Month: August 2019

QotC Week 12 Power Rankings

Our WNBA Power Rankings for Week 12 Monday, August 19th:

  1. Washinton Mystics (20 – 7) X – Washington was the first team to clinch a playoff spot and have held down the number spot in the standings and our power rankings as they extended their league leading active win streak to 6.  While they currently look like the favorites to win it all this year behind likely MVP Elena Delle Donne, they’re not invincible, particularly against a team with superior size.
  2. Connecticut Sun (19 – 8) X – Spots 2 and 3 in our rankings might as well be interchangeable.  Both Vegas and the Sun are deserving and are dangerous in different ways.  We’re giving the edge to the Sun who have scraped out some close wins this week and look as though they’ve put an emphasis on fourth quarter play this past week.  It’ll come down to the wire for the coveted top two spots but the Sun have it as of now.
  3. Las Vegas Aces (18 – 9) X – Vegas returned A’ja Wilson yesterday who came off the bench and led the team in scoring in her 25 1/2 minutes, securing a solid victory against the Sky.  With Liz Cambage also back and looking focused on a title, Vegas knows how dangerous they can be come playoff time.  While at times they have looked like this may not be the year they put it all together, heading into the playoffs, it is hard not to pick them to at least make the final.
  4. Las Angeles Sparks (15 – 10) – The Sparks had a rough week at a bad time losing two in a row while the other competitors for the top two playoff spots recorded victories.  Who isn’t on the court continues to be the story for the Sparks who even after returning Candace Parker have a number of key players sidelined.  They have all the weapons and then some to put together a deep playoff run, but will likely have to win at least 1 one game playoff to advance.
  5. Chicago Sky (15 – 11) – The Sky have been the most consistent slightly above average team this year.  They have rarely gone on long winning or losing streaks despite a roster full of talent and young players emerging as stars.  Despite sitting in 5th place, I don’t foresee a particularly long playoff run as the Sky have not fared well against the league’s elite teams this year going 3 – 7 against our teams ranked 1 – 4.
  6. Seattle Storm (15 – 13) – This fairy tale season for the Seattle Storm is likely to end without the fairy tale ending.  Despite some encouraging development from Natasha Howard and a young crop of players, Seattle likely won’t have enough weapons to make any significant noise in the playoffs.  However, we’ve bet against this team before and been wrong so I will reserve judgment until I see where they finish the season heading into the playoffs.
  7. Phoenix Mercury (13 – 13) – This season has been a battle for the Mercury both on and off the court between injuries, suspensions, and lackluster performances by 3 rookies from whom everyone expected more.  Still they are in the fight and barring some dramatic turn around, will lock down one of the final playoff spots come September.  And if there is one team you don’t want to face in a one game playoff, it is probably the Mercury.  Brittney Griner will be hungry when she returns to the court, and that is one beast you don’t want to wake up.
  8. Minnesota Lynx (13 – 14) – The Lynx close out the season with a stretch a tough games against better opponents and despite the 3.5 game lead over the Fever for the last playoff spot, Cheryl Reeve probably doesn’t feel real secure just yet.  It has never been more apparent how much they miss Maya Moore than this week when they lost two very tight games in the 4th quarter.  Closing out games is the biggest weakness for this super talented squad, but this organization has a lot to be proud of in what has been a transition year.
  9. Dallas Wings (9  – 18) – Dallas has won 3 of their last 4 games and look like a team that is not ready to give up on their season just yet.  With only 7 games left and sitting 4 games back of the 8th place Lynx, it is unlikely they’ll break into the playoffs, but Brian Agler has to be pleased with the development of this young team around rookie of the year candidate Arike Ogunbowale.  The future is bright for the Wings who will need to add some size in next years draft.
  10. Indiana Fever (9 – 17) – The Fever still have a glimmer of hope that they could make the playoffs but it is not probable.  Still it has been a successful year for Indiana in my eyes as they’ve seen the emergence of all star Erica Wheeler, a glimpse of the extremely bright future of rookie Teaira McCowan, and boast a slew of young super talented guards and shooters that will only get better.
  11. New York Liberty (8 – 18) – Perhaps the most disappointing season goes to the Liberty despite Atlanta’s abysmal year.  For a minute, New York looked like they were going to make a run for the playoffs but have now lost 8 in a row.  Asia Durr has had a difficult rookie season marred by injuries and lackluster performances and everyone not named Tina Charles has been inconsistent despite the occasional brilliant game here and there.
  12. Atlanta Dream (5 – 21) – Who takes the heat for what has happened to the dream this season? Players? Coaches? Front office? All of the above? The Dream have lost 11 in a row and look they just want it to end so they can all get back overseas playing for their international clubs.  What a difference a year makes.  I’m at a loss as to how the dream proceed for next year but clearly some changes are needed and it probably begins with Nicki Collen whether that’s fair or not…

X – indicates playoff spot has been clinched.

QotC Week 11 Power Rankings

Our WNBA Power Rankings for Week 11 Monday, August 12th:

  1. Washington Mystics (17 – 7) – After posting routine wins against the Lynx and Fever, the Mystics are back in first place despite All Star Kristi Toliver sitting with a knee injury in Sunday’s contest. Aerial Powers got the start and had a nice game while Meeseman continues to impress as the Mystics not-so-secret weapon off the bench.
  2. Los Angeles Sparks (15 – 8) – The Sparks are riding a 5 game winning streak propelled by the return of Candace Parker (who will apparently have an overall rating of 93 in NBA2k20 coming out this fall). They look like the team I expected them to be at the beginning of the year and they are still missing key players to injury. No one would be surprised if this team made a deep run and took it all this year despite the up and down season.
  3. Las Vegas Aces (16 – 9) – Liz Cambage wrote a must-read personal essay for the Player’s Tribune about her recent absences from the W, citing mental health and riptide like anxiety attacks and depression. And she came back with a super strong outing in Vegas’ win over the Sun. Dearica Hamby continues to impress in place of A’ja Wilson and number 1 overall pick Jackie Young is beginning to come into her own. Vegas will need Wilson back to steal a top 2 spot heading into the playoffs.
  4. Connecticut Sun (16 – 8) – The streaky Sun have had an off week losing to the Lynx and the Aces. The only top 4 team that is mostly whole (Layshia Clarendon is still out but all 5 starters are active) will need to take advantage of their beleaguered opponents while they can. Holding onto a top 2 spot will be challenging down the stretch as Vegas and LA are cruising in.
  5. Chicago Sky (14 – 10) – The Sky have been holding down the 5 spot in our power rankings for a while now and there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon. They’ve proven that they can compete with anyone in the league but have lost some close games that will come back to haunt them when the playoff seedings come out. The veterans are performing admirably, so if they can get a bit more from their younger players not named Diamond Deshields, they could be dangerous in the playoffs.
  6. Seattle Storm (14 – 11) – Jewell Loyd has conceded her starting spot to Sami Whitcomb for the time being who has been absolutely dynamic for the Storm since Loyd went out with Injury. Alysha Clark has been an unsung hero for this team as well providing solid defense and scoring not to mention much needed on the court leadership. Its difficult to predict where the Storm will finish the season though I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to win it all or miss the playoffs entirely.
  7. Minnesota Lynx (12 – 12) – The Lynx returned WNBA legend Seimone Augustus this week and won 2 out of 3 losing in blowout fashion to the Mystics. However, with Augustus back, the Lynx are considerably more dangerous with significant scoring threats at each position and no one will want to face them in a one game playoff. The Lynx could easily come away with a number of individual year end accolades.
  8. Phoenix Mercury (11 – 12) – The Mercury lost more than a close game against Dallas on Saturday. With three players ejected during an on court fight and the league looking into additional sanctions, the Mercury could soon be without Griner, arguably the leagues most valuable player to her team. If that happens, the Mercury may have a difficult time holding onto the last playoff spot as they simply can’t afford to lose anymore players. On a bright note, rookie Brianna Turner has made the most of her recent minutes recording back to back double digit rebounding games
  9. Indiana Fever (9 – 16) – The Fever could be the Cinderella story we didn’t think we’d get this year. Picked almost unanimously to finish last this season, the Fever have found answers up and down the roster with contributions night in and night out from the hot hand. It won’t be easy to sneak into the playoff picture but there is most definitely hope, particularly in Phoenix loses Griner for any extended period of time.
  10. Dallas Wings (7 – 17) – Many believe Arike Ogunbowale is now the front-runner for Rookie of the year. The Notre Dame grad has shouldered a heavy burden in her rookie season playing out of position and being asked to take the most meaningful shots late in games. Picking up Kristine Anigwe gives Dallas a lot to look forward to in the coming years. It won’t be long before Dallas is pushing for a championship.
  11. New York Liberty (8 – 15) – The Liberty have been reeling since the all star break, losing their last 5 and looking fairly lost. Asia Durr is again out with a strained groin and Kia Nurse has been ice cold lately. Tina Charles continues to do her thing, but NY might think about trading the legend for a haul of younger players to plan for the future.
  12. Atlanta Dream (5 – 19) – Despite a career high 34 point performance from Tiffany Hayes on Saturday against the Fever, the Dream are winless in their last 9 contests. At this point the silver lining is that the Dream are likely to secure a solid pick in next year’s draft, but beyond that, there isn’t much to look forward to for this team. Angel McCoughtry will likely sit out the rest of the season and be traded in the off season to a contender ready to give up some young talent for the veteran All Star.

QotC Week 10 Power Rankings

Jon’s first power rankings.

So Paul has been our power ranking guru but it’s time to switch it up for this week while on vacation and give Paul the week off. Here is my week 10 power rankings!

Connecticut Sun (16-6) – BURN IT DOWN!!! The Sun are back and in a big way. This streaky team has gone on another huge winning steak.  After starting the season 9-1 and having a bad stretch they are back on top of our power ranking and holding down the number one seed for the playoffs. This team plays great D and shares the basketball so well.  They play to exploit match ups and almost any one of their starters can go off on any given night.  I have a feeling this team is going to stay as the number 1 team all year because when they are hot they are basically unbeatable.  Hopefully they can continue this into the playoffs.

Washington Mystics (15-7)– Washington has taken sole possession of the 2 seed as they knocked off the Aces in the earthquake make up game.  They have been playing amazing basketball lately and look as good if not better then last year.  The MVP race looks all but locked up as Elena Delle Donne has been going off and took down another player of the week scoring 26 and 8 and has been the reason this team is where they are.  They are my favorite to win the whole thing this year but as this year has shown anything can happen.

Las Vegas Aces (15-8) – Las Vegas is our number 3 team as they keep playing great basketball.  They are clearly one of, if not the deepest team in the league as they are able to be next one up with Dearica Hambey with A’ja Wilson going down.  They are 2-2 out of the break with one of those losses being the resumed game from the earthquake last month.  They score in bunches, they exploit any match ups they need to, and they aren’t as selfish as you would think a team with this much star power can be.  They need to fix their turnover problem as they average 14 a game so if they bring that down they will be fighting for one of the top two seeds for the whole second half of the season.

Los Angeles Sparks (13-8)– CP3 is back (Candace Parker!!!!) and in her first week back she won player of the week with the Sparks going 2-0.  She is the GOAT! Averaging 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks in her first week back.  She has looked electric and has made this team better in every way.  Last week we were saying this could be the what if season for the Sparks and Candace has quickly changed everything.  The team just looks scary as they have the depth and skill to be the best in the league. Watch out here they come!!!!!

Phoenix Mercury (11-10) – The Currently injury plagued Mercury are still playing great basketball.  They have moved up to 5th on this list and they can beat anyone on any given night. A real contender to go to the finals this year.  Brittney Griner is playing at an MVP level this season and has had two monster games coming out of the all-star break 28-26 points in both of those games.  They are 1-2 out of the break but that doesn’t mean they haven’t played good basketball and with the amount of injuries they have been battling I am happy to put them in the 5th spot.

Chicago Sky (12-9) – The Chicago Sky are the biggest surprise to me this season as they keep on BALLING! Diamond DeShields is proving why she is an Allstar night in and night out and Steph Dolson is proving she is one of the most underrated bigs in the league.  They are sitting at 6th on the power ranking but are actually in 5th place and I can see them staying up around this level all season because they play as a family.  I love this team and hope they can continue to get better. They could be a dark horse come play off time as they have the shooters to win any game.

Seattle Storm (12 –11) – The Seattle Storm magic might be wearing off a bit.  They have been able to battle through it all this season but they are currently on a 3 game losing streak coming out of the all star break with losses vs the Mystics and Sparks and have fallen to 7th on our power rankings.  They will always be a threat but as for competing for a championship this year after winning last year it doesn’t seem to be in the cards for them. 

Minnesota Lynx (10 – 11) – The Lynx are one of the teams in the playoff picture to be worried about.  They are on a 4 game losing streak and have lost 5 of 6 but all close games with the worse loss coming by 11 points to the Fever.  They’re looking to snap the streak tonight against the dream but if they lose again tonight the road doesn’t get much easier as they play the top two teams Friday (CT) and Sunday (DC).  The streak could easily get to 7 by the end of the week if they don’t win tonight. On a high note, Napheesa Collier was just named Rookie of the month. But she only averages 11 points per game tand he Rookie of the year has gone to the highest scoring rookie 12 of 15 seasons and Arike Ogunbowale is averaging 15 per game.

Indiana Fever (8– 15) – The Allstar break did wonders for the Fever.  They have come out of the break 2-0 with a 2 point win over the Dream, with a game winning shot from Allstar game MVP Erica Wheeler. Then a 20 point come back against the Lynx to win by 11.  The team is playing better basketball and could continue to fight for the final playoff spot. 

New York Liberty (8 – 13) – After sending Kia Nurse and Tina Charles to the all star gaming and getting their long list of Euro basketball players back I expected the Liberty to keep playing exciting basketball.  Since coming back from the break that has not been the case as the Liberty are 0-2 losing by 15 to the Sun and 23 to the Wings.  With Asia Durr back into the starting lineup I expect to see some more exciting basketball as she was playing great before her injury.  Hopefully we can see them get back to playing tough competitive basketball.

Dallas Wings (6-16) – Dallas out of the break have been looking like they have all season, young and inexperienced.  They have had flashes of good basketball with Arike Ogunbowale taking over as the top rookie this year and reacquired Megan Gustafson showing why she deserves to play in this league, having scored 11 points with 8 boards in back to back games. The team is 2 years younger in average age than any team in the league. The future with Diggins-Smith, Jefferson, and Stevens all coming back could be huge factors next year and AS I was writing this Dallas traded Theresa Plaisance for Kristine Anigwe good move for both sides.

Atlanta Dream (5 – 17) – Atlanta’s abysmal season continues. It’s getting bad at this point as they are on a 7 game losing streak after winning 3 outta 4 before that. After coming one game shy of the WNBA finals last year it’s sad to see where this team is at. The Dream are missing McCoughtry bad and there hasn’t been many updates lately on her return.  It’s looking more like she might take this whole season to rehab with the team as far back as they are.