With the WNBA having just 13 teams, compared to other professional sports leagues, moving up or down a few spots means much more to these teams. One team that has been a pleasant surprise is the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Golden State Valkyries.
Considering what it’s like to be an expansion team, coming in without any experience of the little things that go into a season, I am genuinely impressed with how they started.
13) Connecticut Sun
Looking at their numbers across the board, two statistics show me why wins have been so consistently elusive for them. The first is how often they foul. According to the WNBA official statistic page, the Sun fouls 20.4 times per game, 0.8 times more than the team that fouls the second-most in the league.
The second, arguably more drastic reason, is their defensive rebounding. They get 22.9 defensive rebounds per game, 1.6 lower than the next lowest team. They have won eight games in total, but three in their last ten, so it could be a good time to try and get some confidence for next year, being 33 games into a 44-game season.
12) Chicago Sky
In what was already a tough season for the Sky, they have now been dealing with their star forward, Angel Reese, who has a back injury, for which Sky coach Tyler Marsh said there “isn’t a concrete timetable” for her return, per Yahoo Sports.
She last played on July 29 vs the Mystics, and the Sky have won just one game since her injury. The chief concern for the Sky has to be Reese’s injury history in her short tenure in the W. When she is on the court, she is the best rebounder in the league, but that appears to be a big if these days, and it has to be worrisome for the Sky.
11) Dallas Wings
We have seen flashes of the potential of the Dallas Wings with Paige Bueckers at the helm. But throughout a full season, you can see why they had the number one pick last year. They have more holes than one top pick can fix.
Still, they lead the league in offensive rebounding. They are average in most categories, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take a big step forward after a full year of experience and a full offseason together.
10) Washington Mystics
There is a lot to be excited about for Mystics fans, as rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been stellar since they walked through the door. They have put themselves within reach of a playoff spot, but getting over that hump may be tough after trading Brittany Sykes to Seattle.
Either way, they are hanging tough in their games, and look like they have potential to be solid in the not-too-distant future
9) Los Angeles Sparks
The first team on this list trending up is the one that, with Cameron Brink’s return from her ACL injury, has put itself right in the mix for the eighth seed and a spot in the playoffs.
This team has a ton of upside that can be realized quickly. They have the second-best shooting percentage in the WNBA this season. So, if they get in, look at them as a sleeper to upset or at least make noise in almost any series they find themselves in.
8) Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm traded for Brittany Sykes, as mentioned above, with a weak hold on a playoff spot at the current time. However, that is still better than not being in that position! The Storm shares the ball and plays a really clean game. This is evident in their ability to draw the most fouls in the league while committing the fewest turnovers by a wide margin.
7) Indiana Fever
The Fever have been holding onto their playoff spot strong, even after losing both Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham to injuries lately. They have won six of their last ten games, and while they have shown they can hang in this time, there is no doubt that with a full roster, they are a contender for a championship.
6) Golden State Valkyries
The most impressive team to me is the Golden State Valkyries. They have won seven of their last 10 games, improving from two games under .500 to four games over, and they are now in a position to make the playoffs.
They are one of three teams hitting 81% or more of their free throws, which is huge come playoff time if they get in. I believe in this team’s potential for this year and beyond.
5) Phoenix Mercury
The Mercury is a good team, but some underlying metrics make me think they may be beatable when it matters most. They don’t get teams into foul trouble, and they haven’t been able to match their incredible June in the months that have passed since, so to me, it seems like they have been figured out.
MORE READING: Fever Fans Blast ‘Stat Padding’ Alyssa Thomas After Mercury Star Makes WNBA History
In June, the Mercury were 8-3, averaging 86.2 points per game, shooting 36.2% from three, and averaging over ten offensive rebounds per game. Since then, they are 8-8, are shooting below 32% from three, and have only 14 more offensive rebounds than in June in total in the 16 games since.
4) New York Liberty
The WNBA’s defending champions haven’t found the success they would like to have to show the world they are poised for a repeat, but I wouldn’t count them out just yet.
They have two top-ten scorers in the league, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, leading their third-ranked offense in terms of points per game. They have held it down while Stewart has been out, but she will be back in time for the playoffs.
3) Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are white-hot. They came out of the gates slowly but have won nine of their last ten, partly due to the continued dominance of perennial MVP candidate A’ja Wilson.
M’V3 STATUS 💅✨@_ajawilson22 has the most games with 20+ PTS, 5+ REB, 2+ STL & 2+ BLK in league history!@WNBA // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/S6uNaGYx1K
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) August 17, 2025
With just nine games left, they are a team to ride into the playoffs with how they are playing and the confidence in having won titles before. I am confident that they fear no one.
2) Atlanta Dream
If the season ended today, the league’s top rebounding team has parlayed that and a balanced attack into the second-best season in franchise history. They have five different players averaging at least 4.5 rebounds per game, and six other players averaging at least 8.5 points per game.
Karl Smesko on the Atlanta Dream being a contender:
“I think we are a real contender to win it. … We’re definitely trying to position ourselves to give us the best chance to win the whole thing.”
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) August 18, 2025
Their star player is Allisha Gray, who is second in the W in threes made, and is among the league leaders in fast break points, so it is certainly helpful that she can score at multiple levels. Atlanta is 8-2 in their last ten games and isn’t showing many holes. Full speed ahead to try and get the team their first championship!
1) Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx’s extremely impressive brand of team basketball has them at number one on the list. They lead the league in assists, blocks, FG%, points per game, and the fewest average fouls committed.
PLAYOFFS CLINCHED. pic.twitter.com/sQe1bzzBaG
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 13, 2025
MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier has missed four games now, but it seems like they see no motivation to rush her back with the playoffs secured early. It is unbelievable to think that she has been out, and even without her, they are still averaging 90.2 points per game in the five games they have played to date in August.
They are the favorites to win the championship right now, and it is tough to see anyone stopping the brand of basketball they are playing right now.
