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Sunday is often a busy day in the WNBA, but even by the league's standards this past one was a marathon. There were six games, with all 12 teams in action, multiple nail-biting finishes and two jersey retirement ceremonies for all-time legends and future Hall of Famers: Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles. 

Bird went first after the Storm's comeback attempt vs. the Mystics came up short, though she was nearly still talking by the time Fowles' event began. You only get one jersey retirement ceremony and Bird and the Storm certainly made the most of hers in what ended up being about a three-hour event filled with heartwarming speeches and memories from the brilliant point guard and those closest to her. 

Later in the evening, after the Lynx did manage to pull off a thrilling comeback win over the Sparks, it was Fowles' turn. To little surprise, she did not bask in the spotlight for as long as Bird, but there were likewise a number of speakers on hand to share their favorite stories about one of the best players, and people, to ever grace the league. Fowles made such an impression in her time in Minneapolis that the organization even created an award to honor her selflessness and commitment to the community. 

In a way, it was fitting that Bird and Fowles had their numbers raised to the rafters on the same day after they enjoyed an All-Star send-off together in Chicago last summer and called an end to their respective careers last season. They also won four Olympic gold medals together with Team USA and will forever be linked. 

At the same time, it was disappointing that they didn't each get their own day. During an expanded regular season where each team has 20 home games, it felt like a scheduling oversight that the two events would take place nearly simultaneously. Fowles, in particular, was hard done by the double booking. She has been overlooked and undercovered every step of the way, and was once again overshadowed by one of her peers. 

Hopefully, such a situation will not happen again in the future. 

Now, on to this week's Power Rankings.

1. Las Vegas Aces (8-1) – Last week No. 1

The Aces' undefeated start to the season came to an end with a rough loss to the Sun in a game that was their third in five days and the end of a long four-game East Coast road trip. They quickly bounced back with a comfortable win over the Sky, though, to retain their first-place position, and still have not lost consecutive games since August 2022. 

2. Connecticut Sun (8-2) – Last week No. 2

In the second of their two Finals rematches this week, the Sun earned the honor of being the first team to win a game against the Aces. They did so thanks to a historic night from DeWanna Bonner, who poured in a career-high and franchise-record 41 points. In more good news, Alyssa Thomas escaped a serious injury during a scary collision in their win over the Dream, which briefly sent the star forward to the locker room. 

3. New York Liberty (7-2) – Last week No. 3

The Liberty's game versus the Lynx was postponed due to poor air quality in New York City, so they ended up getting five full days off. They put that extra practice time to good use and quieted any concerns about how the previous week ended by scoring 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history in their wins over the Dream and Wings. 

4. Washington Mystics (5-3) – Last week No. 5

Though they nearly blew a 28-point lead with a disastrous fourth quarter on Sunday, the Mystics held on for their second consecutive win over the Storm and are now 4-1 in their last five games. They still can't score, but their defense has been so dominant that it doesn't matter. Opponents are shooting 39.7% against them this season; no team has held opponents under 40% for a season since the Aces in 2019.

5. Dallas Wings (5-4) – Last week No. 6

The Wings' clear home and road splits continued this week with two wins against the Mercury and a defeat to the Liberty. They are now 4-0 in Dallas and 1-4 on their travels ahead of a three-game homestand that begins this week with games versus the Sparks and Storm. Their ability to play fast and take care of the ball remains impressive; they're first in both pace (101.8) and turnover percentage (15.1). 

6. Chicago Sky (5-5) – Last week No. 4

A bit of a tough week for the Sky, who needed overtime to sneak past the Fever then suffered back-to-back double-digit losses on their mini West Coast road trip. The simple fact is it's difficult to generate consistent offense when you don't shoots 3s or get to the free throw line and rely heavily on mid-range jumpers. The Sky are 11th in 3-point attempts per game (20.6), 10th in free throw attempts (15.6) and first in mid-range attempts (15.4). 

7. Los Angeles Sparks (4-4) – Last week No. 6

An impressive 15-point win over the Sky was overshadowed by two disappointing blown leads for the Sparks this week. The first, a 21-point collapse against the Storm, and the second, an 11-point meltdown in the final three minutes versus the Lynx. In other disappointing news, Layshia Clarendon was diagnosed with a partial plantar fascia tear and will miss 4-to-6 weeks. 

8. Phoenix Mercury (2-5) – Last week No. 10

The Mercury went 1-2 on the court this week, but the bigger and more important news came off of it when Brittney Griner and the team were harassed at the Dallas airport as they waited for a flight to Indianapolis. The frightening incident thankfully ended without any physical injuries, but it renewed calls for charter flights and improved travel conditions – most urgently for Griner given her situation, but for all players in the long-term. 

9. Atlanta Dream (2-5) – Last week No. 8

The Dream have lost three in a row to fall to 2-5, but it's worth noting that they are in the middle of an absolutely brutal stretch of games. They played the Aces, Liberty and Sun at home, and will now embark on a four-game road trip that starts with games against the Liberty and Sun. No one wants to lose games, especially by double digits, but we knew the Dream weren't going to be on those teams' level this season. 

10. Indiana Fever (2-6) – Last week No. 9

If a few bounces had gone the Fever's way so far, they could be sitting in the top half of the standings. Instead, they're stuck in 10th place because they haven't been able to close out enough of these close games. Their last six games have been decided by five points or less and they're 2-4 in those games. This week was especially frustrating for them as they were up on the Sky with one second to play before losing in overtime and blew a double-digit second-half lead to the Mercury. 

11. Minnesota Lynx (2-7) – Last week No. 11

After a disastrous start, the Lynx have found their footing with wins in two of their last three games. The most recent being a stunning fourth-quarter comeback over the Sparks on Sylvia Fowles jersey retirement day – a fitting tribute to the legendary center who led the team in many postseason battles against the Sparks. In other positive news, Napheesa Collier is starting to heat up; during this recent three-game stretch, she's averaging 25.1 points and 8.3 rebounds on 51% shooting. 

12. Seattle Storm (1-6) – Last week No. 12

The Storm battled back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Sparks for their first win of the season, then nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback from 28 points down against the Mystics on Sue Bird jersey retirement day. While it's encouraging that this team is showing a willingness to fight, falling down by 20 points all the time is not a sustainable practice. One bright spot this week was Ezi Magbegor's career-high 24-point night against the Mystics, which showcased her continued offensive development.