The race for the top spot in our WNBA Power Rankings has never been tighter.
One week after the Minnesota Lynx climbed to No. 1 in the Crush & Rush News WNBA Power Rankings, the Las Vegas Aces have moved into the top spot following a perfect week highlighted by a statement victory over Minnesota.
The movement at the top doesn’t stop there.
The New York Liberty continues piling up wins behind one of the league’s most efficient offenses. The Indiana Fever are playing their best basketball of the season.
The Atlanta Dream remain firmly in the championship conversation despite a difficult home loss to New York. Meanwhile, the Golden State Valkyries continue proving they’re much more than a surprise story.
Unlike traditional rankings that focus primarily on wins and losses, the Crush & Rush News Power Rankings weigh advanced statistics, quality wins, bad losses, strength of schedule, home and road performance, injury impact, and recent momentum.
Here are the latest Crush & Rush News WNBA Power Rankings entering the week of June 15.
1. Las Vegas Aces (10-3) ↑5
The Aces are back on top.
Las Vegas went 3-0 this week and closed it with the biggest win of the week, a 100-97 victory over Minnesota. The offense was nearly unstoppable, posting a league-best 128.0 Offensive Rating while A’ja Wilson continued her MVP-caliber season.
The Aces now own one of the strongest résumés in the league and have the head-to-head win over Minnesota that ultimately pushed them into the top spot.
This Week: at Dallas, at Phoenix
2. Minnesota Lynx (10-3) ↓1
Minnesota falls one spot, but there is no reason to panic.
The Lynx opened the week with a dominant 100-76 victory over Dallas before narrowly losing to Las Vegas on the road. One close loss to an elite opponent doesn’t erase weeks of outstanding basketball.
Minnesota is one of the league’s best defensive teams and continues to rank among the WNBA leaders in nearly every advanced metric that matters, while Olivia Miles has nearly sewn up the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
This Week: vs. Portland, at Los Angeles, at Golden State, vs. Washington
3. New York Liberty (10-4) ↑2
Nobody had a better statistical week than New York.
The Liberty defeated Connecticut, Atlanta, and Washington while posting the league’s best Net Rating during the week. Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones continue to anchor one of the WNBA’s most balanced rosters.
New York keeps finding ways to win and is rapidly closing the gap with the teams above it, and Sabrina Ionescu’s return to the lineup this past Sunday will be a boon for the Liberty.
This Week: at Chicago, vs. Washington, at Los Angeles
4. Atlanta Dream (9-4) ↓2
The Dream remains one of the toughest teams in the league to beat.
Atlanta handled Chicago and Toronto but struggled against New York. Despite the loss, the Dream owns several of the league’s best wins and is among the strongest defensive teams in the WNBA.
Ryne Howard is finally heating up, and this week’s huge home-and-home series with Indiana could dramatically impact next week’s rankings.
This Week: at Indiana, vs. Indiana
5. Indiana Fever (8-5) ↑2
The Fever are finally looking like the contender many expected before the season.
Indiana went 3-0 this week and continues climbing thanks to improved team defense and the outstanding play of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The competition wasn’t elite, but the Fever handled their business.
Now comes a major test.
Two games against Atlanta in three days could determine whether Indiana is ready to join the league’s top tier.
This Week: vs. Toronto, vs. Atlanta, at Atlanta
6. Golden State Valkyries (8-5) —
At some point, this stops being a surprise.
Golden State picked up wins over Phoenix and Seattle while continuing to establish itself as one of the league’s best defensive teams. Every week, the Valkyries look more comfortable in big moments, thanks to Gabby Williams 22 ppg this past week.
The schedule gets much tougher this week with games against Los Angeles, Dallas, Minnesota, and Las Vegas.
This Week: vs. Los Angeles, vs. Dallas, vs. Minnesota, at Las Vegas
7. Dallas Wings (8-5) ↓4
The Wings are still dangerous, but this was a difficult week.
Dallas was overwhelmed by Minnesota before dropping a close game in Portland. Paige Bueckers is one of the league’s brightest young stars, but Dallas needs to find the offensive consistency that fueled its recent surge.
A Monday night matchup with Las Vegas offers an immediate opportunity to make a statement.
This Week: vs. Las Vegas, at Golden State, vs. Chicago
8. Los Angeles Sparks (6-7) ↑3
Few players had a better week than Kelsey Plum.
The Sparks went 2-0, and Plum exploded for 43 points in an overtime victory over Phoenix. Los Angeles is a dangerous offensive team capable of beating anyone when shots are falling, and a weak one when shooting bricks.
This week’s schedule should tell us a lot about whether the Sparks are genuine playoff contenders.
This Week: at Golden State, vs. Minnesota, vs. New York
9. Toronto Tempo (6-7) ↓1
The Tempo continues to show flashes of offensive brilliance.
Toronto picked up an overtime win against Connecticut but couldn’t build on it, falling to Washington and Atlanta later in the week. Brittney Sykes lit up opponents last week with 23 ppg in last week’s games, but they are too inconsistent.
This Week: at Indiana, at Connecticut
10. Portland Fire (7-7) —
The Fire is exceeding expectations.
Portland followed a loss to Las Vegas with a hard-fought victory over Dallas. Bridgett Carleton has been fantastic, but the Fire is one of the league’s toughest teams to evaluate, yet it is one of its most competitive emerging teams.
This Week: at Minnesota, vs. Seattle
11. Washington Mystics (5-7) ↑2
Washington continues to outperform expectations.
The Mystics earned a quality win over Toronto and continue to compete every night despite a difficult schedule. Their young core keeps showing signs of growth, while Michaela Onyenwere averaged 17 ppg last week.
This Week: at Connecticut, at New York, at Minnesota
12. Chicago Sky (4-8) —
The Sky are competitive but continue searching for consistency.
Chicago pushed Indiana to overtime and battled Atlanta throughout much of their matchup, but moral victories only go so far. Skyler Diggins was electric last week, but the Sky need more from Kamilla Cardoso.
This Week: vs. New York, at Dallas
13. Phoenix Mercury (4-11) ↓4
The Mercury’s season is spiraling out of control.
An 0-3 week exposed many of the same issues that have plagued Phoenix throughout the season. The talent is there, but Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas can’t get the job done alone.
This Week: vs. Las Vegas, vs. Seattle
14. Seattle Storm (3-12) —
Seattle continues to fight but is stuck near the bottom of the standings.
The Storm have played several competitive games recently, but close losses continue piling up. Dominique Malonga’s return to the lineup will help, but this young team is still learning the ropes.
This Week: at Portland, at Phoenix
15. Connecticut Sun (2-13) —
The Sun remains in rebuilding mode.
Connecticut continues battling despite another winless week, but consistency has been difficult to find. Development remains the organization’s primary focus moving forward, but they are getting solid production from second-year forward Aneesah Morrow.
This Week: vs. Washington, vs. Toronto
Biggest Movers This Week
📈 Las Vegas Aces: Up 5 spots (No. 6 to No. 1)
📈 Los Angeles Sparks: Up 3 spots (No. 11 to No. 8)
📈 Indiana Fever: Up 2 spots (No. 7 to No. 5)
📈 New York Liberty: Up 2 spots (No. 5 to No. 3)
📉 Dallas Wings: Down 4 spots (No. 3 to No. 7)
📉 Phoenix Mercury: Down 4 spots (No. 9 to No. 13)
Three Games That Could Change Next Week’s Rankings
Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings (June 15)
The Aces enter the week as the new No. 1 team in the rankings, but Dallas desperately needs a signature win after a difficult week. A Wings victory would immediately shake up the top tier.
Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream (June 18 and June 20)
No matchup carries more ranking implications this week.
These teams meet twice in three days, and both currently sit inside the top five. A sweep by either team could dramatically change next week’s rankings.
Minnesota Lynx at Golden State Valkyries (June 19)
Golden State continues proving it belongs among the league’s playoff contenders.
A victory over Minnesota would be the biggest win of the season for the Valkyries and could push them into the league’s upper tier.
Final Thoughts
The gap between Las Vegas, Minnesota, New York, Atlanta, and Indiana continues to shrink.
The Aces hold the top spot today, but one strong week from any of those teams could completely reshape the rankings by next Monday.
And with several head-to-head matchups involving Top 5 teams this week, don’t expect the standings to stay quiet for long.
