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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
