Our WNBA Power rankings for Week 4 Monday, June 24:

1. Connecticut Sun (9 – 2) – Despite a road loss on Sunday to the streaking Chicago Sky, the Sun continue to separate themselves as the elite team in the WNBA this season.  As the rest of the league says goodbye to some of their players to the European Championships, the Sun remain intact and strong.  Expect them to continue their run of dominance as the team chemistry spreads to a deep bench.  Burn it down indeed.
2. Washington Mystics (7 – 3) – Two of the Mystics three losses on the season have come at the hands of the Sun, but the rest of the league should be on notice after Elena Delle Donne had a killer week looking very much in midseason MVP form.  They lose Meeseman to the Euros but have more than enough depth to continue winning until she returns.  Look for the Mystics to return to the WNBA finals this year.
3. Seattle Storm (7 – 4) – Dan Hughes’ return to action breathes new life into his defending champs and the Storm remain undefeated at home after a tight win against Indiana.  Natasha Howard and Jewell Loyd look like the second coming of Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird so the future is bright for a Storm team that has a knack for winning even without their injured stars.
4. Chicago Sky (6 – 3) – If you’re like me, you’ve been hesitant to buy into the Chicago Sky this season as the frontrunners they’ve appeared to be, but after an 18 point win against the Sun, they’re turning some heads.  Diamond DeShields looks deadly in transition and the pace of game is propelling the sky to some high scoring games that they’re winning.  They have a tough week ahead with games against the Mystics, Storm, and Sparks but if they can take 2 out of 3, expect them to rise even further in these rankings.
5. Las Vegas Aces (5 – 4) – The Aces split their games this week to stay ahead of the curve on the season but they’ll need more consistency if they’re going to make a deep playoff run.  The bench has been a strength for Las Vegas but they’ll need more from their number 1 picks (Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson, and Kelsey Plum) to challenge the league leaders.  Mark your calendar for Tuesday night at 10pm EST when the Storm visit the Aces live on twitter.
6. Minnesota Lynx (5 – 5) – The Lynx remain in the fold challenging the top teams but look like they simply don’t have enough firepower to win consistently.  This year will be a monumental success if they reach the playoffs, win a game or two, and look forward to the return of Maya Moore next year and how scary they will be when Moore, Collier, and Fowles develop their chemistry.  The new era in Minnesota looks promising and Cheryl Reeve’s history of success will undoubtedly continue.
7. Los Angeles Sparks (4 – 6) – The Sparks have lost 3 in a row since Candace Parker’s return and fans are starting to wonder what seems to be the problem.  On paper the Sparks appear to be among the most talented teams in the league, but something isn’t clicking.  First year coach Derek Fisher will likely be looked at if they don’t turn this season around.  With all the stars off the court this season, many thought the Sparks would be a shoo-in for the finals.  The picture is less clear now.
8. Indiana Fever (5 – 6) – The Fever are winning games by committee getting contributions from whoever is hot that night whether it’s off the bench or in the starting five.  They’re routinely winning the battle on the boards but lead the league in fouls.  If they can clean up the foul trouble, maybe they can win a few more of the close ones.  Hard not to root for the Fever to make it back to the postseason for the first time since Catchings retired.
9. Phoenix Mercury (3 – 5) – The Mercury teased a Taurasi return before reneging this past Sunday.  They emerged victorious against the struggling Sparks nonetheless and with Taurasi’s return on the horizon, expect the Mercury to rack up a few wins in short order and work their way back into the playoff picture.  Easy to forget the Mercury stretched the defending champion Storm the furthest in last years finals with a team that looks very much like the one on the court when Taurasi returns.
10. New York Liberty (3 – 7) – The Liberty played two tight games this week but lost both.  Rookie sensation Asia Durr is beginning to find her confidence and Kia Nurse has developed into scoring threat from anywhere on the court when you need a bucket.  Brittany Boyd has been effective as the team’s primary point guard, but expect New York to look for another solid option at PG in next year’s draft.  I hear the Oregon Ducks have a decent point guard the Liberty could be targeting…
11. Dallas Wings (2 – 6) – The Dallas Wings are searching for answers in the front court and everyone is getting a chance to step up.  Guard play will be this teams strength bolstered when Skyler Diggins-Smith returns, but rookie Arike Ogunbowale picks up right where she left off at Notre Dame putting up big scoring numbers, but requiring a lot of shots to do it.  Efficiency will be the key if Dallas is going to develop into a contender this year or beyond.
12. Atlanta Dream (2 – 7) – The Dream have had arguably one of the most difficult schedules thus far in 2019 but will have a chance to reevaluate and regroup with 6 days off this week before a Sunday clash with the New York Liberty.  Reports that the dream wanted to trade all star Angel McCoughtry in the offseason support the hypothesis that they are tanking the season and in the midst of a rebuild.  Surprising news on the heels of a second place finish in 2018.  Time to look to the future.

Our Week 3 WNBA Power Rankings (Monday, June 17):

1. Connecticut Sun (8 – 1) – Burn It Down! At this point its the Connecticut Sun and then everybody else.  They’ve been extremely dominant this year and having witnessed them live in action I can say that they are efficient, imposing, and absolutely deserving of their record and the top spot in our power rankings as well as the WNBA standings.
2. Seattle Storm (5 – 4) – Seattle earns our 2nd spot in the rankings this week due to a tough schedule, and extreme resilience in the face of a team-wide injury bug.  Latest to go down is back up point guard Jordin Canada.  With Sue Bird still recovering from injury this leaves the Storm without a true point guard but they still manage to put up a good effort and kept the Sun close through three quarters.
3. Las Angeles Sparks (4 – 3) – Los Angeles has been inconsistent this year with some big wins and surprising losses, but they get Candace Parker back this week and there’s every reason to believe that will lift them to a new level.  I expect the Sparks to go on a run at some point soon and really find their rhythm.
4. Washington Mystics (4 – 3) – The mystics drop down in our rankings this week after 2 losses to other top teams.  They lose Emma Meeseman to the European championships for a month and this will undoubtedly hurt.  But there should be enough talent on the floor still to challenge the top teams.  Look out for matchups this week against the Sparks and Aces to show their quality.
5. Chicago Sky (4 – 2) – Chicago leapfrogs up in our rankings this week after a strong showing with two well earned victories.  Diamond DeShields is showing why she’s been considered a top prospect in every phase of her career and the Jantel Lavender pick up from LA is paying dividends.  Backcourt duo Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot continue to impress from long range and as play makers.  A couple more wins this week and I’ll be a true believer.
6. Las Vegas Aces (4 – 3) – The inconsistent Aces continue to show flashes of brilliance and then at times appear pedestrian.  The pieces are there and with more time together there’s every reason to believe the chemistry will develop and they’ll become every bit the title contenders fans expected at the beginning of the year.  Lookout for a potential statement win this week when they play at home against the Mystics.
7. Minnesota Lynx (4 – 5) – The lynx have just completed a very tough stretch of schedule in which they lost 4 games in a row by 6 points or less each game.  Many expected this to be a rebuilding year so it comes as no surprise that they’ve cooled off after a hot start to the season.  Napheesa Collier continues to impress and sits comfortably atop the rookie candidates for rookie of the year.
8. Indiana Fever (4 – 4) – Indiana has an opportunity this week to score three wins with games against the Dream, Sky, and Storm.  They’re going to need more efficiency from their guards and hastened development for 3rd overall draft pick Teaira McCowan if they’re going to stay in the playoff picture this whole season.
9. New York Liberty (3 – 5) – The Liberty have looked great recently posting a 3 – 1 record after opening the season 0 – 4.  A career night for Amanda Zahui B against the LA Sparks, and more production from Kia Nurse and Asia Durr have them in position to make a push for a playoff spot.  Depth is perhaps New York’s biggest problem at the moment as they have rarely gotten impactful performances off the bench.
10. Phoenix Mercury (2 – 4) – The Mercury look like they’re missing the game closing skills of Diana Taurasi as they fall to 2 – 4 on the season this week.  Luckily, there is talk that Taurasi could be ready to return as early as this Sunday, providing some much needed scoring and playmaking at the guard position.  it may take a game or two for this team to get back to form, but expect them to climb out of the basement before too long.
11. Dallas Wings (1 – 5) – Dallas recorded their first win of the season this week with a 71 – 61 victory over the Atlanta Dream in which rookie Arike Ogunbowale led the team in scoring with 17.  I expect more from a Dallas Wings team that boasts some of the top talent from the NCAA over the past few years.  But look for them to struggle until team leader and face of the franchise Skyler Diggins-Smith returns later this season.
12. Atlanta Dream (1 – 5) – Head coach Nikki Collen has to be losing sleep wondering how this group went from 2nd in the 2018 WNBA standings to last in the 2019 season.  No doubt they miss Angel McCoughtry and will be a better team with her on the floor.  But the current starting 5 and bench depth was largely responsible for their continued success after McCoughtry went down last year.  Where is the spark that gets the Dream back on track?

Our Week 2 WNBA Power Rankings (Monday, June 10):

1. Connecticut Sun (5 – 1) – Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Sun’s 5 – 1 start is that they’re doing it against the other top talent in the league boasting wins over Washington, LA, and Las Vegas.  The Sun are looking every bit like favorites to win the title this year, but we saw this hot start for the Sun in 2018 as well before they struggled the second half of the season. How do they prevent that from happening as some of the league’s injured stars start to return?
2. Washington Mystics (4 – 1) – The mystics are looking scary good.  They haven’t lost with Elena Delle Donne on the floor and this team looks hungry.  They have the superstar power, the depth, and the balance to be WNBA champs this season.  That said, they have played the easiest schedule so far of any team and they’ll be challenged this week against the Sun and the Storm.  So check back next week to see how they fared.
3. Los Angeles Sparks (3 – 2) – The Sparks had a tough week, scraping past the Liberty, falling to the Sun, and edging out a nailbiter against the Lynx.  But this team has displayed a lot of grit in securing W’s in some tough, close games. Chelsea Gray has picked up right where she left off last year and the Sparks are finding just enough to stay ahead until Candace Parker gets back on the court, which should be soon.
4. Minnesota Lynx (4 – 2) – The Lynx faced a tough schedule this week losing to the Storm and Sparks in close games and squeaking out a win against Phoenix.  Odyssey Sims has stepped up big in her first year with the Lynx and the rookies have been big despite the two losses. Tough to lose Jess Shepard to an ACL tear, but its a “next woman up” mentality for Cheryl Reeve.  
5. Seattle Storm (3 – 3) – I’ve seen enough from the Storm so far this season to believe they’re capable of making a run this year without Stewie.  Natasha Howard has emerged as one of the best two way players in the league, which is super scary for the rest of the league when Stewie comes back next year.  I don’t think they’ll have enough depth to repeat as champions but they’ve earned this number 5 spot.
6. Phoenix Mercury (2 – 2) – Phoenix has played a tough schedule so far and every game has been decided by single digits.  Bringing Leilani Mitchell back was the right call and she has rewarded the team for it with strong play off the bench in two games back.  Its unclear how good Phoenix can be this year. They looked like the biggest challengers to the Storm’s dominance in 2018 but it feels like they are still working out some kinks without Taurasi.
7. Indiana Fever (3 – 2) – The Fever are beating the teams they’re supposed to beat but they don’t have enough talent to challenge the top teams in the league just yet.  If they make the playoffs this year, it will be a huge win for an organization many were picking to bring up the rear in the standings this year. You can catch them in action tomorrow night on twitter at 7pm against the Seattle Storm in what should be a good game.  
8. Las Vegas Aces (2 – 3) – My faith in what the aces are capable of this year is beginning to wane after a loss to the NY Liberty.  They’ve played a tough schedule so far, but the loss to NY has brought up questions about how well this stacked lineup is gelling together.  Number 1 overall pick Jackie Young has yet to have the breakout game you’d expect from a number 1 pick, and I wonder whether there are enough shots to go around for all of these stars.  
9. Chicago Sky (2 – 2) – The Sky have been tinkering with lineups and minutes this past week looking for a formula to maximize their potential.  This has revealed a bench that could be a strength for this Sky team who has “good” talent top to bottom but lacks star power. Diamond Deshields could be the player with the most star potential but inconsistent finishing has plagued her.  Stil, there’s something about the composition of this team that makes me wonder if they’ll look like the Sun in a year or two.
10. Atlanta Dream (1 – 4) – Blah Blah Blah, where’s McCoughtry, right? They struggled to score against the Sun and finding consistent buckets is the problem right now.  They need more from a front court that has been disappointing so far in 2019. Was 2018 a fluke? With games against Dallas and Indiana coming up, they have an opportunity to reassert themselves and return to the form that sent them to WNBA semis last year.
11. New York Liberty (1 – 4) – The Liberty climb out of the basement this week with a victory over Las Vegas.  Tina Charles had a stellar week in which she tallied enough points to claim the Liberty’s all time scoring record to go along with her Liberty rebounding record she continues to build upon.  However, the pieces around Charles aren’t doing enough and NY is likely to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.
12. Dallas Wings (0 – 4) – The wings should consider themselves in full rebuild mode after a slow start to the season in which no one seems to want to be the go-to player aside from Rookie Arike Ogunbowale who only earned 5 minutes in the Wings’ most recent loss to the Mystics.  Diggins-Smith can’t get back soon enough to lead this team on and off the floor and get this franchise back in the Win column.

Our Week 1 WNBA Power Rankings (Monday, June 3):

1. LA Sparks (1 – 1) – Bringing Chiney Ogwumike over from the Connecticut Sun to pair with sister Nneka gives the Sparks 3 dynamic, all around former Number 1 draft picks (Candace Parker) with size and skill to lean on.  And that’s before we talk about Chelsea Gray. They’re deadly and they’ve shown it so far this season even without Parker. When she comes back, look out league.
2. Connecticut Sun (3 – 1) – The Sun haven’t missed a beat despite LOSING Chiney Ogwumike to the Sparks and continue to pair a balanced attack with consistent defense.  Jonquel Jones is emerging as a potential MVP candidate. With so many big names in the league sitting out or injured, this could the year the Sun win it all.
3. Washington Mystics (1 – 1) – The Mystics were overpowered in last years WNBA Finals against the Storm, but bring back a hungry core led by superstar Elena Delle Donne.  With Emma Meeseman coming back and looking sharp and continued growth from last year’s rookie phenom Ariel Atkins, the Mystics are poised for another deep run.
4. Minnesota Lynx (3 – 0) – Surprise! What many thought to be a rebuilding year for the Lynx with the retirement of Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore sitting out has thus far turned into a strong case for Cheryl Reeve as coach of the year.  Rookie Napheesa Collier has made a seamless transition from the NCAA and Sylvia Fowles looks as dominant as ever. How far can the Lynx go this year?
5. Phoenix Mercury (1 – 1) – With Diana Taurasi to miss the first two months of the season with a back injury, many picked Dewanna Bonner as an MVP favorite on the year.  She has not disappointed putting up big numbers so far and looking very comfortable as the go-to first choice on a Phoenix team that looks strong but lacks guard depth.  They’ll need someone to have a breakout season if they’re going to threaten the leagues best come playoff time.
6. Las Vegas Aces (1 – 1) – There was a lot of preseason hype for the Aces after they acquired Star center and 2018 MVP runner up Liz Cambage in trade before the season.  The starting five for the Aces is as talented as any in the league. The only question is whether they’re ready to put it all together this year or if they’ll need another year of seasoning to find their chemistry and develop the young talent.
7. Seattle Storm (2 – 1) – How good can the Storm be without reigning MVP Breanna Stewart anchoring the team? Sue Bird is also battling injury and out to start the season but the continued development of Natasha Howard, Jewell Lloyd, and backup point guard Jordin Canada are carrying the team so far in 2019.  But its hard to imagine them making a deep run without the MVP on the floor.
8. Atlanta Dream (1 – 2) – The Dream bring back a core of players that built a culture of winning even after superstar Angel McCoughtry went down with Injury last year.  But they haven’t found that winning form so far in 2019, perhaps because of how strong the entire league looks right now, but they’re hopeful McCoughtry will return this season and reinvigorate this team.
9. Indiana Fever (2 – 1) – The post-Tamika Catchings rebuild continues but the Fever are looking like a team with a ton of young talent and some solid veterans.  Guard Kelsey Mitchell is poised for a breakout season and will probably be given a long leash to operate. Look out for the fever next year when Vivians comes back from injury and Rookie McCowan acclimates to the league.  
10. Dallas Wings (0 – 2) – The Wings are without their leader while Skyler Diggins-Smith gets back into WNBA form following the birth of her first Son.  They also lost Liz Cambage when she demanded a trade or threatened to sit out the season. There’s always a silver lining and the wings should use this season to give everyone plenty of minutes and time to develop.  They have some meaningful pieces for the future and should expect some help in next year’s draft, but the ceiling is low at the moment.
11. Chicago Sky (1 – 1) – I may be criticized for having the Sky so low, but for me, the Sky are lacking a superstar presence.  Vandersloot and Quigley make a deadly perimeter combo, but I don’t think they have enough talent top to bottom to score enough to make up for what I expect to be a below average defense. The floor may be high with such consistent shooting talent, but the ceiling is low for this Sky team.  
12. New York Liberty (0 – 2) – The NY Liberty as an organization are going through some transitions, currently playing at the Westchester Community Center (which feels like a high school venue) and trying to incorporate young players such as Asia Durr and Han Xu as well as second year coach Katie Smith.  Tina Charles continues to score at a high clip and lead this team, but she doesn’t have enough help at present to win a lot of games in 2019.