Power Rankings: Can Lynx sustain? Biggest second-half question for every team

The WNBA starts the 2nd fractional of its docket Tuesday, with 3 teams emerging arsenic the astir apt to contend for the championship: the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury.

The biggest question astatine a league level volition beryllium answered disconnected the court: Can the WNBA and the players' relation scope a corporate bargaining statement this calendar twelvemonth -- oregon astatine slightest by January? With the enlargement draught for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, positive an tremendous escaped bureau play coming successful 2026, having a CBA successful spot sooner than aboriginal is important.

Players enactment the labour negotiations successful the spotlight implicit the play successful Indianapolis, discussing the CBA during each media availability and wearing T-shirts that work "Pay Us What You Owe Us" astatine Saturday's All-Star Game. The players look focused connected courting nationalist sentiment and person beardown enactment among fans, though it whitethorn not interaction however the WNBA and its ownership attack negotiations.

So far, conversations person gone arsenic expected; neither broadside has enactment each of its cards connected the array yet. We volition beryllium monitoring however overmuch person the 2 sides tin get this summertime and into the fall.

There are besides questions facing each squad pursuing the All-Star break, truthful let's tally done the biggest for each arsenic the backmost fractional of the play begins.

1. Minnesota Lynx (20-4)

Previous ranking: 1

Next 7 days: vs. CHI (July 22), vs. LV (July 25), vs. ATL (July 27)

Will the discourtesy beryllium capable to prolong the Lynx for a title run? They person the second-best scoring mean successful the WNBA (84.7 PPG) portion holding opponents to a league-low 75 PPG. In short, some their discourtesy and defence person been precise reliable, but manager Cheryl Reeve apt has interest for the imaginable vulnerability of the discourtesy -- particularly if foes spell all-in collapsing connected MVP favourite Napheesa Collier.

2. New York Liberty (15-6)

Previous ranking: 3

Next 7 days: vs. IND (July 22), vs. PHO (July 25), vs. LA (July 26), @DAL (July 28)

Can the Liberty overtake the Lynx for archetypal place? The 2 teams inactive person each 4 regular-season meetings left, starting July 30 astatine Minnesota.

Monday brought a batch of bully quality for the defending champions: Center Jonquel Jones is expected backmost for Tuesday's crippled against Indiana, portion Belgian guardant Emma Meesseman has committed to joining the Liberty successful her return to the WNBA. New York could beryllium the astir formidable frontcourt successful the league.

3. Phoenix Mercury (15-7)

Previous ranking: 2

Next 7 days: vs. ATL (July 23), @ NY (July 25), @ WAS (July 27)

Will Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper travel backmost beardown from injuries? Sabally has played successful 18 of the Mercury's 22 games; Copper has played successful conscionable six. Even so, Phoenix is sitting successful 3rd spot successful the standings, led by All-Star Alyssa Thomas. Thomas is utilized to carrying a dense load, but the Mercury request Sabally and Copper backmost successful bid to marque a tally astatine the championship.

4. Indiana Fever (12-11)

Previous ranking: 4

Next 7 days: @ NY (July 22), vs. LV (July 24), @ CHI (July 27)

How overmuch of the season's 2nd fractional volition Caitlin Clark beryllium capable to play? She has been ruled retired for Tuesday, which volition people the 11th regular-season crippled she's missed this year. She was besides sidelined for the Commissioner's Cup last connected July 1 and the All-Star Game. She is lone 23 with galore years ahead, truthful if her groin wounded requires important rest, it's imaginable the Fever could instrumentality a blimpish attack and beryllium her indefinitely.

play

1:16

Can the Fever tin beryllium diligent with Caitlin Clark's injury?

Ari Chambers details wherefore the Fever volition request Caitlin Clark to beryllium 100% to marque a postseason run.

5. Seattle Storm (14-9)

Previous ranking: 8

Next 7 days: vs. DAL (July 22), @ CHI (July 25), @ WAS (July 26), @ CON (July 28)

Can guardant Ezi Magbegor supply much offense? At 8.1 PPG, she's astatine her lowest scoring mean of the past 4 seasons. Since joining the WNBA successful 2020, she has ne'er finished a play shooting worse than 50% from the field; she's astatine 49.0% close now. Going 4 of 23 from down the arc hasn't helped. Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams and Erica Wheeler are each averaging successful treble figures, but the Storm are eighth successful scoring mean (80.9 PPG). Magbegor being much of an violative menace could help.

6. Washington Mystics (11-11)

Previous ranking: 5

Next 7 days: vs LA (July 22), vs. SEA (July 26), vs. PHO (July 27)

Can rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen decorativeness the season's 2nd fractional strong? Both were All-Stars and person been a large portion of the Mystics' crippled plan, but they person been playing since the commencement of past assemblage play without overmuch of a interruption -- each WNBA rookies indispensable get done the fatigue they tin acquisition successful the 2nd portion of the season. We'll beryllium watching to spot however good the Nos. 3-4 picks contend with that.

7. Atlanta Dream (13-9)

Previous ranking: 6

Next 7 days: @ LV (July 22), @ PHO (July 23), @ MIN (July 27)

Will Rhyne Howard beryllium arsenic effectual erstwhile she returns? She has had a precise bully season, starring the Dream successful assists (4.5 APG) and steals (1.6 SPG), portion clocking successful astatine 2nd successful scoring (16.5 PPG). But nary timetable was acceptable for Howard's instrumentality erstwhile she was injured (knee) successful a nonaccomplishment astatine Indiana connected July 11 -- Atlanta lone said connected July 14 that she would beryllium retired for the remainder of the month. She sat retired the All-Star Game successful Indianapolis.

8. Las Vegas Aces (11-11)

Previous ranking: 9

Next 7 days: vs. ATL (July 22), @ IND (July 24), @ MIN (July 25), @ DAL (July 27)

Can guardant NaLyssa Smith instrumentality immoderate unit disconnected A'ja Wilson inside? The starting defender trio of Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd has not been rather arsenic productive arsenic Young, Gray and Kelsey Plum were from 2021 to '24. They're inactive a bully radical erstwhile they're playing astatine their best, but Wilson -- who is successful contention for a 4th MVP grant -- could usage immoderate much assistance inside. The Aces traded for Smith astatine the extremity of June and would payment from her improving her 6.8 PPG scoring average.

9. Golden State Valkyries (10-12)

Previous ranking: 7

Next 7 days: vs. DAL (July 25), @ CON (July 27)

Can Golden State drawback retired of its July funk? The enlargement Valkyries had a bully June with a 7-4 run, but it's been tougher sledding since: They are 1-5 successful July, and their docket isn't going to assistance with 5 of their adjacent six games connected the road.

10. Los Angeles Sparks (8-14)

Previous ranking: 11

Next 7 days: @ WAS (July 22), @ CON (July 24), @ NY (July 26)

Will Cameron Brink play earlier the play ends? The No. 2 prime successful the 2024 draught was making an interaction arsenic a rookie until her play was chopped abbreviated with a genu wounded she sustained past June. With Kelsey Plum (20.1), Dearica Hamby (17.2), Azura Stevens (14.7) and Rickea Jackson (13.1) averaging successful double-figure scoring, the Sparks person a bully core, but getting Brink backmost could assistance them marque a playoff run.

11. Chicago Sky (7-15)

Previous ranking: 10

Next 7 days: @ MIN (July 22), vs. SEA (July 24), vs. IND (July 27)

Can Angel Reese prolong her violative surge? She is averaging 14.0 points this season, but successful 8 games since June 24, that people rises to 19.1 PPG. She has besides changeable amended than 50% successful 5 of those games -- an awesome agelong for the second-year forward.

12. Dallas Wings (6-17)

Previous ranking: 12

Next 7 days: @ SEA (July 22), @ GS (July 25), vs. LV (July 27), vs. NY (July 28)

How overmuch advancement tin the rookie guards make? Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly person been the champion portion of watching the different disappointing Wings. One tin presume immoderate of the veterans won't beryllium backmost successful Dallas adjacent season, but this defender trio will. Their vigor and hustle tin beryllium 1 of the foundations for a new-look Wings squad successful 2026. How they play the remainder of this play volition assistance find that.

13. Connecticut Sun (3-19)

Previous ranking: 13

Next 7 days: vs. LA (July 24), vs. GS (July 27), vs. SEA (July 28)

Will the Sun make immoderate momentum for 2026? It's been a truly unsmooth play for Connecticut, which mislaid each 5 starters from 2024 on with manager Stephanie White. It's hard to telephone this a rebuilding year; it's much of a "just get done it" twelvemonth with the anticipation that determination volition beryllium ways to amended for adjacent season. But close now, the Sun are connected gait to triumph conscionable 5 games, arsenic they person conscionable 1 triumph each successful May, June and July.