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WNBA Power Rankings: Mystics Are Hanging With Top Contenders

Washington’s four-game winning streak has included victories against the Valkyries, Aces and Wings. Meanwhile, Sophie Cunningham has taken the spotlight off the court for the Fever.
Clare Brennan|
Shakira Austin (right) had 28 points and 10 rebounds in the Mystics’ win over the Wings on Friday.
Shakira Austin (right) had 28 points and 10 rebounds in the Mystics’ win over the Wings on Friday. | Fiume/Getty Images

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Minnesota LynxLas Vegas AcesWashington MysticsIndiana FeverAtlanta DreamGolden State ValkyriesNew York LibertyDallas WingsPhoenix MercuryChicago SkyLos Angeles SparksConnecticut SunSeattle Storm

It may be the dog days of summer, punctuated by the reprieve of the All-Star break, but the WNBA has been anything but quiet. Comments made by the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham in a July 21 ESPN feature have reverberated across the league. “I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men,” Cunningham said. Groups supporting Cunningham’s views on transgender participation in sports have rallied around Fever games. Rallies also surrounded the Lynx-Fever game on Sunday, with some gathering in support of Cunningham and her views and others speaking out against Cunningham’s remarks and in support of trans inclusion in sports. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt that read “Trans Kids Belong In Sports,” and she could be seen having a passionate conversation with Cunningham before the game. “Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate,” Reeve told the media after Sunday’s contest. When Cunningham’s teammate, Caitlin Clark, was asked about transgender participation in sports, the Fever star simply stated, “I think it’s for leagues and governing bodies to work with their athletes to find solutions.”

Unfortunately, this issue is another instance of the league caught on the back foot of a cultural lightning rod, with little to no messaging in anticipation of a contentious topic. The more individual players and teams garner attention in the broader pop-culture and political ecosystem, the more the league and its franchises need to be prepared to address and pre-empt these conversations properly. Directing reporters to stick to basketball questions, as the Fever PR did when White was asked a question about Cunningham’s comments and the rallies during a press conference, isn’t satisfactory or a sustainable tactic in this ever-growing league. There has to be a less reactive and more anticipatory approach to messaging and communication, otherwise the on-court product will continue to be overshadowed.

Speaking of which, there has been some movement at the top of our rankings this week, including a major jump by the Mystics.

1. Minnesota Lynx

Previous ranking: 1

The Lynx have won 10 consecutive games—the team’s longest streak since 2016. Olivia Miles logged 28 points and six assists in Minnesota’s 108–100 victory over the Fever on Sunday, while Courtney Williams added 27 points in an impressive offensive performance from Cheryl Reeve’s team. The Lynx were already the team to beat before Napheesa Collier’s return, but with its star back, Minnesota is looking scary. Collier has wasted no time getting up to speed, averaging 18.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in her four games since her July 22 regular-season debut.

2. Las Vegas Aces

Previous ranking: 5

The Aces fell to the Sky on Saturday in a narrow one-point defeat, but made up for it with a pair of 100-plus point outbursts in wins against the Liberty and Dream. Jackie Young recorded her third career triple-double on Monday, notching 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Atlanta. A’ja Wilson has continued to add to her MVP case, dropping 33 points and 10 rebounds on New York, before tallying 36 points and 12 rebounds in Chicago. There certainly are contenders challenging Wilson, but with a little less than two months left in the regular season, the Aces star looks poised to collect an unprecedented fifth MVP award.  

3. Washington Mystics 

Previous ranking: 7

Is the No. 3 spot a little high for this team? Perhaps, but the Mystics’ four-game winning streak shouldn’t go unnoticed. Washington downed a trio of contenders during this hot stretch, charging to wins over the Valkyries, Aces and Wings. Defense has been the Mystics’ calling card, ranking third in defensive efficiency over the past three games and third in defensive rating on the season. On Friday, Washington held the Wings to just 75 points (Dallas is averaging 89.2 points per game this season). Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have been the offensive engine for the Mystics, with Austin finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds and Iriafen nearly logging a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds against Dallas. 

Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham’s comments about transgender participation in sports has led to different rallies at Fever games around the league. | Matt Blewett/Imagn Images

4. Indiana Fever

Previous ranking: 4

The Fever are on a heater. Indiana was riding a five-game winning streak before it ran into the mighty Lynx on Sunday night. The last time Stephanie White’s squad scored less than 100 points was on July 15 (seven games ago) against the Valkyries, who are defensive stalwarts. Kelsey Mitchell is primarily to thank for this offensive onslaught, scoring a season-high 37 points against Minnesota on Sunday. The 30-year-old ranks second in the league in points per game (24), and seventh in minutes played (977) this season. Almost ungurdable—just ask Olivia Miles—Mitchell has scored 20 points or more in every game since June 20.

5. Atlanta Dream 

Previous ranking: 6


The Dream’s five-game winning streak came to a halt on Monday, with the Aces running away with a 22-point win in Atlanta. Angel Reese has recorded three consecutive double-doubles, including her 23-point, 16-rebound performance against Las Vegas. Averaging a double-double on the season, Reese has been freed up by Brionna Jones’s return.

6. Golden State Valkyries

Previous ranking: 2

The Valkyries have lost two of their past four games, falling to the Mystics and Mercury before defeating the Tempo in back-to-back games. The league’s top-ranked defense has underperformed during this stretch, falling to seventh in defensive efficiency in the past three games. The bright side? Golden State’s offense comes from a lot of different places. This week, against Toronto, it was Janelle Salaün who led the way with 24 points off the bench on Sunday, then again on Tuesday night, dropping 21 points.

7. New York Liberty 

Previous ranking: 8

Is Hillary Clinton the Liberty’s good luck charm? New York defeated the Storm with the state’s former senator in the house on Monday, and Clinton—like many Liberty supporters before her—seemed amused by Ellie the Elephant’s signature performance.

Anyway, back to the Liberty. They have had an up-and-down season, and last week was a microcosm of the campaign. New York lost to the Aces before narrowly defeating the Mercury and taking down Seattle. Breanna Stewart has averaged 23.25 points since the All-Star break, helping the Liberty to rank third in offensive efficiency over the past three games. 

8. Dallas Wings

Previous ranking: 3

The Wings struggled down the stretch in both of their losses last week, falling to the Dream and Mystics before steamrolling the Sun on Sunday. Dallas’s offensive rating ranks fifth this season, but the Wings ranked 14th (only better than the Sun) in offensive efficiency over the past three outings. Jose Fernandez’s side will need to establish more offensive consistency and fourth-quarter poise heading into the final third of the regular season. =

9. Phoenix Mercury 

Previous ranking: 12

Welcome to the Valley, Kelsey Plum. In her first outing with the Mercury after being traded from the Sparks, Plum scored 20 points in 21 minutes, shooting 60% from the field. Kahleah Copper added 31 points, while Alyssa Thomas finished with a triple-double (19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists) to help the Mercury secure a 106–101 win over the Sky on Monday. If this 70-point performance is any indication, it’s safe to expect lots of explosive offense from the Big Three of Plum, Copper and Thomas.

10. Chicago Sky 

Previous ranking: 10

Undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor continues to shine for the Sky and got her moment of the season on Saturday against the Aces. Draining the catch-and-shoot three with less than a second on the clock, Taylor lifted Chicago to a one-point win over the reigning champs and capped off a 29-point outing for the young star. 

11. Los Angeles Sparks 

Previous ranking: 14

The Sparks blunted a six-game losing streak with a narrow victory over the Fire on Sunday. Trading Plum to the Mercury in exchange for Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and 2028 second-round pick, Los Angeles’s focus is now on the future. After going all-in on a win-now approach and falling short of those lofty expectations, the Sparks’ rebuild now appears inevitable and will require patience to execute properly. 

12. Portland Fire 

Previous ranking: 9

The Fire have lost five consecutive games, though four of those defeats came at the hands of serious championship contenders. Portland nearly stole a win from the Sparks on Sunday behind a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double from Bridget Carlton, but fell five points short of victory. Without Sarah Ashlee Barker, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, it’s going to be an uphill climb to the finish line for the Fire. 

13. Toronto Tempo

Previous ranking: 13

Much like their fellow expansion side, the Tempo have also fallen victim to a tough stretch in the schedule, losing seven games in a row, primarily to top teams. Toronto ranks last in the league in defensive rating, allowing opponents an average of 93.7 points per game. Those defensive woes have persisted during the most recent slump, coughing up 111, 109 and 104 points to the Dream, Aces and Lynx, respectively. 

14. Connecticut Sun

Previous ranking: 11

The Sun lost their fifth consecutive game on Sunday in a 20-point defeat to the Wings. Connecticut ranks last in the league in offensive rating and lost a top-three scorer after it sent Aneesah Morrow to the Tempo in exchange for a 2028 second-round draft pick and the rights to Maria Kliundikova. 

15. Seattle Storm 

Previous ranking: 15

The Storm are starting to make themselves at home at the bottom of the rankings, riding a nine-game losing streak. But the mood isn’t despair in Seattle as this young, potential-filled roster continues to find its footing. Much of the talk has been around the up-and-coming frontcourt duo of Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam, but it’s been the guards that have made a splash for the Storm. Natisha Hiedeman averaged 24.3 points over the past three games, while Flau’jae Johnson dropped 25 points against the Liberty on Monday. 

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Clare Brennan
CLARE BRENNAN

Clare Brennan is an associate editor for Sports Illustrated focused on women’s sports. Before joining SI in October 2022, she worked as an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports and as an associate producer for WDET in Detroit. Brennan has a bachelor’s in international studies from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in art history from Wayne State University.

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