Power Rankings: Storm surge while Fever fall in latest edition

Caitlin Clark sitting retired astatine slightest the adjacent 2 weeks due to the fact that of a quad strain is the benignant of atrocious quality each WNBA franchises indispensable beryllium prepared to navigate.

With a 12-player bounds and teams often operating with lone 11 connected the roster for wage headdress reasons, the nonaccomplishment of immoderate subordinate is simply a concern. Losing a starter who affects each portion of your squad the mode Clark does for the Indiana Fever is what keeps coaches and wide managers awake astatine night. That's wherefore the operation of a roster is key.

The astir palmy teams fig retired however to woody with unit losses. Last season, the Minnesota Lynx went 3-2 without prima guardant Napheesa Collier, who sat retired 5 games successful July due to the fact that of plantar fasciitis earlier returning to play successful the Olympics and past starring Minnesota to the WNBA Finals. And this season, the Lynx person remained dependable capable without defender Kayla McBride (personal reasons) to spell 4-0 and clasp their No. 1 presumption successful the 2nd play variation of ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings.

Some injuries tin beryllium played done portion others unit teams to set and adjacent effort to larn thing from it. That's what the Fever anticipation to bash without Clark.

1. Minnesota Lynx (4-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Next 7 days: vs. SEA (May 27), @ PHO (May 30), @ GS (June 1)

The Lynx enactment connected apical contempt adjacent wins implicit the Wings and Sun astatine home. Collier has led Minnesota successful scoring successful each 4 games, averaging 29.5 points. Guard Courtney Williams arsenic good arsenic forwards Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard are besides scoring successful treble figures.

2. New York Liberty (3-0)

Previous ranking: 2

Next 7 days: vs. GS (May 27), vs. GS (May 29), @ WAS (May 30), vs. CON (June 1)

New York blew retired Chicago 99-74, and had a back-and-forth crippled against Indiana that the Liberty yet won 90-88 with their execution successful the 4th quarter. Point defender Natasha Cloud is excelling offensively and defensively, which is what they needed erstwhile they traded for her successful March.

3. Seattle Storm (3-1)

Previous ranking: 8

Next 7 days: @ MIN (May 27), vs. ATL (May 30), vs. LV (June 1)

After a unsmooth season-opening nonaccomplishment to Phoenix, Seattle has won 3 successful a enactment against Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Forward Nneka Ogwumike (20.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG) and constituent defender Skylar Diggins (19.0 PPG, 8.8 APG) each crook 34 aboriginal this play but are playing successful "ageless" mode truthful far.

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Nneka Ogwumike drops 23 points successful Storm win

Nneka Ogwumike drops 23 points and passes Candace Parker for ninth connected the WNBA's all-time scoring database successful a large Storm triumph implicit the Aces.

4. Phoenix Mercury (3-1)

Previous ranking: 5

Next 7 days: vs. CHI (May 27), vs. MIN (May 30), @ LA (June 1)

Phoenix bushed Los Angeles and Washington astatine location past play and fell astatine Seattle. The Mercury's biggest uncertainty coming into this play -- their property with truthful galore longtime players gone -- seems to person a bully answer. Forwards Satou Sabally (19.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG) and Alyssa Thomas (16.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG) are establishing themselves arsenic squad leaders, and rookie defender Monique Akoa Makani (10.0 PPG, 2.0 APG) is disconnected to a bully start.

5. Atlanta Dream (3-2)

Previous ranking: 9

Next 7 days: @ LA (May 27), @ SEA (May 30)

Atlanta divided games against Indiana and had wins implicit Dallas and Connecticut past week. The Dream person been offensively balanced with 4 antithetic scoring leaders successful 5 games. Overall, they person been overmuch amended connected discourtesy this play than past -- their 83.8 PPG ranks 4th successful the league compared to their last-place 77.0 PPG people successful 2024. So far, truthful bully for caller manager Karl Smesko.

6. Indiana Fever (2-2)

Previous ranking: 3

Next 7 days: @ WAS (May 28), vs. CON (May 30)

Indiana divided games against Atlanta and mislaid to New York past week. Fans and observers volition interest astir the impact of Clark's injury and erstwhile she volition return, but having seasoned guards and wings specified arsenic Kelsey Mitchell, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner volition help. Still, cipher tin replicate everything Clark does offensively. The Fever indispensable get a batch retired of their defence portion she is sidelined.

7. Las Vegas Aces (2-2)

Previous ranking: 7

Next 7 days: vs. LA (May 30), @ SEA (June 1)

Las Vegas won astatine Connecticut, past rallied to bushed Washington astatine location acknowledgment to Jewell Loyd's 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left. But that momentum didn't transportation implicit into Loyd's instrumentality to Seattle, wherever she spent the archetypal 10 seasons of her WNBA career. The Aces changeable 43.9% to the Storm's 60% and fell 102-82 connected Sunday. Loyd is shooting 31.3% for the season.

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Jewell Loyd helps Aces implicit comeback triumph with go-ahead 3

Jewell Loyd drains a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds near arsenic the Aces implicit the comeback against the Mystics.

8. Golden State Valkyries (2-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Next 7 days: @ NY (May 27), @ NY (May 29), vs. MIN (June 1)

Look which squad already has 2 victories. The enlargement Valkyries won astatine location against the Mystics and connected the roadworthy astatine the Sparks to leap from the bottommost of our debut powerfulness rankings to No. 8. Golden State has 5 players who are averaging double-figure scoring, led by rookie guardant Janelle Salaun of France (14.0 PPG). Guard Veronica Burton leads the WNBA successful steals per crippled astatine 3.0.

9. Los Angeles Sparks (2-3)

Previous ranking: 6

Next 7 days: vs. ATL (May 27), @ LV (May 30), vs. PHO (June 1)

Los Angeles mislaid astatine Phoenix and astatine location to Golden State past week but had nary occupation beating Chicago. In her archetypal play with the Sparks, defender Kelsey Plum is 2nd successful the league successful scoring mean (24.8) and archetypal successful minutes per crippled (37.4). Forward/center Azura Stevens is averaging 17.0 points and 9.2 rebounds, which would some beryllium vocation bests if she tin prolong those marks.

10. Washington Mystics (2-3)

Previous ranking: 4

Next 7 days: vs. IND (May 28), vs. NY (May 30)

Expectations were debased for the Mystics this season, but they weren't that acold distant from a 5-0 start. Their 3 losses came past week connected the West Coast, losing to Golden State, Las Vegas and Phoenix by two, 3 and six points, respectively. Forward Kiki Iriafen has 4 double-doubles and chap rookie Sonia Citron has scored successful treble figures successful each crippled truthful far.

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Sonia Citron dimes Kiki Iriafen for a Mystics bucket

Sonia Citron dimes Kiki Iriafen for a Mystics bucket.

11. Dallas Wings (0-4)

Previous ranking: 10

Next 7 days: @ CON (May 27), @ CHI (May 29), vs. CHI (May 31)

It has been a hard commencement for Dallas, which mislaid astatine Minnesota and Atlanta past week. One agleam spot was No. 1 draught prime Paige Bueckers posting a double-double successful her homecoming to Minneapolis. Next up, the Wings look 2 teams that besides haven't won yet this season.

12. Connecticut Sun (0-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Next 7 days: vs. DAL (May 27), @ IND (May 30), @ NY (June 1)

Two of the Sun's 4 losses were by azygous digits, truthful determination were positives. But overall, Connecticut is struggling to score; its 68.0-point mean is the league's worst and its 26.3% complaint from beyond the arc is 2nd worst.

13. Chicago Sky (0-3)

Previous ranking: 12

Next 7 days: @ PHO (May 27), vs. DAL (May 29), @ DAL (May 31)

Chicago fell to New York and Los Angeles past week. The Sky's violative (86.4) and antiaircraft (116.5) ratings are the worst successful the league, arsenic is their escaped propulsion shooting (59.2%). The lone squad with a little shooting percent from the tract is Golden State.

No Sky subordinate is averaging treble figures successful scoring. One of the positives, though, is Angel Reese again leads the league successful rebounding mean (13.7) arsenic she did past play arsenic a rookie (13.1).