After suffering through their worst season in a decade in 2022, the Minnesota Lynx got off to the worst start in the league this summer. They were 0-6 at one point and didn't win a game until June. It appeared they were in for another long campaign and a second consecutive trip to the lottery.
Then, Napheesa Collier decided to put the team on her back, and everything changed.
Collier missed the majority of last season while on maternity leave, and it took her a few weeks to find her rhythm this summer in her full return to action. Once she did, though, she hasn't lost a beat. Since June 1, she's averaging 24.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 51.3% from the field. During that stretch she's second in the league in scoring, ninth in rebounds and fifth in steals.
With Collier back to her All-WNBA best, the wins have started piling up. The Lynx are currently on a three-game winning streak, which includes a victory over the Storm in which Collier hit a last-second game-winner in overtime, and have gone 7-3 since their 0-6 start.
Outside of the Las Vegas Aces, who are in a class of their own, the Lynx are the hottest team in the league. All of a sudden they're alone in eighth place and just two games out of a top-four seed in the crowded middle of the pack. It's still early, but with Collier leading the way the Lynx have shown they can play with anyone outside of the top three.
Now, on to this week's power rankings:
1. Las Vegas Aces (15-1) – Last week No. 1
This was the most impressive week yet for the Aces in what has been a dominant campaign from them. They welcomed the Liberty and Sun to town and destroyed both of them in the span of three days. At this point it's time to start talking about all-time status with this Aces squad. They are the third team to start a season 15-1 and their plus-250 point differential is the best ever through the first 16 games of a season.
2. New York Liberty (11-4) – Last week No. 3
A positive week in one sense for the Liberty because they went 2-1 and beat the Sun, but a negative week in another sense because that defeat was a complete destruction at the hands of the Aces. Even if you want to argue that it was something of a schedule loss – fourth game in seven days on the back of a cross-country road trip – it's clear that there's a big gap between them and the league leaders at this stage.
3. Connecticut Sun (12-5) – Last week No. 2
The last two games for the Sun this week were a sign of just how much they are going to miss Brionna Jones come playoff time. They're still one of the better teams in the league, but without her it's going to be difficult for them to keep up with the Aces and Liberty. Speaking of Jones, it's a shame the coaches didn't still give her an All-Star reserve nod and allow the commissioner to choose an injury replacement.
4. Washington Mystics (9-7) – Last week No. 4
Just a brutal end to the week for the Mystics, who lost Elena Delle Donne to a sprained ankle in a narrow defeat to the Dream, and then were crushed by the Wings on Sunday. For the time being they are now without their two best frontcourt players, as Shakira Austin is already sidelined until after the All-Star break with a hip injury. Delle Donne will undergo more extensive testing in D.C. this week, and the Mystics will have their fingers crossed she doesn't need an extended spell on the sidelines.
5. Atlanta Dream (7-8) – Last week No. 6
No team epitomizes the "it's so over/we're so back" mindset like the Dream. They've been alternating mini losing and winning streaks since the start of June, and are currently "so back" after beating the Mystics and crushing the Sparks. When Allisha Gray and/or Rhyne Howard are hitting shots – as the latter did in a serious way on Sunday with a career-high 43 points – this team is really tough to beat, especially with how often they get to the free-throw line.
6. Dallas Wings (8-8) – Last week No. 7
The Wings got back to winning ways this week with comprehensive performances against the Mercury and a shorthanded Mystics team. One of the most positive recent developments in Dallas is that Natasha Howard is thriving since she was able to move back to the 4 upon Teaira McCowan's return. In the five games since McCowan returned, Howard is averaging 18.2 points and 7.4 rebounds on 50% shooting.
7. Chicago Sky (8-9) – Last week No. 9
The Sky not only ended their six-game losing streak this week, but have now rattled off a season-high three wins in a row. The bigger news, though, is that James Wade abruptly stepped down as general manager and head coach on Saturday to take a job as an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. His departure comes just a few months after he traded away multiple valuable first-round picks to avoid a rebuild, and without him the Sky are now in an even more precarious position.
8. Minnesota Lynx (7-9) – Last week No. 11
What a week for the Lynx, who are suddenly the hottest team outside of Nevada. They've won three in a row and are 6-2 since their 1-7 start, which has them right back in playoff position. Napheesa Collier, who hit an overtime game-winner to beat the Storm, continues to excel, and No. 2 overall pick Diamond Miller returned in style with a career-high 25-point performance against the Mercury. Things are trending up in Minneapolis.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (7-10) – Last week No. 5
Just when it seemed like the Sparks had gotten back on track, the wheels fell off again. They lost all three games of this road trip and are now 2-6 in their last eight games. The biggest concern is their offense, as they cannot find much consistent production outside of Nneka Ogwumike. During this eight-game skid they are shooting just 40.5% from the field as a team and their 92.9 offensive rating ranks last in the league.
10. Indiana Fever (5-11) – Last week No. 8
After falling short in their comeback attempt on Sunday against the Sky, this young Fever team has now lost a season-high four games in a row. To make matters worse, they have to get right back on the road to play a red-hot Lynx team. They're in a tough stretch in which they play six out of seven on the road, and are going through some real growing pains right now, especially on defense where they have not been able to get stops.
11. Seattle Storm (4-12) – Last week No. 10
Not even a career-high 41 points from Jewell Loyd against the Lynx on Thursday was enough to get the Storm back to winning ways. They've now lost three in a row and five out of six, and are about to embark on a brutal four-games-in-seven-days East Coast road trip. On a positive note, Ezi Magbegor was among the reserves selected for the All-Star Game and will make her first appearance in the showcase event.
12. Phoenix Mercury (3-12) – Last week No. 12
The Mercury finally snapped their six-game losing streak with an impressive performance against the Fever, and it was cool to see interim head coach Nikki Blue get her first win. However, their immediate return to losing ways was a reminder of the reality facing this team. They are last in offensive (96.4) and defensive rating (107.2), and are on pace to become the ninth team in the last decade to finish with a negative double-digit net rating.
