WNBA Power Rankings: Valkyries Surge, Dream Tumble in July
The Minnesota Lynx have company atop the WNBA standings. The Las Vegas Aces own a share of first place at 15-6, despite a lackluster week for both clubs.
Hot on their tails are the Golden State Valkyries, now just a half-game back after an inspired five-game winning streak.
Here's how everything shakes out in our latest power rankings with two months of the 2026 WNBA season in the books.
1. Golden State Valkyries (15-7, W5)
Previous Ranking: 3 (+2)
The Valkyries might not be a conventional contender, but it's hard to deny them the top spot in our power rankings amid a five-game heater. Four of those wins have come against the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream, with Golden State defeating Atlanta three times over a 12-day span.
Per usual, they've been fueled by a smothering defensive structure. The Valkyries are holding opponents to just 68.0 points per game during their winning streak and averaging a league-best 5.6 blocks in that span. Golden State became the fourth team since 2020 to hold an opponent under 50 points, limiting the Washington Mystics to 49 points in a 13-point win on Monday.
Gabby Williams plays like a 1A, man...
— Andrew Giuntini-Haubner (@a_g_haubner) July 4, 2026
I'm still curious what it looks like in the playoffs against the top 3 teams in the league but it's hard to argue the Valkyries aren't real deal contenders.
The Valkyries rank last in scoring offense during the win streak, including a season-worst 62 points in Monday's victory, but that's proved no obstacle to success. That will be a hard trend to sustain -- but if any team can do it, it's a Golden State squad that's proven its defensive dominance is no fluke.
2. Minnesota Lynx (15-6, L2)
Previous Ranking: 1 (-1)
The Lynx held down the top spot in our power rankings for over a month, but a two-game skid -- combined with Golden State's five-game winning streak -- was enough to dethrone them.
Minnesota fell to New York by seven on Friday and dropped a 90-89 nailbiter to the Connecticut Sun on Monday. Rookie phenom Olivia Miles missed Monday's game with a right calf injury and is listed as doubtful for Wednesday's rematch against Connecticut at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Kayla McBride powered the offense in her absence, putting up a season-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting against the Sun. Minnesota has the depth to survive a couple of games without Miles, but it's not easy to replace one of the game's rising play-drivers.
3. Las Vegas Aces (15-6, L1)
Previous Ranking: 2 (-1)
The Aces struggled without A'ja Wilson, who missed the club's last three games with a right ankle injury.
Including the WNBA Commissioner's Cup championship, Las Vegas went 1-2 without the reigning Western Conference Player of the Month. New York took the title game by eight points last Tuesday, and an Indiana Fever squad playing without star point guard Caitlin Clark served the Aces an 84-68 loss Sunday.
Wilson's absence gives them a superstar-sized excuse. Still, Las Vegas will need its supporting cast to step up after waiving guard Chennedy Carter, who led all Aces bench players with 12.2 points per game -- a mark that ranked fourth-best on the team overall.
4. Indiana Fever (12-8, W2)
Previous Ranking: 6 (+2)
The Fever had seven days off between games before visiting the Aces on Sunday. Still, Clark missed her second game in a row with a back injury after receiving Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in June.
Indiana impressed nonetheless, as the duo of Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston carried the club to a 16-point win over the reigning WNBA champs. Stephanie White's squad allowed a season-best 68 points in a statement showing from a defense with well-documented struggles this season.
The Fever own the second-best record in the East despite a couple of ugly stretches through the first two months. Clark is probable for Wednesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks, so the club should be back to full strength for the remainder of its four-game road trip.
5. Dallas Wings (14-8, W3)
Previous Ranking: 5 (--)
The Dallas Wings took care of business against the Liberty on Tuesday, extending their winning streak to three games following a two-game skid the week prior. Paige Bueckers led the offense in wins over Connecticut and the Toronto Tempo, and Jessica Shepard recorded her third triple-double of the season (22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) in the 11-point win over New York.
JESSICA SHEPARD TONIGHT 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) July 8, 2026
• 22 POINTS
• 12 REBOUNDS
• 11 ASSISTS
• 11/16 FG pic.twitter.com/LhKFfjW1yX
Bueckers and Shepard are both shooting over 50 percent through the first three games of July, helping to fuel a strong bounce-back for Dallas after dropping games against Las Vegas and Minnesota to close out June.
6. New York Liberty (13-9, L1)
Previous Ranking: 7 (+1)
The Liberty raised the WNBA Commissioner's Cup trophy for the second time since the tournament debuted in 2021, defeating the Aces 93-85 behind 26 points from Sabrina Ionescu and 25 points from 2026 Commissioner's Cup MVP Breanna Stewart. That game didn't count toward the official standings or stat sheet, but the Liberty added a win that did count Friday, as Stewart's 36 points powered them to a 99-86 win over the Lynx.
New York faltered Tuesday, however, unable to overcome a 29-6 run by Dallas to close out the first half. The Liberty fell by 11, despite another strong effort from Stewart.
Laney-Hamilton on if she expects to be with the Liberty through the end of the year: "We're working on things. I don't know what everything looks like right now, I'm just trying to take everything one step at a time and just stay in the moment. It's been difficult, but today,…
— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) July 7, 2026
The club appears to be headed in the right direction after big wins over Las Vegas and Minnesota, though it might be premature to assert they're fully back on track. Inconsistent play and limited usage of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton are worth monitoring moving forward.
7. Atlanta Dream (12-9, L5)
Previous Ranking: 4 (-3)
Atlanta's slide continued last week with losses to the Washington Mystics and Valkyries, extending the club's league-worst losing streak to five games. They fell by just five points in both contests, but that's little consolation amid this current stretch.
The Dream have dropped to seventh in the WNBA standings, three games out of first place. Their success beyond the arc has notably suffered, shooting 26.0 percent on three-point shots during this skid -- the second-worst clip in the league in that span.
The Atlanta Dream have now dropped five straight games, and once again, they lost the battle from beyond the arc.
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) July 4, 2026
Atlanta finished with more points in the paint and made more free throws, but Golden State outscored the Dream by 15 points from three in a game the Valkyries won by… pic.twitter.com/gJb8rD73jS
Atlanta has a chance to rebound with five straight games against opponents out of playoff position leading into the All-Star break. There's little doubt that the Dream will right the ship at some point -- it's simply a question of when.
8. Washington Mystics (10-10, L1)
Previous Ranking: 8 (--)
Washington pulled off a five-point win over Atlanta on Thursday before falling victim to a dominant Valkyries defense Monday.
Star point guard Sonia Citron missed both games with right knee soreness. Shakira Austin took charge with 21 points in their win over the Dream, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the second time this season. But Washington felt Citron's absence against Golden State, mustering just 49 points and shooting 3-of-24 from deep. Kiki Iriafen (12) and Austin (11) were the only players to reach double figures.
The Mystics are playing better ball after a slow start to the 2026 season, but red flags remain. They turned the ball over 27 times in Thursday's win over Atlanta -- the second-most turnovers committed by any team this season. In fact, no team turns the ball over more than Washington, which leads the league with 17.3 per game. That could prove to be a sizable obstacle in the long run.
9. Toronto Tempo (9-11, L2)
Previous Ranking: 9 (--)
The Toronto Tempo are 2-3 since losing both Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice to injury. Both victories were led by All-Star guard Marina Mabrey, who scored 37 and 53 points, respectively.
Still, Toronto is desperately missing its second and third-leading scorers. The Tempo fell to Dallas 89-76 in their lone game of the week, with Mabrey posting a team-best 19 points in 31 minutes. She's talented enough to shoulder the offensive charge, but Toronto might not have the scoring depth to survive significant absences from both Sykes and Rice.
10. Portland Fire (9-12, W1)
Previous Ranking: 15 (+5)
The Portland Fire snapped a three-game skid Saturday, defeating the Seattle Storm 77-72. Carla Leite recorded at least 20 points for the second straight game, knocking down 12 free throws on perfect efficiency from the free throw line.
The more impressive effort came on the glass, though. Portland pulled down a season-best 47 rebounds against Seattle, topping its previous best of 44 -- set the game prior against Washington. It's an encouraging trend for a club that ranks dead last in the WNBA in rebounding. More of the same will help swing some of these games in their favor.
11. Phoenix Mercury (8-14, L1)
Previous Ranking: 10 (-1)
The Phoenix Mercury snapped a three-game winning streak Tuesday with a 77-66 loss to the Chicago Sky. Kahleah Copper turned in another excellent performance, posting 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, but it was wasted in a lackluster offensive effort.
Copper has scored at least 25 points in four straight games, including 30 in a dominant 90-67 win over Seattle. But the Mercury will need more from Alyssa Thomas and co. to hold their own against Indiana, Las Vegas, and Minnesota this week.
12. Connecticut Sun (5-16, W1)
Previous Ranking: 14 (+2)
The Sun have played some impressive basketball of late. After blowing a fourth-quarter lead against the Wings on Thursday, ultimately falling 86-83, Connecticut bounced back Monday against the first-place Lynx, eking out a 90-89 victory.
Brittney Griner posted a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double on 11-of-14 shooting, and the Sun shot 47 percent from distance in the statement win over Minnesota. Connecticut has now won three of its last four games and boasts the second-best scoring differential in the WNBA over that span after winning just two of its first 17 games to open the season.
BRITTNEY GRINER TONIGHT:
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) July 7, 2026
29 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 3 BLKS, 11/14 FG
THE CONNECTICUT SUN TAKE DOWN THE 15-5 MINNESOTA LYNX 🤯 pic.twitter.com/uYuDKIT8i4
They've got two more big tests coming up this week against Minnesota and Golden State, but the Sun are showing real signs of life after an unassuming start.
13. Seattle Storm (6-17, W1)
Previous Ranking: 12 (-1)
Seattle couldn't build on a pair of impressive wins against New York and Atlanta, following that up with two straight losses to Phoenix and Portland. They got back in the win column Monday, as Flau'jae Johnson's game-high 23 points led them to an 18-point win over Los Angeles.
The Storm were crushed on the glass in both losses -- an area that's been largely a strength for this squad in 2026. Inconsistency is to be expected with this young squad, especially with Ezi Magbegor still sidelined.
14. Chicago Sky (7-14, W1)
Previous Ranking: 13 (-1)
The Sky have won three of their last five games after defeating Phoenix on Tuesday behind 16 points from Sydney Taylor. Unfortunately, that's not the top headline coming out of Chicago.
Six-time All-WNBA guard Skylar Diggins took to social media to voice her displeasure after being moved to the bench by coach Tyler Marsh in favor of long-time Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who rejoined the starting lineup Tuesday for the first time since suffering a season-ending ACL injury early in the 2025 season.
Skylar Diggins' latest Instagram stories:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) July 6, 2026
“Now I'm coming off the bench?????? Cool.”
“And the crazy part about it all is that… I've been so quiet. I've been so good and quiet.”pic.twitter.com/dGyhkoK6Sl
Diggins did not play against the Mercury, as the Sky listed her out with a knee injury. It's been a tough season in Chicago for a variety of reasons, and this isn't likely to make the path forward any easier.
15. Los Angeles Sparks (8-11, L3)
Previous Ranking: 11 (-4)
The Los Angeles Sparks are 0-3 since star guard Kelsey Plum went down with a left leg injury in late June -- her second lower-body injury this season. The Sparks fell 82-64 to 14th-place Seattle on Monday. They led for just 43 seconds and shot 5-of-29 (17.0 percent) from distance.
Los Angeles had its fair share of issues before losing the WNBA's second-leading scorer. With Plum sidelined, the offense has lost some of its bite, particularly from beyond the arc. It's hard to see the Sparks making some noise until Plum returns, which won't be until late July at the earliest.
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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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