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2025 WNBA Power Rankings: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx Separate Themselves From the Pack

We’re a month into the 2025 WNBA season, and it’s already beginning to heat up.

Some things have happened as predicted, with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx leaping out to fast starts and proving dominant. Meanwhile, injuries have derailed one of the consensus breakout candidates in the Indiana Fever, while the Las Vegas Aces have looked dysfunctional and are struggling to find a rhythm as they occupy the middle of the standings.

It’s time to take stock of where each team is in relation to the league with just over three months until the playoffs, beginning with one that has several big names but has fallen flat and has won just one game so far.

13) Dallas Wings

While the addition of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers wasn’t necessarily expected to vault the Dallas Wings into the playoffs immediately, it’s hard to imagine a worse start.

Bueckers’ return from a four-game absence due to a concussion and illness was very encouraging for the future, as she dropped a career-high 35 points against the Phoenix Mercury. Despite that, the Wings lost by 13.

To date, Dallas has a league-worst 1-10 record, and it may continue to get worse. Both centers, Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder, departed the team in June to compete in the EuroBasket tournament and will return in early July.

Without either of their centers, Dallas’ road to success will continue to be bumpy despite Bueckers’ excellence. They traded for Seattle’s Li Yueru, who can handle duties down low in the meantime, after her trade request was based on playing time. Li has averaged 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in nine games.

12) Chicago Sky

It’s been a struggle for both scoring and defense for the Chicago Sky, who are 12th in scoring (75.3 points per game) and tied for last in points allowed (89.3). Add in that second-leading scorer Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL last week and will miss the rest of the season, and it’s hard to see Chicago making much noise from here on out.

Where they can hang their hat is on rebounding, as the frontcourt duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese combine to reel in 18.6 rebounds per game. They’re the catalyst behind the Sky ranking fourth in the WNBA in rebounds at 36.7 per game.

Chicago has several good pieces, but nobody on this roster is fit to be a go-to scorer. Ariel Atkins, their leader in points, is averaging 13.2 per game but is best suited to a supporting role.

With much of the team miscast into bigger roles than they’re capable of and now dealing with Vandersloot’s absence, Chicago’s 2-7 start seems like a sign of things to come rather than just a rough start.

11) Connecticut Sun

Though the Connecticut Sun registered their first two wins of the season over the past couple of weeks, that didn’t remove the stain of a 0-5 start. One of those wins was also against the Fever by just two points without Caitlin Clark, which further points to Connecticut just not having enough to compete at a high level.

The Sun have two players, guard Marina Mabrey and center Tina Charles, who are having solid seasons, averaging 17.1 and 16.6 points per game, respectively. But outside of them, there’s a major drop-off, with the next leading scorer contributing just 8.6 points.

Meanwhile, 2025 first-rounder Saniya Rivers has struggled as well, scoring just 7.1 points while shooting 35.0% from the field and 20.8% from 3-point range.

Due to five 20+ point losses, the Sun have the worst scoring differential in the WNBA at -17.4 per game.

10) Washington Mystics

The Washington Mystics notched their fourth win of the season in a 104-67 drubbing of the Sun, easily their best performance so far. Brittney Sykes, as she’s done most of the season, led the way with 28 points and was aided by five other teammates who scored in double figures.

It was a major step forward after a stretch in which Washington lost six of seven following two consecutive wins to start the season. This roster is far from barren, featuring Sykes — who’s on her way to a career-best season — and potential rookie of the year leader Kiki Iriafen. The fourth pick in the 2025 draft, the USC alum is averaging a near double-double of 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Washington’s No. 3 overall selection, guard Sonia Citron, is contributing 13.7 points and knocking down 37.5% of her 3s. It may not be this season that it all clicks for the Mystics, but they have a bright future with their duo of rookies alongside Sykes.

9) Los Angeles Sparks

The addition of guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks has been everything they could’ve hoped for, as she’s leading the team in scoring at 20.9 points and dishing out 5.6 assists per game. Four other players are averaging double figures, headlined by Dearica Hamby’s 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

Despite that, Los Angeles has managed just a 4-8 record largely because of deficiencies on defense. They rank 10th in opponent scoring, ninth in rebounding, and 13th in blocks per game.

Yet to make her 2025 debut due to a torn ACL last season, forward Cameron Brink averaged 2.3 blocks per game in 15 appearances during her rookie year and should help on that end once she returns. But until then, Plum and the others will have to keep scoring to stay afloat.

8) Golden State Valkyries

Not much was expected from the Golden State Valkyries’ debut season as the WNBA’s newest expansion franchise. But a month in, Golden State has fought hard and approached a .500 record by winning its last three games: first a blowout over the Aces, then an overtime win on the road against the Sparks, and a home stand against Seattle.

The Valkyries are an extremely balanced squad, as evidenced by having five different leading scorers in their first five games. Forward Kayla Thornton has been especially on point in their past two wins, putting up 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Aces, 18 points and 11 rebounds against the Sparks, and 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Storm.

While Thornton is averaging out as the leading scorer, she’s accompanied by guard Veronica Burton, who’s having a breakout season with 11.9 points and 5.4 assists per game after not scoring more than 3.1 per game in her first three seasons.

The Valkyries don’t have a star, but they’ve shown their deep rotation can win games and could push for a playoff berth in their first season when it’s all said and done.

7) Indiana Fever

It wasn’t going to be easy for the Fever to navigate without Clark as she dealt with a left quad strain suffered on May 24. But in her stead, the Fever managed not to completely fall apart, going 2-3 in her absence.

A big reason for that has been the scoring of combo guard Kelsey Mitchell, who put up 24 and 17 points, respectively, in their two wins without Clark.

But make no mistake, Indiana wouldn’t make much noise without Clark at the helm. She’s able to create easier shots for Mitchell and forward Aliyah Boston down low, who’s adding 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in her third season.

The Fever have a nice core of those three, and with Clark’s return, they look poised to surpass their 20-win total from a season ago and could make some noise in the postseason, barring injury.

6) Las Vegas Aces

Expected to be one of the top teams in the WNBA heading into the season, it hasn’t been easy for the Aces through nine games, as they’re floating just above .500 at 5-4. Recently, Las Vegas suffered a defeat at the hands of the Sparks and also lost star center and three-time MVP A’ja Wilson to a head injury in the process.

Without her, guard Jackie Young stepped up and scored a game-high 28 points in the Aces’ win over the Wings. It was her second-highest scoring output this season.

After trading Plum in a shocking three-team deal that brought in guard Jewell Loyd before the season, Loyd still hasn’t found her rhythm. A career 16.8 ppg scorer, she’s averaging just 10.4 points and shooting only 33.3% from the field.

Until she finds her touch and gets more comfortable with the team, Las Vegas will likely continue to struggle, especially if Wilson misses more games.

5) Atlanta Dream

After finishing last season 15-25 and barely sneaking into the playoffs, it’s been a pleasant surprise to see the Atlanta Dream jump out to a 7-3 record.

That’s in part thanks to the contributions from offseason additions Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, who have formed one of the top frontcourts in the league. Add in a solid guard duo of Allisha Gray (19.9 points per game) and Rhyne Howard (18.0), and the turnaround — which includes six wins in their past seven games — is less of a surprise.

Another guard, Jordin Canada, returned to the lineup earlier this week after being sidelined with an injury and has added 16 points and 16 assists over three games. With her now in the fold, along with their frontcourt and backcourt duos, the Dream look poised to continue their winning ways.

4) Seattle Storm

The Seattle Storm have surged lately, winning three straight games to lift them to a 6-4 record before their loss to the in-form Valkyries. They had the luxury of three different leading scorers during that stretch: Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, and Gabby Williams.

Seattle’s balanced offense is a clear strength, especially with Diggins and Ogwumike both 34 years old and not able to carry teams like they once did.

It’s not hard to see the Storms extending their streak Saturday against the Valkyries, followed by a matchup with the Sparks. With a 6-5 record and sitting sixth in the WNBA standings, they could climb even higher if the momentum continues.

3) Phoenix Mercury

The Mercury lost most of their production from last season but filled the gap by adding forwards Satou Sabally (20.5 points, 7.8 rebounds) and Alyssa Thomas (14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds).

A major surprise has been guard Lexi Held, who is 25 and finally getting a shot in the WNBA after going undrafted out of DePaul in 2022. She’s scored in double figures the past four games and is the team’s third-leading scorer at 9.5 points per game.

Held raises Phoenix’s ceiling and has helped take pressure off Sabally and Thomas. If she can continue to do so, the Mercury will be a dangerous team moving forward.

2) Minnesota Lynx

Napheesa Collier is the Lynx’s clear star and an early MVP candidate. She’s done it all — scoring 26.1 points, grabbing 8.8 rebounds, dishing 3.9 assists, and totaling 3.6 combined steals and blocks per game. Her seventh season in the WNBA (all with Minnesota) has been her best yet.

But it’s not just Collier. Guard Kayla McBride is also averaging 15.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. She’s off to a red-hot start from beyond the arc, hitting 44.9% of her 7.0 attempts per game.

It shouldn’t be a major concern that the Lynx lost by 10 points on the road to Seattle. They opened the season 9-0 and are still among the favorites to contend for a title in October, sitting at 10-1 after a 23-point rout of the Sparks.

1) New York Liberty

The undefeated 9-0 Liberty have fallen, with the Fever handing them their first loss. But don’t be fooled — New York has dominated all season with an explosive offense, averaging a league-best 90.2 points per game as well as 11.0 made 3s per game.

New York’s trio of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones has looked just as strong as they did during their 2024 championship run. Now looking arguably even better, the Liberty have a league-best point differential of +15.7 — 5.7 points higher than second-place Minnesota.

If New York (9-1) stays healthy, they should remain the favorite to repeat as WNBA champions after challenging the 2016 Lynx for the best start to a season in WNBA history at 13-0 before their recent loss.

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