2023-07-18 13:30:00
MA Voepel | ESPN Jul 18, 2023, 09:30 ETRead: 10 min.
LAS VEGAS — One word came up over and over again when WNBA players were asked at All-Star Weekend what their teams needed most in the second half of this season: consistency. But that’s easier said than done in a 12-team league with so much competitive balance.
The Las Vegas Aces are once again the rock-solid team in first place in this week’s ESPN WNBA Power Rankings, and it doesn’t seem likely they’ll be shaken from that position. But no other place in the league standings, good or bad, is close to being secured just yet.
Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty celebrates during the game against the Seattle Storm on July 8, 2023 in Brooklyn, New York.Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun appear to be the best bets to fill out the top three in the league. Liberty are 2-0 against the Sun, with two more meetings between the teams remaining in the regular season. It’s also notable, though, that Connecticut is done playing Las Vegas (the Sun went 1-2), while New York still has three more meetings with the Aces, all in August.
The fourth place could be a revolving door; five teams have been in that spot in our 2023 Power Rankings.
And at the bottom, which teams will end up in the 2024 draft lottery with franchise-changing potential? The Indiana Fever (four) and Phoenix Mercury (three) have spent the most weeks in the bottom spot of our standings, while the Seattle Storm enters the second half of the season with the worst record in the league (4- 16).
Consistency is so hard to achieve because the league has so much parity. The difference in any given game can be which team is home and/or has had the tougher schedule that week. Not to mention the ups and downs that come with injuries, including what seems to be the most common ailment this season: sprained ankles.
With relatively few games a week ago, there isn’t much movement in the Week 9 Power Rankings. But let’s see what each team needs most to succeed the rest of this season.
1. Las Vegas Aces
Record: 19-2
Ranking anterior: 1
This week: in Seattle (Thursday), in Minnesota (Saturday 3 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes)
Las Vegas hosted a successful All-Star Weekend, despite Team A’ja Wilson, who held all four Aces stars, losing the game. Now the Aces must once again try to dominate. Coach Becky Hammon continues to emphasize the team’s ability to improve on defense, a scary thought for the rest of the league that can’t slow down the Aces’ offense.
But as the Aces look to further boost their offense by improving their defense, let’s highlight another key: playing well on the road. The Aces’ only losses so far are away from Michelob Ultra Arena: in Connecticut and in Dallas. They open the second half with a three-game road trip and then have a four-game road trip in August.
2. New York Liberty
Record: 14-4
Ranking anterior: 2
This week: vs. Dallas (Wednesday), in Washington (Friday), vs. Indiana (Sunday)
Team Breanna Stewart won the All-Star Game, while guard Sabrina Ionescu won the 3-point contest with a stunning performance that may never be bettered: missing just two shots. Ionescu said that even though that victory was only an exhibition, he can take a lot of confidence from her for the second half of the season.
Ionescu also got straight to the point when asked what he thought was the biggest key to New York the rest of the way.
“Keep a lead,” Ionescu said, referring to how the Liberty struggled to close out their final three games before the All-Star break, despite facing lower-tier teams Phoenix, Seattle and Indiana. New York won all three, but it didn’t look like the dominant team it can be.
“We continue to play well with each other, but without using that as an excuse when things don’t go well,” Ionescu said. “It’s a big factor in why some of our games end the way they do. But we understand that it’s happened too many times, and we have to look inward and continue to build that chemistry. I think we will.”
Guard Tiffany Hayes is averaging 11.3 points and 2.8 assists in her first season with the Connecticut Sun. She scored 16.2 points per game in 2022 and 14.7 points per game in 2021 with the Atlanta Dream.Erica Denhoff / Icon Sportswire
3. Connecticut Sun
Record: 15-5
Ranking anterior: 3
This week: in Phoenix (Tuesday), vs. Atlanta (Thursday), at Atlanta (Saturday 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes)
No team has had a greater injury loss on the season than Connecticut under Brionna Jones. But the Sun has pushed on as best they can, led by All-Stars Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner.
Getting consistent scores from Tiffany Hayes is the biggest thing Connecticut needs right now. In her 11th season in the WNBA and her first with the Sun, Hayes is coming off a 22-point performance last Wednesday in a win over Chicago. She tied her best performance of the season and is exactly what Connecticut needs from her.
Coming to the Sun after 10 seasons in Atlanta, Hayes probably expected to be the fourth or fifth option. But with Jones out, the Sun needs more of everyone else. Hayes can lead the way.
4. Dallas Wings
Record: 11-9
Ranking anterior: 4
This week:in New York (Wednesday), vs. Los Angeles (Saturday)
All-Star Arike Ogunbowale believes a top-four finish in the league is achievable, and the Wings’ performance in recent weeks backs that up. Dallas has won five of its last six games; the only loss was to Las Vegas, but the Wings also beat the Aces in that stretch.
Ogunbowale, fellow All-Star Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard have been Dallas’ big three in scoring, and that should continue. The same should be true of the Wings’ dominance on the backboard: Throw in center Teaira McCowan with forwards Sabally and Howard, and it becomes clear why Dallas leads the league in rebounding. But Dallas must be better on the road to stay in the top quarter of the standings. The Wings are 4-7 on the road, 7-2 at home. It might be a sign of a good trend for the Wings that half of their four road wins came in Dallas’ last two games before the All-Star break: at Indiana and Minnesota.
5. Atlanta Dream
Record: 11-8
Ranking anterior: 5
This week: vs. Minnesota (Tuesday), in Connecticut (Thursday), vs. Connecticut (Saturday 1 p.m. ET by ESPN Deportes)
The Dream have won six straight and appear to be on track to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Allisha Gray, Cheyenne Parker and Rhyne Howard were All-Stars and lead Atlanta in points and rebounds. The continued development of rookie Haley Jones is key in the second half. She is averaging 3.2 assists per game, and her ability as a playmaker is essential if she is to get as much court time as possible the rest of the season. Rookies can tire in August, but that’s when Jones needs to blossom.
6. Washington Mystics
Record: 11-8
Ranking anterior: 7
This week: vs. Indiana (Wednesday), vs. New York (Friday), vs. Phoenix (Sunday)
Elena Delle Donne was the Mystics’ lone All-Star, but was unable to play in the game due to an ankle injury. With Ariel Atkins suffering an ankle injury in last week’s win over Seattle, Brittney Sykes is the only Washington starter to escape the bout of injury.
The biggest key for Washington in the second half is to have all of their starters, which include Shakira Austin and Natasha Cloud, along with Delle Donne, Atkins and Sykes, as healthy as possible for the final stretch of the season and heading into the playoffs. While the Mystics don’t necessarily want to take it for granted that they’ll make the postseason, they should be there unless the bottom falls out. Therefore, they do not want to rush anyone back for short-term profit. The Mystics have veterans like Tianna Hawkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough who are good at helping keep things together.
7. Minnesota Lynx
Record: 9-11
Ranking anterior: 6
This week: in Atlanta (Tuesday), vs. Los Angeles (Thursday), vs. Las Vegas (Saturday 3 p.m. ET on ESPN Deportes)
Despite an 0-6 start to the season, the Lynx have moved into the playoff picture, led by All-Star Napheesa Collier. Minnesota didn’t have the best week leading up to the All-Star break, being beaten first by Las Vegas last Sunday (113-89) and then by Dallas on Wednesday (107-67). Both games were at the Target Center, which brings up a second-half key: the Lynx have to play better at home.
They have been more successful away from home (5-4) than at home (4-7). Last year, Minnesota missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and had identical records at home (7-11) and away (7-11). The rest of this season, the Lynx have to get more out of the Target Center.
8. Chicago Sky
Record: 8-12
Ranking anterior: 8
This week: in Phoenix (Thursday), in Seattle (Saturday)
It would be quite an achievement for the Sky to make the playoffs this year considering their personnel losses in the offseason and the departure of coach James Wade to the NBA at the end of June. All-Star Kahleah Copper will continue to do her thing; she leads Chicago with 17.3 points per game. But veterans Courtney Williams and Elizabeth Williams, both in their first seasons in Chicago, could play key roles the rest of the way.
They are second and third on the team in rebounding, behind Alanna Smith, who is having her breakout season in the WNBA. And they are fourth and fifth for Sky in scoring. They are also very good communicators. Courtney Williams talks more, her teammates rely on her constant upbeat chatter, but both are very experienced and have a great understanding of the game.
9. Phoenix Mercury
Record: 4-15
Ranking anterior: 9
This week: vs. Connecticut (Tuesday), vs. Chicago (Thursday), in Washington (Sunday)
Phoenix All-Star Brittney Griner summed up the Mercury’s need in the second half succinctly: “Get more wins!” In fact, the Mercury have fallen short of wins, failing to defeat any team currently in the top six in the standings. It’s too early to say, “Wait until next year,” because with players like Griner and Diana Taurasi, it’s still possible to make the playoffs. Stranger things have happened.
But the continued development of forward Michaela Onyenwere is one of the most important aspects of the Mercury’s second half. She was Rookie of the Year in 2021 after being New York’s sixth pick and one of the few bright spots in a bad draft. As part of a multi-team trade in February, her third season in the WNBA has been her best. She is averaging 10.6 points per game this season, 14.2 in the last five games.
10. Los Angeles Sparks
Record: 7-13
Ranking anterior: 10
This week: in Minnesota (Thursday), in Dallas (Saturday)
The Sparks are another team that can’t seem to take many breaks when it comes to health. Only two players have appeared in each game: Dearica Hamby, who gave birth in March, and rookie Zia Cooke. The Sparks’ best player is All-Star Nneka Ogwumike, who has only missed one game and is averaging nearly a double-double (19.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG).
While the Sparks don’t want to miss the playoffs for the third straight year — that would be unprecedented for the franchise — they are riding a six-game losing streak that has put them in the lottery for now. That wouldn’t be the worst for Los Angeles, but a key to the second half is for the teammates to help Ogwumike more. She’s having a great season, but she can’t do it all for Los Angeles.
11. Seattle Storm
Record: 4-16
Ranking anterior: 11
This week: vs. Las Vegas (Thursday), vs. Chicago (Saturday)
Like Ogwumike, the Storm’s Jewell Loyd is having an outstanding individual season in a difficult year for his team. This was expected after the retirement of Sue Bird and the departure of Breanna Stewart in free agency. The Storm is likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015, and Loyd is a free agent in 2024.
The most important aspect of the second half of this season has more to do with the future of the franchise than with the results of this particular team. How well the Storm’s younger players — including All-Star Ezi Magbegor — continue to develop could affect Loyd’s free agency decision.
12. Indiana Fever
Record: 5-15
Ranking anterior: 12
This week: in Washington (Wednesday), in New York (Sunday)
The Fever had two All-Stars, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, but now they have the longest losing streak in the league with eight in a row. Indiana received some bad news last week that NaLyssa Smith, its second leading scorer and leading rebounder, would be out at least two weeks with a stress fracture in her left foot. Could the Fever return to the lottery for the seventh consecutive year?
The Fever have also shown signs of being a good team. Or, at least, not a bad one. The key in the second half of the season is not to let things get out of control like they did last season, when Indiana went 5-31 and lost its last 18 games.
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