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As the 2025 WNBA season concludes another week, the landscape of the league is starting to become more competitive. What looked to be a set-in-stone WNBA Commissioner's Cup Final rematch between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx is now up in the air after both sides suffered their first defeat as surging teams like the Atlanta Dream are hot on their heels. Let's take a look at the state of the league in this week's WNBA power rankings.
An elite week of hoops 💥
From clutch shots to big-time plays, here’s the #Bestof Week 4! pic.twitter.com/ICHsEC3Cue
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 17, 2025
1. Minnesota Lynx (10-1, =)
The Lynx's first loss to the Seattle Storm was a lot closer than the final score showed, but Minnesota certainly made no excuses for why the team dropped the ball. The Lynx were able to return to form in the next game with a win over the Los Angeles Sparks, partially thanks to MVP candidate Napheesa Collier‘s impressive 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist performance.
Now, the Lynx have their sights set on securing their Commissioner's Cup Final berth. The Fever loss shook their lead over the rest of the West, but they're still in control of their destiny heading into their last Cup contest. If Minnesota beats the faltering Las Vegas Aces, then the team will be back in the championship, defending its title. But the Lynx are also being hunted by the Storm, who need a win over the Sparks and a Minnesota loss to steal the top spot.
2. New York Liberty (9-1, =)
Despite the difficult loss to the Indiana Fever as this season's last unbeaten side, the Liberty don't appear to be shaken as a team at all. Both head coach Sandy Brondello and the squad have said they're thinking long-term, and they're all seemingly aware that they're not exactly at the same caliber without star Jonquel Jones, who was missing from the Fever contest due to an ankle injury.
New York is still a dominant squad, led by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu's potent offense. And while Brondello remains optimistic that Jones will make her return this week, the Liberty will be put to the test either way as they try to lock in their trip to the Commissioner's Cup Final against the Dream. They'll need some help in the form of a Connecticut Sun win over the Fever before taking on two more powerhouses in the Mercury and Storm.
3. Atlanta Dream (8-3, =)
The Dream have silenced all the doubters by now as they continue to steamroll through almost any opponent in their way. A team that was one of the WNBA's biggest offseason question marks is now the best side not named the Liberty or Lynx and competing for a place in the Commissioner's Cup Final. There's not a sign of that preseason “rebuild” label in sight.
Atlanta may have gotten all its wins this week over teams it's technically better than, but it did so in stunningly entertaining fashion. The Dream set a franchise-record 18 3-pointers on the road against the Washington Mystics, a club that had its own hot start to the season before recently cooling off. Atlanta has a chance to pull off the unbelievable and knock the Liberty out of the Cup championship when they go head-to-head in New York on the last day of competition.
4. Indiana Fever (5-5, +2)
There's not much explanation needed for how the Fever landed here — simply put, it's the Caitlin Clark Effect. The reigning Rookie of the Year returned from a two-week absence due to a quad injury and completely took over the game, quickly hitting three back-to-back 3s to re-establish her dominance. Indiana's middling performance while Clark was sidelined turned into a career-defining outing as the 23-year-old's 32 points, nine assists, and eight boards helped down the defending-champion Liberty.
Now, the Fever are somehow shockingly in the running for a Cup final spot and have a realistic chance of being the Eastern Conference's representative. Indiana needs to beat the Sun and for the Dream to lose to the Liberty, and the squad will hold the tiebreaker advantage thanks to the aforementioned clutch victory.
5. Seattle Storm (6-5, =)
The Storm seem to still be finding their footing a bit, and this week exemplified that perfectly. They started with a statement victory over the Lynx before falling to the Golden State Valkyries later in the week. Losing to the expansion squad isn't the worst outcome since the Valkyries are solidly on the rise, but it's an interesting stumble to see after watching the Storm handle the Lynx a few days before.
Seattle has a chance to find its true identity in the last contest of the Commissioner's Cup. The Storm will have to beat out the Sparks and keep their fingers crossed that the Aces can take out the Lynx to make it to the tournament championship game on July 1.
6. Phoenix Mercury (8-4, -2)
The Mercury didn't slide because they're going through a rough patch — quite the opposite. Satou Sabally has been holding it down amid injury absences, putting up a combined 42 points and 18 boards, as Phoenix picked up two wins last week. The team is poised to get even better with the return of stars Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper, and Natasha Mack to the lineup, and for Copper and Mack, the first time in the 2025 season.
So why the sixth spot for an eight-win team? Simply because the Fever and Storm did even better this past week. The Mercury's pair of victories came against the Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces — two sides that have been struggling consistently so far this campaign — while Indiana and Seattle were the first to slay the WNBA's unstoppable behemoths that were the undefeated Liberty and Lynx. The true test will come this week when a full-strength Phoenix heads east for its own showdown with New York.
🧵A thread of scenarios for teams looking to earn a spot in the Championship Game of the Commissioner’s Cup presented by @coinbase on Tuesday, July 1.
It all comes down to tomorrow night — a full slate of games will decide who punches their ticket to the Cup Championship. pic.twitter.com/Lw6Jx5WrIf
— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) June 16, 2025
7. Golden State Valkyries (5-5, =)
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As an expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries have exceeded expectations. Led by Kayla Thornton, they have shown resilience and determination, making them a team to watch in the coming weeks. Their recent victory over the Storm underscores their potential and ability to compete at a high level.
8. Las Vegas Aces (5-5, =)
The Aces have faced challenges with injuries affecting key players, like defending league MVP A’ja Wilson. The team's depth has been tested in Wilson's absence, with players like Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young having to pick up the slack and succeeding against the Wings. However, the Aces had to rally to take down a one-win squad and lost to a four-win team in the Sparks, so something will need to shift drastically if they want to stay competitive.
9. Chicago Sky (3-7, +3)
The Sky secured a much-needed win over the Sun, and star Angel Reese provided a bright spot by recording her first career triple-double. Reese's performance highlighted Chicago's potential, but consistency remains an issue. With a young and dynamic roster, the Sky have the tools to turn their season around, but they will need to address their inconsistencies to start racking up the wins.
10. Los Angeles Sparks (4-8, =)
The Sparks find themselves in a challenging position after four weeks of the 2025 WNBA season. With a 4-8 record following a brutal 101-78 loss to the Lynx, they're striving to overcome a series of setbacks, including a significant injury to star Kelsey Plum, in addition to the slew of other injured players. Plum, who has been the team's standout performer, is sidelined due to a left lower leg issue, and head coach Lynne Roberts has said that there is currently no timeline for Plum's return as the medical team is still trying to identify the specific issue.
LA did manage to take care of the Aces Wednesday after narrowly falling to the Valkyries in overtime Monday, and the team has added Grace Berger to help with the roster issues, so it's not all bad for the Sparks. But they'll have to regroup and find their form to avoid falling further behind in the power rankings.
11. Washington Mystics (4-7, -2)
The Mystics have struggled with consistency, but Brittney Sykes' leadership remains a bright spot. Their recent defeat at the hands of the Dream was one of four losses in five games since the start of June. With rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen becoming a crucial part of the Mystics' foundation, they still have a chance to reverse their momentum and climb the standings.
12. Connecticut Sun (2-8, -1)
The Sun have faced nothing but challenges so far this WNBA campaign, which now includes an embarrassing loss to the Sky. It shouldn't come as a surprise, though — Connecticut has the lowest offensive and defensive rating in the W (92.7 and 114.7, respectively) along with the worst scoring average (71.3). Despite the struggles, Marina Mabrey continues to be a standout player and a lovable duo with rookie Saniya Rivers, providing a foundation for the team. The Sun will need to regroup and find their form to avoid falling further behind in the standings.
13. Dallas Wings (1-11, =)
Things are not looking good for the Wings right now. Even when they looked to have control of the game, the Wings still somehow managed to give away the game in the closing stretch. Paige Bueckers' return from a four-game injury absence was a bright spot for Dallas, but even her WNBA career-high 35 points weren't enough to top the Mercury. Now with a slew of new injuries popping up, the Wings will need to regroup and refocus if they want to improve over the season.
As the season progresses, matchups will only intensify as teams switch their attention to jockeying for playoff positions. Key matchups and player performances will undoubtedly continue to shift the WNBA power rankings, and the high level of action around the league doesn't look to slow down anytime soon.
