Nearly a month into the WNBA season, it's easy to identify the plot. Two teams have soared and just need to maintain their momentum. One team seems to have no momentum at all. And the rest are still trying to figure it out.
While the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty remain ensconced in the penthouse with the Dallas Wings in the cellar, the other 10 teams are moving up and down ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings.
Injuries, as always, are taking a toll. That includes a season-ending right ACL tear for Chicago Sky veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot. She was hurt midway through the first quarter of Saturday's loss to the Indiana Fever, casting a pall over a historic evening; it was the Sky's first game at United Center, in front of the largest home crowd in franchise history. Chicago's offense was already tepid with Vandersloot, who is No. 2 on the league's all-time assists list, and it looked even worse without her.
By contrast, Indiana played well for the second game in a row without point guard Caitlin Clark (quadriceps) after losing its two previous games with her sidelined. The Fever climbed back to .500, and they are hopeful Clark will return soon.
We're heading into the final stretch of Commissioner's Cup games, with the Lynx and Liberty closing in on their second consecutive matchup in the in-season tournament final while other teams try to build consistency into their play.
1. Minnesota Lynx (9-0)
Previous ranking: 1
Next seven days: @ SEA (June 11), vs. LA (June 14)
Napheesa Collier was the unanimous pick for MVP in the first edition of our season awards tracker because of the amount of responsibility she carries when it comes to Minnesota's success, but the Lynx still get what they need from the rest of the roster. In victories over Phoenix and Dallas last week, guard Natisha Hiedeman was particularly effective off the bench, combining for 27 points on 61.1% shooting.
2. New York Liberty (8-0)
Previous ranking: 2
Next seven days: vs. CHI (June 10), @ IND (June 14)
It was a quiet week for the Liberty, who won their only contest, an 86-78 decision at Washington featuring Breanna Stewart's first double-double of the season (26 points, 11 rebounds). Like the Lynx, the Liberty get a good lift from their bench. Kennedy Burke, ESPN's early front-runner for Sixth Player of the Year, had 12 points on 80% shooting against the Mystics. The UCLA grad is putting up the best stats of her career in her sixth WNBA season.
3. Seattle Storm (5-4)
Previous ranking: 7
Next seven days: vs. MIN (June 11), @ GS (June 14)
The Storm have been yo-yoing in our Power Rankings, falling to seventh last week then rising back up to third after beating Dallas and Phoenix. Gabby Williams led the way versus the Wings with 18 points at home, while Skylar Diggins had a season-high 26 points to go with seven assists on the road against the Mercury.
The Storm get another shot at the Lynx this week after falling by five points in the previous meeting, on May 27.
4. Phoenix Mercury (6-4)
Previous ranking: 4
Next 7 days: vs. DAL (June 11), @ LV (June 15)
Phoenix lost to Minnesota and Seattle but beat Golden State last week. For the first time this season, guard Lexi Held led the Mercury in scoring, doing so in back-to-back games with 16 points against the Lynx then 24 against the Valkyries. Undrafted out of DePaul, Held signed a training camp contract with Chicago in 2022 but was cut before that campaign began. Now 25, she is getting her chance in the WNBA.
5. Atlanta Dream (5-3)
Previous ranking: 3
Next 7 days: vs. IND (June 10), vs. CHI (June 13), @ WAS (June 15)
Last week was a letdown for Atlanta, which caught Connecticut at the wrong time. The Sun had five days to stew on a 48-point clobbering by the Liberty before defeating the Dream 84-76 on Friday. There was some good news for Atlanta: Guard Jordin Canada, who had been out with a right knee injury, made her season debut against Connecticut. She didn't score but tallied three assists.
6. Indiana Fever (4-4)
Previous ranking: 9
Next 7 days: @ ATL (June 10), vs. NY (June 14)
The Fever picked up Aari McDonald via emergency hardship with guards Clark and Sophie Cunningham (ankle) out. McDonald had 7 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in a victory over Washington and 12, 2 and 3 in a win over Chicago. Guard Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana in scoring in both games with a combined 41 points. The Fever needed to get back some confidence without Clark, and they did just that.
7. Las Vegas Aces (4-3)
Previous ranking: 5
Next 7 days: vs. LA (June 11), vs. DAL (June 13), vs. PHO (June 15)
It's rare that the two-time WNBA champion Aces don't fully show up, but that's what seemed to happen in their 95-68 loss at Golden State on Saturday. Coach Becky Hammon ripped the team for lack of effort in its only game of the week. Guards Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd were a combined 2-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line for nine points. In her first season with Las Vegas, Loyd is shooting just 29.4% from the field.
8. Golden State Valkyries (4-5)
Previous ranking: 10
Next 7 days: vs. SEA (June 14)
For the second time this season, the Valkyries have won two games in a row. After falling 86-77 on Thursday at Phoenix, they blew out Las Vegas 95-68 (Saturday) and beat Los Angeles 89-81 in overtime (Monday). Golden State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds against the Sparks. Rookie forward Janelle Salaun had a season-high 21 points plus eight rebounds.
9. Washington Mystics (4-6)
Previous ranking: 6
Next 7 days: vs. ATL (June 15)
After losing to Indiana and New York, Washington had its highest points total of the season in Saturday's 104-67 win against Connecticut. Veteran guard Brittney Sykes put up 28 points, her seventh game of the campaign with 20 or more points. Forward Kiki Iriafen -- ESPN's early-season pick for Rookie of the Year -- leads Washington in rebounding (9.4 per game) and is second to Sykes in scoring (14.6 points per game).
10. Los Angeles Sparks (3-7)
Previous ranking: 11
Next 7 days: @ LV (June 11), @ MIN (June 14)
The Sparks beat Dallas on Friday and had a chance to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they faced Golden State on Monday. But Los Angeles missed a shot at the end of regulation and the Valkyries took over in overtime for the 89-81 victory. The Sparks are 11th in rebounding (32.4), which hurt them a lot against Golden State.
11. Connecticut Sun (2-7)
Previous ranking: 13
Next 7 days: vs. CHI (June 15)
The Sun's pattern over the past five games has been to allow 100-plus points in a loss then come back with a victory. After snapping Atlanta's four-game winning streak on Marina Mabrey's season-high 34 points on Friday, Connecticut lost 104-67 to Washington on Sunday. We'll see if this trends holds for the Sun's only game over this next week, against the ailing Sky.
12. Chicago Sky (2-5)
Previous ranking: 8
Next 7 days: @ NY (June 10), @ ATL (June 13), @ CON (June 15)
These aren't easy times for the Sky, who lost their only game of the week to the Fever. Vandersloot -- Chicago's best playmaker and most experienced veteran -- is out the rest of the season. The Sky are averaging 77.4 PPG, which is exactly where they finished last season, but are allowing a league-worst 90.1 PPG, up from 82.5 last year. Unless they can improve on both ends, it will be tough to compete.
13. Dallas Wings (1-9)
Previous ranking: 12
Next 7 days: @ PHO (June 11), @ LV (June 13)
The absence of No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers -- who was in the concussion protocol for three games then missed another with an illness -- has hurt the Wings over their past four games, all losses (to Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and Minnesota). Dallas also is without guard Tyasha Harris (knee) and center Teaira McCowan, and the Wings will soon lose center Luisa Geiselsöder. Like McCowan (Turkey), Geiselsöder (Germany) is departing to compete in the EuroBasket tournament later this month before returning to the WNBA in July.