WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx Back on Top as Collier Shines in Season Debut
Virtually every WNBA contender enters the 2026 All-Star break with momentum on its side. Six of the top eight teams in the league standings carry winning streaks into this weekend's festivities, hosted by the Chicago Sky at United Center.
The Valkyries have been the talk of the town in July, as Natalie Nakase's club ripped off nine straight wins during an inspired stretch of basketball. But the Minnesota Lynx might have something to say about that.
Star forward Napheesa Collier is healthy, bolstering a Lynx squad that didn't need much help to begin with. It certainly adds some fuel to an already exciting first half -- as reflected in our latest edition of WNBA power rankings.
1. Minnesota Lynx (22-6, W7)
Previous Ranking: 2 (+1)
Despite the Valkyries' best efforts, the Lynx still sit atop the WNBA standings, holding a 2.5-game lead over first place. Minnesota improved to 22-6 with its seventh consecutive win Wednesday, defeating the Seattle Storm by 10.
The spotlight belonged to Collier, who stamped her season debut with a game-high 24 points and a team-best 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, returning to WNBA action for the first time since the 2025 WNBA semifinals in September.
New year, same Phee 😤
— espnW (@espnW) July 22, 2026
Napheesa Collier records a double-double in her first game of the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/99r9zxlktN
The Lynx managed just fine through the first two-plus months of the season as Collier recovered from left-ankle surgery. Now they inject the back-to-back MVP runner-up into a lineup that already features Rookie of the Year favorite Olivia Miles, 2026 All-Stars Natasha Howard and Courtney Williams, and another All-Star-caliber piece in Kayla McBride.
That's as good of a starting five as you're going to find across the league.
2. Golden State Valkyries (19-8, L1)
Previous Ranking: 1 (-1)
A strong fourth-quarter closeout by the Washington Mystics was all that prevented the Valkyries from taking a 10-game winning streak into the All-Star break. Washington outscored Golden State 17-2 in the final 3:32 of Monday night's affair, sealing a 90-82 victory that capped the Valkyries' heater at nine games.
It marked Golden State's first loss since June 21, and just the fourth time this season that the club allowed 90 points or more.
In a 44-game season, a nine-game winning streak can go a long way. The Valkyries now own sole possession of second place and boast the second-best average scoring differential in the WNBA. Chasing down Minnesota will be a tall task, but make no mistake -- Golden State is the real deal.
3. Indiana Fever (17-10, W3)
Previous Ranking: T4 (+1)
It's splitting hairs between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings for the No. 3 spot on our power rankings. Dallas owns the better record in July, but Indiana gets the nod with a more impressive display of dominance over the last two weeks.
The Fever have won five of their last six, with the lone loss coming to red-hot Golden State on July 15. Indiana bounced back with three straight wins, outscoring its opponents by a combined 58 points -- a large chunk coming from a 25-point blowout of the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday to enter All-Star weekend on a high note.
The WNBA's top offense is living up to the billing. Caitlin Clark made history Friday, racking up 45 points and 10 assists in just 29 minutes as the Fever defeated the Storm 110-107. Kelsey Mitchell, meanwhile, has delivered 20 or more points in 11 straight games. She's averaging 27.3 points in the month of July, second only to Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (27.4).
that's our All-Star backcourt duo ❤️🔥
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 18, 2026
Caitlin Clark (45 PTS) and Kelsey Mitchell (30 PTS) combined for 75 of our 110 points tonight against Seattle. pic.twitter.com/ko3p8bR7QY
It wasn't the steadiest first half for Indiana, but that Clark-Mitchell tandem presents a hefty challenge for any opponent, especially when both are hitting their stride at the same time.
4. Dallas Wings (18-9, W1)
Previous Ranking: T4 (--)
There is a convincing argument to be made for the Wings at No. 3 over the Fever. Dallas is 6-1 in July, tied with Golden State for the league's best record this month. The lone loss -- a 99-98 overtime thriller against the New York Liberty -- came in the second part of a back-to-back with star guard Paige Bueckers sidelined following an injury scare the night before.
Only one of Dallas' wins this month came against a team in playoff position, but you can only play the teams on your schedule, and the Wings have done so with great success the last few weeks.
Arike Ogunbowale tallied at least 20 points in four of her last five games and paced the Wings' scoring attack on Monday and Wednesday. There's a lot to like about how this lineup came together in the first half, especially with first-time All-Star Jessica Shepard in the midst of a breakout campaign.
5. Las Vegas Aces (18-8, L1)
Previous Ranking: 3 (-2)
A missed free throw by Wilson proved to be the difference Wednesday. Heading to the free-throw line with 17.8 seconds left, the four-time WNBA MVP had a chance to give Las Vegas a three-point lead. Instead, Wilson's first attempt clanked off the heel -- her first and only miss of the night from the line. Shakira Austin came through moments later, finishing a three-point play with 12.8 seconds left as the Washington Mystics held on to win 100-99.
Not that Wilson deserves much blame for the loss. She poured in a game-high 38 points against Washington, making 12-of-16 from the field and 12-of-13 from the line. In fact, it's hard to have any complaints about Wilson's play during a 3-3 stretch for the Aces. The 6-foot-4 center leads the WNBA in scoring this month as she heads to her eighth All-Star game in nine career seasons.
Las Vegas' defense could use some tightening up, though. The club allowed 100 points or more in each of their last two losses, including a season-worst 109 to the Fever on July 12. The Aces fall to No. 5 -- their lowest power ranking of the season -- as a result, though there's little doubt that Becky Hammon's squad will soon find its way back among the top three.
6. Atlanta Dream (16-10, W3)
Previous Ranking: 6 (--)
The Atlanta Dream will take a three-game winning streak into the All-Star break thanks to Jordin Canada's layup at the buzzer Sunday, which delivered a 93-91 win over the Chicago Sky. After an ugly 1-6 stretch from June 24 to July 11, most notably marked by a five-game losing streak, Atlanta should be proud to end the first half on a positive note.
Canada is quietly enjoying her best season in Atlanta. Her 7.7 assists per game rank third across the entire WNBA and she leads all Dream regulars with a 9.9 net rating, all the while averaging over 31 minutes a night.
The Dream have some work to do to get back in the hunt for first place, but this talented group is capable of much better play than they've shown of late.
7. Washington Mystics (14-12, W2)
Previous Ranking: 8 (+1)
The Mystics head into the break riding the high of two statement wins. After snapping Golden State's nine-game winning streak Monday, Washington defeated Wilson and the Aces on Wednesday, reaching the 100-point mark for just the third time this season.
The Mystics aren't exactly known for its offense; the club ranks second-to-last in both scoring offense and offensive rating. That's what made these last two wins so impressive. Washington tallied 90 points against the Valkyries' top-rated defense and put up 100 in regulation against Las Vegas.
MYSTICS MOUNT COMEBACK TO BEAT THE ACES 🚨
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 23, 2026
Washington has SIX players in double figures to win its second consecutive game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GXe8JYRhfl
A rather unimpressive bottom half of the league has made it fairly easy for Washington to stay in playoff position. Still, this team could be worth keeping an eye on, especially with how sharp Shakira Austin has looked of late.
8. New York Liberty (16-12, W2)
Previous Ranking: 7 (-1)
It's now two straight wins for New York following a pair of one-point victories over Dallas and Chicago, but it's hard to feel overwhelmingly positive about this group after a rough stretch that dates back to mid-June.
The Liberty are 4-8 since June 19 -- not including the WNBA Commissioner's Cup title game, which didn't count toward the standings. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones have all fared well statistically in that span, but the on-court effort from this group as a whole has left a lot to be desired. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's dwindling usage seems to be coming to a head; it's difficult to imagine the 10-year WNBA veteran remaining on this roster through the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
A healthy Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich might help cover up some of the issues plaguing New York, but it's not like the current group on the floor is particularly lacking in the talent department.
9. Portland Fire (11-16, L2)
Previous Ranking: 9 (--)
Every club outside the top eight of the WNBA standings seems to be scuffling in some way, shape, or form. The Portland Fire still appear to be the most competitive team of the non-playoff contenders after a pair of competitive losses to Minnesota and Dallas.
Portland fell by eight to the Lynx on Saturday and hung tight for a 101-97 loss to the Wings on Wednesday. Newly-wed Megan DiLeo (formerly Megan Gustafson) led the Fire with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Dallas, but Portland's defense continues to be a major drawback. The Fire rank third-worst in both scoring defense and defensive rating, surrendering 101 points in back-to-back outings.
They've still got the ability to pull off an impressive win (like their 102-92 win over Atlanta on July 12), but consistency hasn't been their strong suit.
10. Chicago Sky (9-18, L2)
Previous Ranking: 13 (+3)
The wins haven't come in bunches for the Sky, but they've proven to be one of the more competitive non-playoff teams in the last few weeks. Chicago ripped off two straight wins last week before coming up short in a pair of one-score games, falling 93-91 to the Dream on Sunday and blowing a late lead to the Liberty on Wednesday.
Sydney Taylor's sensational stretch of basketball continued, with the 25-year-old rookie posting a career-high 31 points against New York. Since June 11, she's reached double figures in all but one game and ranks second in points per game among rookies, behind Miles. Unfortunately, her efforts were wasted Wednesday, as Chicago fumbled a 93-85 lead in the final 58.9 seconds.
Sydney Taylor now has the most 30-point games by a rookie in Chicago Sky history. pic.twitter.com/coA6DdZ7v4
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) July 23, 2026
The Sky have shown some impressive resilience, despite losing Skylar Diggins to a knee injury for the last seven games. It's worth wondering whether the seven-time All-Star suits up for Chicago again after a demonstrative response to being removed from the starting lineup. Playoffs seems well out of the picture for this group, but they don't seem eager to go down without a fight.
11. Phoenix Mercury (10-18, W2)
Previous Ranking: 12 (+4)
The Phoenix Mercury snapped a five-game losing streak Sunday and enter the break with two consecutive wins under their belt.
Phoenix defeated Connecticut in a low-scoring 72-63 affair over the weekend, helped by DeWanna Bonner's first 20-point outing of the season. Kahleah Copper led the scoring with 21 points in Wednesday's 86-82 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, though not without help from Alyssa Thomas' 19-point, 11-rebound, 15-assist triple-double.
The 2025 WNBA runner-ups are still five games out of playoff position thanks to a lackluster first half. They might not have the depth to dig themselves out of this hole, so the burden falls heavily on Thomas and Copper the rest of the way.
12. Toronto Tempo (10-16, L3)
Previous Ranking: 11 (-1)
The Toronto Tempo are in a 3-11 skid dating back to June 12, as they end the first half with three straight losses.
Their expansion counterpart, Portland, has struggled defensively, but arguably no team has been worse on that end than Toronto. The Tempo own the league's worst defensive rating after surrendering 111 points to the Dream on Friday and 109 points to the Aces on Monday.
Injuries to Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice have added an extra challenge in these summer months, and the post All-Star break schedule doesn't offer any respite.
13. Connecticut Sun (7-20, L2)
Previous Ranking: 12 (-1)
Things could have gone a lot worse for Connecticut in the first half. It looked bleak for a while, as the Sun quickly plummeted to last place with a 2-15 start. But since then, Connecticut owns a .500 record (5-5) and now owns a two-game lead over the last-place Storm.
Second-year guard Leila Lacan and veteran center Brittney Griner have been the two biggest bright spots, though it's been an offense-by-committee process without a true star to take the reins.
The Sun are going to have a tough time escaping the constraints of a fairly unimpressive roster on paper, but they haven't been the bottom-feeder many envisioned coming into the year.
14. Los Angeles Sparks (10-16, L5)
Previous Ranking: 10 (-4)
A reimagined Los Angeles squad is currently headed for its sixth straight season without a playoff berth. Now four games back of the eighth-place Mystics, the Sparks lost five straight games heading into the All-Star break and own a 2-8 record over their last 10.
Many of the defensive issues that plagued them last season are prevalent once again -- though this time with a less impressive offense as Kelsey Plum works her way back from a lengthy injury stint. Los Angeles' ceiling is higher than several of the teams above them in our power rankings, but all that matters at season's end is the number in the win column.
Seattle Storm (6-23, L6)
Previous Ranking: 14 (-1)
The Storm would seem to have a brighter long-term future than many of the teams in the bottom half of our power rankings. It's just going to take time for Seattle's seeds to sprout.
The Storm lost six straight games to end the first half, with five coming against playoff teams. That's a tough task for a group that clearly hasn't entered its competitive window yet.
The forecast is changing in Seattle. A new system is developing as Dominique Malonga, Flau'jae Johnson, and Awa Fam lay the groundwork for the next era of Storm basketball on the latest WSLAM digital cover.
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) July 21, 2026
⛈️ https://t.co/cSVlMA3Evr pic.twitter.com/RWzjtgApWZ
Seattle has plenty to be excited about, with young talent like Dominique Malonga, Flau'jae Johnson, and Awa Fam already making a significant impact. There's going to be more rough stretches like this in the second half, but better years lie ahead.
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Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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