WNBA Power Rankings: Caitlin Clark and Fever Slide Amid Rollercoaster Season

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever stumble, the Golden State Valkyries are on track to fulfill a historic inaugural season, and the New York Liberty suffer surprising losses.

Just last week, the Indiana Fever were riding a wave of momentum, climbing the ranks after snapping the New York Liberty’s undefeated streak. But things can change fast in the W. Roster inconsistencies and a shooting slump from star guard Caitlin Clark have sent the Fever on a rollercoaster ride this week. Meanwhile, Minnesota keeps doing Lynx things—even without their MVP candidate Napheesa Collier—and the Mercury have suddenly become the team to watch out for.

As we head into the thick of the season, teams are starting to separate themselves—and a few surprise squads are making their presence felt. Let’s dive into this week’s power rankings.

1. The Minnesota Lynx

Jun 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) looks to score against Dallas Wings center Luisa Geiselsoder (18) during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Stepping up to the No. 1 spot in the rankings this week, the Minnesota Lynx. Playing without the current MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride nearly dropped a 30 piece on the Sparks, showing the Lynx are deep, tough, and will just keep winning.

2. The Phoenix Mercury

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) smiles after a basket against the Dallas Wings during the first quarter in Phoenix, at PHX Arena on June 11, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This week’s dark horse? The Phoenix Mercury. They’ve been on a tear—taking down the Liberty and snapping New York’s hold on the top spot. That win marked their fifth straight, the longest current streak in the league. And with a slew of fresh faces––combining vets and young talent––the Mercury look like they’ve found their rhythm.

3. The New York Liberty

Jun 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20 in the second half against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Dropping two spots from last week’s No. 1 ranking, the Liberty have lost three of their last four games—hampered by the absence of three key starters at various points: Leonie Fiebich (EuroBasket), Jonquel Jones (ankle injury), and Sabrina Ionescu (neck injury). Having started off the season with the easiest schedule, we will see how this squad measures up heading into a tougher stretch of competition.

4. The Atlanta Dream

Jun 22, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) shoots against the Chicago Sky in the third quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Despite blowing a sizable lead to the Liberty—which cost them a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final—the Dream remain a tough team to square-off against. Allisha Gray is having a breakout season––sparking chatter about her entering the MVP conversation.

5. The Seattle Storm

Jun 22, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike (3) and guard Skylar Diggins (4) celebrate during the second half against the New York Liberty at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Storm seem to be hitting their stride. Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Gabby Williams have been exceptional, and after coming out victorious over the Liberty this week and the Lynx before that, the Storm has shown they will not back down to even the top teams in the league.

6. The Golden State Valkyries

Jun 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton (5) dribbles against the Seattle Storm in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The Golden State Valkyries are stamping a historic run in their inaugural WNBA season, currently sitting at 7-6 and firmly in the early season playoff conversation––a feat no other expansion team has yet achieved in the league. They can’t yet hit a shot, but sit up at No. 4 in net defensive rating in the league––and their home games give playoff energy, making them fun to watch…even from home.

7. The Indiana Fever

Jun 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Fever have had a full-on rollercoaster of a season. When they are bad, it can get ugly. But when they are good, they look unstoppable. Their last two games have been tough to watch as they have lacked cohesion and looked lost on the court. Much of the team’s success relies on their star guard, Caitlin Clark, who has been in a shooting slump––especially from deep––where she has gone 1-17 in her last two games.

8. The Las Vegas Aces

Jun 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) shoots from the free-throw line during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Indiana Fever at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The Aces arguably rank just below the Fever right now, simply because they haven’t shown the same level of dominance Indiana has at its peak. Their late-game comeback against the Fever showed growth in the team, but the Aces have surprisingly lost five of their last seven games. Despite the rough patch, Jewell Loyd looks to be finding her rhythm after a tough start to the season––and with A’ja Wilson back from concussion protocol, we should expect a stronger showing from this team moving forward.

9. The Washington Mystics

Jun 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dribbles the ball as Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) defends in the second half at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Sonia Citron put on a show finishing with a jaw-dropping 27 points and 11 rebounds against the Dallas Wings in a come-from-behind, overtime nailbiter. Kiki Iriafen’s performance was show-stopping with 19 points and 5 steals. After nearly taking down a strong Atlanta team earlier in the week, the future looks bright for this young team.

10. The Los Angeles Sparks

May 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson (2) during the second quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Sparks have had a rough stretch, facing off against powerhouse teams like the Lynx and the Storm—and it hasn’t just been losses, it’s been blowouts. They’ve racked up three consecutive double-digit defeats, struggling to keep pace on both ends of the floor.

11. The Dallas Wings

Jun 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) dribbles the ball as Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) defends in the first half at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Wings picked up two wins this week—doubling their season total heading into it—and now sit at 3–12. While it’s a step in the right direction, Dallas still struggles to close out games, often letting games slip through their fingers late.

12. The Chicago Sky

Jun 22, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) dribbles against the Atlanta Dream in the first quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Chicago’s had a tough run, dropping three straight games this week. Much like Dallas, they’ve struggled to hold onto leads late in games. And while they technically sit above the Wings in the standings, Dallas seems to be finding some chemistry—something the Sky are still lacking. Chicago remains stuck in a frustrating rut, ranking second to last in offensive, defensive, and net rating.

13. The Connecticut Sun

Jun 22, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) dribbles against Golden State Valkyries forward Stephanie Talbot (center right) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Sun can not catch a break this season. With a 2-12 record, they currently are off to the worst start in franchise history. Sitting at the bottom in defensive, offensive and net rating, things are looking pretty dark for the Sun