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2025 WNBA Power Rankings (Week 10): Lynx Lead, Liberty linger; Dream, Fever and Sparks are hot

  
Published August 7, 2025 04:37 PM

It’s been a little over two weeks since the second half of the WNBA season resumed. With just five weeks remaining in the 2025 regular season, one thing that hasn’t changed is the Minnesota Lynx keep on winning. There is, however, some shuffling occurring among some of the other top teams in the league.

The Atlanta Dream are down key players, but seem to be playing some of their best basketball of the season, while the Phoenix Mercury appeared to be in retrograde for a brief period. The Indiana Fever are streaking their way up the standings and these rankings and Los Angeles has found its spark. Plus, the New York Liberty were on a losing skid, but they’ve brought in reinforcements to help steady the ship.

Like the All-Star break, these power rankings also took a break, but it’s time for an update.

WNBA Power Rankings

These rankings reflect where each WNBA team stands after week 10 of the 2025 season. Teams are ranked 1-13 and are grouped by tiers.

Past Rankings: Preseason, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9

Tier 1: Contenders

  1. Minnesota Lynx (25-5) | Prior Rank: 2 - The Minnesota Lynx are back on top where they belong and in hindsight should’ve never left, even if their brief fall was only one spot. They’ve played 30 games this season and have only lost five games. Their Net Rating of 14.7 is best in the league and tops the next best team, the New York Liberty at 7.4, by more than seven points.

    Their prowess was on full display on Saturday when they bested the Las Vegas Aces in a lopsided 111-58 victory, which is the largest road win in WNBA history.

    The Lynx also boast the best Offensive (110.1) and Defensive (95.4) Ratings in the league and on Sunday acquired defensive specialist, DiJonai Carrington, from the Dallas Wings to help bolster that defense.
    Carrington has strong growth opportunity with Lynx
    Natalie Esquire and Ros Gold-Onwude discuss the impact of Dallas Wing's DiJonai Carrington getting traded to the Lynx and why this is a strong growth opportunity, as well as Napheesa Collier's injury status.

    Now, there is some cause for concern because Napheesa Collier injured her right ankle in the third quarter of their game on Saturday against Las Vegas. It was reported that Collier will miss at least two weeks due to the sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

    The good news is that the Lynx only play four games during the two-week window and they have experience playing (and winning) without Collier, which was on full display in DiJonai Carrington’s first game with the team and their first without Collier since she sprained her right ankle. The Lynx bested a Seattle Storm team desperate for a win in a thriller.

    There’s no need for the Lynx to rush Collier back. They have a 5.5 game lead over the Liberty who are second to them in the standings. With this kind of lead over the rest of the field, the Lynx can absorb some some losses if necessary to enable Collier to make a full recovery. It’s also why they reclaim the No. 1 spot in these power rankings.

  2. Atlanta Dream (18-11) | Prior Rank: 5 - The Atlanta Dream are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They’re 6-2 over their last eight games and their most impressive win during that stretch came by handing the Lynx their first home loss of the season.

    What’s most impressive about the run that Atlanta has been on is that they were on the road for most of it and down key players. In that 8-game span, five of the eight games were road games. Rhyne Howard has been out since before the All-Star break with a left knee injury, but in their last three games, in addition to Howard, the Dream were without Jordin Canada (illness) for one of those games and Brittney Griner (neck) in their last two games.

    In addition to beating the Lynx, the Dream have also beaten the Phoenix Mercury twice over that span. The Dream’s 107. 2 Offensive Rating is second best in the league and their overall Net Rating of 6.5 is third best. Their recent play combined with the Liberty’s 4-game skid, even if New York has won its last two games, has earned the Dream the No. 2 spot in these rankings.

  3. New York Liberty (19-10) | Prior Rank: 3 - The Liberty are second in the standings, but they will remain at No. 3 in these power rankings. New York is 2-4 in their last six games, which coincides with Breanna Stewart getting injured. In their matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks, right before a 4-game road stretch, Breanna Stewart left the game early in the first quarter with what would later be diagnosed as a right knee bone bruise. She has no ligament damage and avoided major injury, but there is no timetable for her return. Liberty head coach, Sandy Brondello, is hopeful that Stewart can return before the playoffs.
    The Liberty have had to deal with a lot of roster turmoil this year, so on the one hand their road struggles this season are understandable. Jonquel Jones has missed significant time due to injury. Leonie Fiebich has been banged up, but also stepped away from the team temporarily to represent Germany in EuroBasket. Nyara Sabally (knee) is currently out and has also missed substantial time this season. Most recently, Kennedy Burke got added to the injury report with a right calf injury. Even Sabrina Ionescu, who has been on a tear since returning from the All-Star break, missed a game earlier this year due to a neck issue. So, the Liberty have really been put through the injury gauntlet and still, New York had enough talent and players available that the 4-game losing streak was still surprising and slightly concerning.
    Ionescu 'on another level' for NY, Meesseman's fit
    Natalie Esquire and Ros Gold-Onwude unpack Emma Meesseman's immediate impact for the Liberty and Sabrina Ionescu's progression after New York snapped a four-game four game losing streak against the Sun.
    Sabrina Ionescu put an end to the losing on Sunday. She led the Liberty to a win over the Connecticut Sun after they lost to the Sun just two days earlier. Ionescu was brilliant on Sunday as she tallied a season-high 36 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. What may have been most remarkable about the performance is Ionescu, known for her three-point sharpshooting, only had one made three in the entire game.
    Ionescu had help in the win on Sunday. Jonquel Jones played one of her better games since returning from a right ankle injury and chipped in with 21 points and 9 rebounds. But New York’s newest acquisition, Emma Meesseman, was also key to New York’s win over the Sun on Sunday. Meesseman, the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, only needed the first half of the game to start meshing with her new team. Meesseman finished the game with 11 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and was a +6 in only 17 minutes. The versatile forward obviously can score the ball, but her passing ability will add such a dynamic level to this Liberty team when fully healthy. Right now, Meesseman isn’t much of a luxury, but a need for New York, while Breanna Stewart nurses her way back from a bone bruise. The vision is clear for Meesseman and the early indications are that she will fit in seamlessly with the Liberty.
    While the champs did get back in the win column on Sunday and followed it up Tuesday with another win back home in New York against the Dallas Wings, the 4-game losing streak cannot be ignored. That is why they will remain at No. 3 in these rankings, even though they do maintain a 1-game lead over the Dream in the standings.

Tier 2: Potential Contenders

  1. Phoenix Mercury (18-11) | Prior Rank: 1 - The Mercury have cooled off and were in a bit of a downward spiral. While they have won their last two games, which were against the the Chicago Sky, a bottom three team in the standings, and the Connecticut Sun, the team with the worst record in the WNBA, the Mercury are 3-5 in their last eight games. In those eight games, their three wins have come against sub. 500 teams, the other being the Washington Mystics (13-16). They’ve lost to the Lynx, Dream twice, Liberty and Fever. All are teams with winning records.

    It’s unclear what was at the cause of the Mercury’s recent struggles, but ironically, it appears that getting healthier did cause some setback. The issue could be something as simple as growing pains due to reintegrating players into the lineup, but winning their last two games is a positive sign and step in the right direction. The Mercury are still No. 4 in the standings, tied with Atlanta for the third best record in the league and are only a game behind the Liberty at No. 2. For now, until the Mercury get back to beating teams with winning records, they do fall to No. 4 and drop a tier in these rankings.

  2. Indiana Fever (17-13) | Prior Rank: 6 - The Fever move up a spot (and a tier) to No. 5 this week and rightfully so. They were on a 5-game winning streak, which was the longest active win streak in the league, before the Sparks snapped it on Tuesday. During the win streak, the Fever beat a good mix of teams consisting of the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, Phoenix Mercury, Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm. Also, the Sky, Wings and Storm wins were on the road. The biggest thing is, they are doing this without Caitlin Clark. The Fever are not better without Clark, but learning how to win games without her will only bode well for them if and when she returns this season and increases their chances for a deep postseason run.
    Clark's return would make Fever spicy in playoffs
    Natalie Esquire and Ros Gold-Onwude weigh in on the Indiana Fever's victory over the Chicago Sky, analyzing whether the Fever can make a deep playoff push if Caitlin Clark returns from her groin injury.

    All-Stars, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, are doing a terrific job leading the Fever during Clark’s absence. In fact, Aliyah Boston received Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for her recent play.

    The Fever are also getting contributions across the board. It seems like every game a different player is stepping up. Whether it’s timely threes from Sophie Cunningham, the defensive pressure of Lexie Hull or Natasha Howard’s consistent paint presence, it’s been a full team effort.

    One of the biggest surprise contributors to the Fever is Aari McDonald. Initially brought in as a hardship contract due to so many Fever injuries, her impact was instant. She would eventually join the team permanently after the team and DeWanna Bonner decided to part ways. She’s been excellent running the point in Caitlin’s absence. Her defense has been tenacious, and she was key in so many of the Fever’s wins during their winning streak.

    The Fever being 9-8 without Caitlin Clark (10-8 including the Commissioner’s Cup) likely was not on anyone’s bingo card. An above .500 record and winners in five of their last six games, which included a 5-game winning streak, warrants moving to fifth in these rankings, but more importantly, being viewed again as a team with the potential to contend should Caitlin Clark return this season.

  3. Seattle Storm (16-14) | Prior Rank: 4 - The Seattle Storm have fallen to No. 6 in the standings and these rankings. The story remains the same for the Seattle Storm. They are an inconsistent team that is currently on a 3-game losing streak with a challenging schedule over their next five games (@Aces, @Sparks, vs Dream, @Dream, vs Mercury). The Storm haven’t won consecutive games in over a month.

    The good news for the Storm is help is on the way. On Tuesday the Seattle Storm acquired Brittney Sykes in a trade with the Washington Mystics.

    The All-Star guard should immediately strengthen a defense that already boasts the second best Defensive Rating in the league of 98.5. But more importantly, Sykes will provide additional offense for a Storm team whose Offensive Rating is 9th among the league’s 13 teams at 101.6.
    Storm acquire All-Star Sykes from Mystics
    Natalie Esquire and Callie Fin share why Tuesday's Storm-Mystics trade that sent Brittney Sykes to Seattle makes sense for both teams before breaking down DiJonai Carrington's Lynx debut.

    Additional good news for the Storm is that their three All-Stars, Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams, continue to play like All-Stars. Skylar Diggins recently made history by becoming the first player in WNBA history to record a triple-double in the All-Star game (11 points, 11 rebounds, 15 assists), and then followed it up by recording the first regular season triple-double of her career (11 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists).

    Seattle has more than enough talent on their roster to win games. It’s why the inconsistency of their play and some of their losses are so head-scratching. The Storm will have to reel off some wins before moving back up these rankings. For now, they drop to No. 6.

Tier 3: In the Mix

  1. Las Vegas Aces (16-14) | Prior Rank: 9 - The Aces are currently tied for the 6th best record in the league and are 7th in the standings. Unlike the Storm, the Aces are trending up and are on a two-game winning streak, but the Aces were also just on the wrong end of history. Vegas allowed the Lynx to come into their building on Saturday and beat them to the tune of 53 points. It was the largest margin of victory by a road team in WNBA history. Even though the Aces have moved on from their Saturday beat down and have since won two games, it’s not a loss that can be overlooked for purposes of these rankings because it wasn’t their first blowout loss of the season and it’s emblematic of larger issues with the Aces.
    Will the Aces make the WNBA playoffs?
    With the Aces continuing to struggle, Natalie Esquire and Callie Fin debate if Las Vegas will make or miss the WNBA playoffs.

    Despite their turbulent season thus far, the Aces are still in position to make a playoff push. The Aces are only 2.5 games behind an Atlanta Dream team that is third in the standings. In fact, every team ranked ahead of them, outside of the Lynx and Liberty, are all teams the Aces have beaten this season. The Aces will have a chance to overtake Seattle in the standings when they face off on Friday.

    Additionally, outside of the blowout loss to the Lynx, the Aces have been better since Jewell Loyd was moved to the bench. Not only have the Aces been better (4-1 record), but so has Loyd. As a starter, Loyd averaged 10.4 points per game and was shooting 36.3% from the field and 35.4% from three. Since coming off the bench, her points per game have shot up to 16.2 and her shooting splits have improved to 50.9% on field goals and 43.6% on three-pointers.
    Aces getting contributions after roster shake up
    Natalie Esquire and Ros Gold-Onwude discuss the contributions the Aces are getting with Becky Hammon's lineup shake up, Alyssa Thomas as the "engine" for the Mercury and the Dream handing the Lynx their first home loss.

    The Aces will need to show more to move up a tier in these rankings, but they do appear to be trending up and will at least for now, move up two spots to No. 7 this week.

  2. Los Angeles Sparks (13-15) | Prior Rank: 11 - The Sparks are 7-1 in their last 8 games, which included a 5-game winning streak during that stretch. Their most impressive win came on the road against the reigning champs, which was won on a Rickea Jackson buzzer-beating game-winner.

    Another impressive win during this window was their double overtime victory over the Seattle Storm (also on the road) on Friday. Rickea Jackson and Dearica Hamby led the way in that game, which is no surprise considering Hamby’s recent Western Conference Player of the Week honors.

    The Sparks are currently 9th in the standings, but are only a half game behind the Golden State Valkyries for 8th. While the Valkyries are currently leading the season series 2-1, the Sparks will face them one final time this season on Saturday with a chance to even the series and potentially overtake them in the standings if they also win their game on Thursday against the Connecticut Sun. The Sparks are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and warrant their jump in these rankings from No. 11 to No. 8.

  3. Golden State Valkyries (14-15) | Prior Rank: 8 - The Valkyries drop one spot this week. While Golden State is still hanging on for dear life to the No. 8 spot in the standings, they’ve lost their last two games, but more importantly, they’ve lost their lone All-Star, Kayla Thornton, this season to injury.
    The Valkyries are a relentless team. Since Thornton’s season-ending injury was announced, the Valkyries have gone 4-3 without her. So, they should not be discounted, but with the Sparks playing better and the Aces securing the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams, the playoff push for Golden State will be much harder. For now, they land at No. 9 in these rankings.

  4. Washington Mystics (13-16) | Prior Rank: 7 - The Mystics have fallen a few spots to No. 10, which also happens to be where they are in the standings. The Mystics have only won two games out of their last eight and in the last 48 hours, their roster makeup has changed drastically.

    As noted already, their leading scorer, Brittney Sykes was traded to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. Sika Koné was also waived as part of that trade. The Mystics received Alysha Clark from Seattle, who still has not played a game for them yet. And sophomore, Aaliyah Edwards, was traded on Thursday to the Connecticut Sun in return for Jacy Sheldon.

    Washington’s trades signal they are fully committing to rebuilding and the youth movement. It’s hard to assess the team at this moment with so many moving parts. While they did lose their most recent game on Tuesday to the Chicago Sky, it was their first without Brittney Sykes on the team. The Mystics have actually gotten the better of Chicago most of this season. Before Tuesday’s loss, the Sky were the last team the Mystics had beaten. Their All-Star rookie duo led the way when they beat the Sky and these moves by the Mystics signal they are all-in on Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

    The Mystics will remain in Tier 3 (for now) and will land at No. 10, which aligns with where they are in the standings, until their new-look version plays some games together. However, they may be a handful of losses away from dropping to Tier 4.

Tier 4: Rebuilding

  1. Dallas Wings (8-22) | Prior Rank: 12 - The Dallas Wings are 2-6 in their last eight games and have also gone through some significant roster changes this season. Most recently, as already discussed, the Wings traded DiJonai Carrington for Diamond Miller and a future pick. Miller played only seven minutes in her first game with the Wings, which they lost on the road to the New York Liberty. Similar to Washington, a larger sample size with Diamond Miller is needed to really assess this Dallas Wings team.

    Ironically, before losing to New York on Tuesday, the Liberty were the last team that the Wings had beaten and the potential of their dynamic backcourt was on full display in that game.

    With their trades this season, the Wings are also signaling a rebuild. They are currently 12th in the standings and are a half game behind the Sky, who have also beaten them multiple times this season, but the Wings will still land one spot above Chicago at No. 11 in these rankings because their most recent win came against a more competitive team than the Sky’s most recent win, which was against the Mystics.

  2. Chicago Sky (8-21) | Prior Rank: 10 - The Chicago Sky have been spiraling and that is mostly due to their leading scorer, Ariel Atkins, and most versatile player, Angel Reese, both missing significant time due to injuries. It’s no surprise that in Ariel Atkins’ return to the lineup on Tuesday that they finally snapped an 8-game losing streak, though it was their frontcourt of Elizabeth Williams and Kamilla Cardoso that led the way.
    With no concrete timetable for Angel Reese’s return from a back injury, the Sky may continue to lose more games. An 8-game losing streak cannot be ignored. So, even though the Sky snapped it on Tuesday by beating the Washington Mystics, they will land at No. 12 in these rankings.

  3. Connecticut Sun (5-23) | Prior Rank: 13 - The Connecticut Sun may have the worst record in the league but they have been playing better, more competitive basketball and that’s even more evidenced by them winning two games last week against the Golden State Valkyries and New York Liberty.

    While they won’t move up in these rankings, their improvement should be acknowledged. They will keep the No. 13 spot this week, but their future is looking bright with the addition of Aaliyah Edwards to an existing young core of Saniya Rivers, Aneesah Morrow and Leïla Lacan.