WNBA Power Rankings

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 1, 2009

WNBA Power Rankings

Indiana Fever

The WNBA's hottest team, the Fever, swept a home-and-home series with New York to extend a franchise-record tying six-game winning streak. Tamika Catchings, who averaged 18.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.5 assists last week on the way to conference Player of the Week honors, has gotten much of the credit during Indiana's sizzling run, but Katie Douglas deserves just as much recognition. For the season, the veteran guard is making 45.8 percent of her field goals, 38.8 percent of her threes and paces the team with 18.1 points per game, which ranks fifth among the league's scoring leaders. Next three: 7/2 vs. Connecticut; 7/5 vs. Atlanta; 7/10 at Chicago

Minnesota Lynx

Most had written the Lynx off after Seimone Augustus went down for the year with a torn ACL in a June 17 road defeat to Phoenix. One Mercury player even added insult to injury, bragging to a few Lynx players that "they had broken us," according to coach Jen Gillom. "[It] was not taken well." Minnesota exacted sweet revenge last Saturday when Candice Wiggins (pictured) and Roneeka Hodges each scored 22 points in a 109-80 victory that vaulted them ahead of the Mercury in the West standings. Counting Tuesday night's 92-85 win at Atlanta, the Lynx are 3-1 since Augustus went down. Next three: 7/2 vs. Sacramento; 7/7 vs. Washington; 7/10 vs. San Antonio

Seattle Storm

That they struggled to beat a short-handed Los Angeles squad at Key Arena last Friday, then suffered a blowout loss two days later at Staples Center does not reflect well on the Storm. If anything, it reveals just how hopelessly dependent they are on Lauren Jackson (pictured). That the Sparks were able to hold the two-time MVP to nine points on just 10 shots with their own long-limbed league MVPs Lisa Leslie or Candace Parker on the bench suggests there might be some chinks in the venerable Aussie's armor. Next three: 7/1 at Phoenix; 7/7 vs. San Antonio; 7/9 vs. Sacramento

Washington Mystics

Arguably no off-season trade has paid bigger dividends than the draft-day swap the Mystics made for Lindsey Harding, who came to D.C. from Minnesota in exchange for a first- and second-round pick. Beset by knee problems in her first two years in the league, the No. 1 overall pick in '07 is in top form again. Her talents as a scorer (she's averaging 10.1 points) and a distributor (her career-high 6.1 assists rank second behind Seattle's Sue Bird's 6.6) have provided just as much foundation for Washington's surprise turnaround as the stellar Alana Beard has. Next three: 7/3 at Atlanta; 7/7 at Minnesota; 7/11 vs. Los Angeles

Phoenix Mercury

Two days after winning their first road game, against Washington last Thursday, the Mercury reverted to form at Minnesota. Cappie Pondexter (pictured) and Le'Coe Willingham were the only Phoenix players to reach double figures in a 109-80 loss. It was an especially poor showing for a team that has five players averaging double figures this season, but for whatever reason, those extra points never manifest on the road. Every time the Mercury has been held under 93 points away from US Airways Center they've lost. Next three: 7/1 vs. Seattle; 7/5 at Los Angeles; 7/8 vs. Chicago

Chicago Sky

Just when you thought the Sky's offense was a two-woman production of Candace Dupree (14.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game) and Jia Perkins (17.3 ppg, 4.6 apg), now Sylvia Fowles (pictured) is starting to get into the action. Already the league's top rebounder with 9.0 per game, Fowles raised her scoring average 12.3 points with 60.0 percent shooting in wins over Washington and Sacramento. Still, Chicago better hope she has another gear as it approaches a grueling West Coast swing. Next three: 7/3 at San Antonio; 7/7 at Sacramento; 7/8 at Phoenix

San Antonio Silver Stars

A runner-up for the league MVP in '07, Becky Hammon (pictured) remains inextricably linked to the Silver Stars' fortunes. After dropping two games while their star point guard was playing overseas for the Russian national team, the defending Western Conference champions have won two of their last three with Hammon back in the fold. She averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals in games against Sacramento, Phoenix and Washington. Next three: 7/3 vs. Chicago; 7/7 at Seattle; 7/10 at Minnesota

Connecticut Sun

Injuries to center Chante Black (left elbow) and Amber Holt (right hand) have reduced the Sun's active roster to just nine healthy players. Still, the Sun was able to shore up their backcourt with the signings of former first-rounder Tan White on June 12 and Latvian standout Anete Jekabsone-Zogota last Sunday. The Sun has gone 3-0 since signing the 5-7 White. They're hoping Jekabsone-Zogota, a 5-9 guard who missed the team's first seven games while playing in the European basketball championship, can keep the streak going while the Sun are on the road. Next three: 7/2 at Indiana; 7/5 at Detroit; 7/7 at Atlanta

L.A. Sparks

Like Phoenix, the Sparks have proven as formidable at home as they have awful on the road this season. But unlike the Mercury, the Sparks have yet to win a game on the road. Still, if there's a reason to feel confident in LA's prospects away from Staples Center, it's the eminent return of Candace Parker (pictured). On Wednesday the reigning league MVP got in her first practice with the team since going on maternity leave. Next three: 7/5 vs. Phoenix; 7/9 at New York; 7/11 at Washington

Atlanta Dream

Sancho Lyttle (pictured) is the unsung hero of the Dream's surprise season. Brought in from Houston with the first pick in the in the dispersal draft last December, the 6-4 forward is in the throes of her finest season in her six years as a pro. She leads the Dream in scoring (13.1 ppg), ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage (58.6 percent) and fifth in rebounding (7.0 rpg). Swingwoman Iziane Castro Marques is doing her part too -- she hung 31 points on Minnesota on Tuesday night, albeit in a losing effort. Next three: 7/3 vs. Washington; 7/5 at Indiana; 7/7 vs. Connecticut

Detroit Shock

It took four games and many adjustments to the lineup for Rick Mahorn to get his first win as head coach. His savviest was moving rookie Shavonte Zellous (pictured) from the starting lineup back to the bench, where she gave her team a huge boost in her last two games. After posting a career-high 25 points, six rebounds and three steals in a 96-86 defeat at Atlanta last Friday, she came through with 18 points, 4 boards and two steals in a 86-72 season-saving win against Sacramento on Sunday. Next three: 7/2 at New York; 7/5 vs. Connecticut; 7/11 at Connecticut

New York Liberty

The Liberty are fast earning a reputation as a momentum team -- unfortunately for them, only in the sense that they're a great opponent to play to build and sustain momentum. Minnesota, smarting from the loss of their best player, beat the Liberty last Tuesday and promptly went on a two-game winning streak. Three days later, Indiana, which dropped its first two games to start the season, beat the Lib twice in as many days to cap a six-game winning streak. So much for New Yorkers being unaccommodating! Next three: 7/2 vs. Detroit; 7/9 vs. Los Angeles; 7/11 vs. Atlanta

Sacramento Monarchs

It was thought that Ticha Penicheiro (pictured) was the solution to much of what ailed the hapless Monarchs. But the four-time All-Star, who missed four games with a sprained thumb on her right hand, hasn't provided the Monarchs much of a lift since returning to the lineup last Friday. She averaged just 4.7 points and 3.0 assists in the Monarchs' losses to San Antonio (62-52), Detroit (86-72) and Chicago (74-72). Next three: 7/2 at Minnesota; 7/7 vs. Chicago; 7/9 at Seattle