky are 1-12 in their last 13 games. Reese has returned to practice, and her potential return should translate to more competitive basketball down the stretch, but as of right now, Chicago rivals Connecticut for the worst team in the WNBA.