thelesterlee
The worst NBA Finals of my life are finally over which means it’s time to give the WNBA my full attention. You could make the argument that maybe the WNBA season should’ve started this week instead of during the heart of the NBA playoffs but that’s a conversation for another day.
You want to talk about the health of this league, just type “Caitlin Clark” onto any social media and the worst humans on Earth will rush to mansplain marketing to you.
But anyway, let’s talk ball. Here are your WNBA Power Rankings:
1. New York Liberty 15-3
The Liberty were on an 8-game winning streak, including a trip up to Connecticut to hand the Sun their first loss of the season before losing to Phoenix and instantly bouncing back and running off 3 straight wins to continue their best start in franchise history.
We have to talk about Jonquel Jones, who just put 34 on the Las Vegas Aces after scoring 29 against Washington and 22 against Connecticut. 18 games into the season and Jonquel is in her final form.
Jonquel Jones tonight vs the Aces:
🔥 34 PTS
🔥 8 RBS
🔥 1 AST
🔥 75% (12-16) FG%
🔥 80% (4-5) 3PT%Give JJ her flowers 💐 pic.twitter.com/BiYc6Ag69S
— Liberty Lead (@LibertyLeadSM) June 15, 2024
I genuinely do not know what opposing teams are supposed to do against the Liberty. They come to town preparing to stop Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu but leave with an L after Jonquel blacks out of drops 30 on them.
Turns out, having 3 MVP candidates in your starting 5 is good. Who knew?
2. Connecticut Sun 12-1 (Last Week: 3)
Opposing teams are scoring just 71.8 points against Connecticut. The Sun have the most dominant defense in the WNBA.
Let’s quickly talk about Rachel Banham, the 9th year veteran who, after a decade of eating innings off the bench for struggling teams in need of 10 healthy women to play every night, Banham has found a home back for this specific Connecticut team where everyone is thriving in their roles.
Banham dropped 16 off the bench this weekend in Connecticut’s 85-67 against the Wings.
With 5 Sun players scoring in double figures, Rachel Banham led her @ConnecticutSun squad to victory against Dallas, posting 16 PTS, 3 REB, and 2 AST#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/afnQ086gAt
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 15, 2024
Still got slapped by the Liberty though.
3. Minnesota Lynx 13-3
The Lynx are 8-1 in June joining the exclusive “we only lost 3 games” club with the Liberty and Sun. Their 90.6 defensive rating leads the WNBA and 11 of their 13 wins have come by double digits—also the most in the league. They help the Dream to 55 and Mercury to only 60 in back-to-back games. Okay, uh, I’m questioning my thoughts on Connecticut’s defense. The Lynx are putting women in HELL.
Napheesa Collier’s 20.9 points per game is 4th in the league and at this point, it’s only her and A’Ja Wilson in the MVP conversation (and I’d go with Collier).
Right out the gate Napheesa Collier is so smooth with it 😎
📲 League Pass pic.twitter.com/Min1lOnuSY
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 23, 2024
Money.
4. Phoenix Mercury 8-8
Phoenix’s record doesn’t scream top team but Britney Griner is back from a toe injury making this a completely different ball club. Griner scored 24 points with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in Phoenix’s 97-90 double OT victory over Dallas.
Griner dropped 28 but her new running mate, Kahleah Cooper scored 30 points in the same game. Of course she did. Cooper’s 24 points per game makes her the third-leading scorer in the WNBA.
Chicago essentially traded Kahleah to Phoenix for Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso better turn into the next Sylvia Fowles or this may be one of the worst trades in sports history.
5. Seattle Storm 9-5 (Last Week 5)
Originally, the Storm were no. 3 in these WNBA Power Rankings but they let Britney Griner and Kahleah Cooper put them through a table like the Dudley Boyz with a combined 58 points against them.
But Seattle has their own duo in Nneka Ogwumike and Skyler Diggins— the latter becoming one of the best playmakers in the league, averaging 6.1 assists and setting the table for this offense.
They neeeeeded their 72-61 victory over Connecticut this weekend to prove they could beat a top team without narrowly escaping in the final seconds.
6. Chicago Sky 6-9
I think I’m slowly falling in love with this Chicago team. They are a team of assholes top to bottom. Even their head coach, Teresa Witherspoon, would beat the shit out of me if I like, accidentally stepped on the back of her sneakers.
Maybe I love them for finally embracing my favorite player in the league: Chennedy Carter.
Chennedy Carter today 🔥
• 23 points
• 5 assists
• 8/12 FG— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) June 23, 2024
Chennedy’s had a tough career so far, most of it being her fault. But she is a BUCKET. GETTER. And I love the relationship she and Angel Reese have developed. They are two assholes who protect each other from all of the outside noise.
Just wait until Diamond Deshields gets comfortable and becomes a killer again. The Sky might be the best team in the league by the end of the summer.
7. Las Vegas Aces 8-8
The Aces slipped up a couple weeks ago but they’re rounding back into form with back-to-back wins over Seattle and Connecticut. That might have to do with the return of Chelsea Gray, who hasn’t played since busting her foot in Game 3 of the Finals last year. Gray was a team-high +19 in the Aces 85-74 win over Connecticut.
Let Chelsea Gray be an example of how you deliver a pass to the post, textbook‼️ pic.twitter.com/ibYbBYMjfx
— ZekeHoops (@HandsOffAssata) June 20, 2024
Turns out, adding a 5-time All-Star and Finals MVP will result in wins. Who knew?
8. Indiana Fever 7-11
After starting the season losing 8 of their first 9 games, the Indiana Fever may have finally become a professional basketball team. They almost had a little 5-game winning streak until they blew a 15-point lead to the Chicago Sky, their new accidental rivals. Perhaps they’d come into this week with 5 in a row under their belt if the team ran a single play for Caitlin Clark at the end of the game instead of whatever the fuck they were doing.
As far as Caitlin goes specifically, we are starting to see flashes of her potential greatness.
Caitlin Clark with an INSANE pass 🤯pic.twitter.com/rpK2tTxpdj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 23, 2024
I had no idea she could pass as well as she’s been showing. I thought had a ton of Trae Young in her game but she’s been able to positively affect the game without the ball in her hands and a willingness to create for her lackluster teammates.
9. Atlanta Dream 6-9
The Atlanta Dream have lost 5 of their last 6 games including a 21 point loss to the Liberty Sunday afternoon. Their star, Rhye Howard, is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. It’s about to get way worse before it gets better.
I reckon the good news, if there is any for the Dream right now, is the return of 2-time champion and 2-time all-defense first-team star, Jordin Canada. Maybe she and Tina Charles can get a little two-man game going. Probably not. Don’t be shocked when Atlanta is in last next power rankings.
10. Los Angeles Sparks 4-13
It feels unfair that the 2024 WNBA season will go on without Cameron Brink, who tore her ACL this week and will no longer travel across other Los Angeles team facilities and fill their star players with glee. Cameron Brink had Kawhi Leonard laughing like he was a normal human. Shohei Ohtani was smiling ear-to-ear and that man didn’t understand a single word Brink was saying to him.
The Sparks have lost 6 straight games but with Brink gone, this is a chance for someone like Dearica Hamby to step up in her absence (the same way she’s literally replacing Cameron on the Olympic 3-on-3 team. Odd all the guys who suddenly care about ‘growing the game’ seem to not care about Caitlin Clark not joining the 3-on-3 team. It’s almost as if those people don’t care about women’s basketball at all and just love fucking talking).
11. Washington Mystics 4-13
I’m not ready to say the Mystics have magically turned it around yet. Sure, Washington has won 4 of their last 5 but 2 of those wins are against a Dallas Wings team that looks like they’re playing basketball with a medicine ball.
But credit where it’s due, Washington is winning with what feels like half their team suffering injuries. They have a 31-year-old rookie from Belgium playing important minutes.
Julie Vanloo with the BEHIND THE BACK PASS to Myisha Hines-Allen 😱 pic.twitter.com/nq6rDaF0kE
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) June 9, 2024
We really can’t talk about this stacked rookie class without giving some love to Julie Vanloo.
This is a weird ass team, yo.
12. Dallas Wings 3-13
The Wings are on an 11-game losing streak right now. Absolutely ran through. They’re the work. You need a W? Head to Dallas.
You know that excitement Zion Williamson has when he’s thinking about visiting Dallas?
calling all #Texans and citizens of the great city of #Dallas. Nobody loves y’all more than Zion Williamson. Support him like he’s supports yall by voting him for #NBAAllStar! https://t.co/mHGM5el1ZV pic.twitter.com/OGTFpCdcSu
— j (@allnbazion) December 20, 2023
Zion Williamson loves Dallas pic.twitter.com/aZtRPixZ2O
— NBA Dramatics (@NBADramatics) October 4, 2023
11 teams are looking at Dallas and seeing the fork and knife emoji. You never want to be the Moriah Mills of the WNBA.
Their second-leading scorer, Maddy Siegrist, is out until at least the Olympics with a broken finger and although Natasha Howard made her season debut and just dropped 26 on the Mystics, Dallas still feels void of enough good players to compete.
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What are your thoughts on these WNBA Power Rankings? Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee.
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