Lynx are league’s hottest team, but can they unseat Liberty?
Credit to Author: Michael Voepel| Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:44:52 EST
The Minnesota Lynx just honored their past — including retiring Maya Moore’s jersey — in a big weekend for the franchise. But in the present, the Lynx are in the thick of the 2024 WNBA title chase.
With victories at the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday and then at home vs. the Aces on Friday and the Indiana Fever on Saturday, Minnesota clinched a playoff spot and owns the league’s longest current winning streak at six games.
The New York Liberty are still in first place and three games up on the third-place Lynx in the standings. But in ESPN’s WNBA Power Rankings, the Lynx are blazing at No. 2 as the hottest team in the league.
What’s working for Minnesota? What isn’t? Napheesa Collier, after winning her second Olympic gold medal, is pushing to make voters at least think about the MVP race. Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson still has a commanding lead, but Collier might have moved into the No. 2 spot on many ballots.
Collier is averaging 21.1 points on 50.5% shooting, along with 10.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. She’s also in the race for Defensive Player of the Year. Last season was Collier’s most impressive in the WNBA — until this year, when she has been even better. She will turn 28 in September and has been the building block for the franchise since its core of Hall of Famers retired after winning four titles.
Many other things have gone well for Minnesota. Guard Kayla McBride, in her 11th year in the WNBA, is having her best season from behind the arc, a major strength for the Lynx. They are second in the WNBA in 3-pointers per game (9.9) and first in 3-point percentage (39.1).
McBride has a league-best 87 3-pointers and is shooting 42.0% from long range, both career highs. It’s not often in any sport that an athlete reaches so many peaks at age 32, but McBride also looks likely to finish the season averaging career bests in assists and steals.
Guard Courtney Williams and forward Alanna Smith, both of whom signed as free agents from the Chicago Sky, have fit in perfectly. Williams took a step forward as a playmaker last year and also provides scoring and defense. Smith became a starter last season, her fifth in the WNBA. She has started every game this year and is averaging a career-high 11.0 points. Reeve also said Smith contributes to the Lynx defense, which is holding foes to 75.6 PPG, second best in the WNBA.
Forward Bridget Carleton is also having the best season of her six-year WNBA career. She has started 26 of Minnesota’s 30 games and is averaging 9.1 points and 29.3 minutes, all career highs.
Minnesota’s bench is averaging 17.5 points, the most among the top teams. And the Lynx helped their depth by obtaining forward Myisha Hines-Allen in an Aug. 20 trade with the Washington Mystics. After playing for the Mystics in consecutive losses to the Lynx on Aug. 15-17, Hines-Allen then joined Minnesota for three consecutive victories.
The Lynx still have work to do, with seven of their remaining 10 regular-season games on the road. They are 8-5 on the road this season. But the pieces are in place for what could be another fun fall in Lynx land.
Previous rankings: Preseason | May 20 | May 27 | June 3 | June 10 | June 17 | June 24 | July 1 | July 8 | July 15 | Aug. 19
Previous ranking: 1
This week: @ PHO (Aug. 26), @ LA (Aug. 28), @ SEA (Aug. 30)
Connecticut snapped New York’s eight-game winning streak Saturday, when the Liberty didn’t look like themselves and scored a season-low 64 points. It was a good reminder for the Liberty that they still have things to work on. But you could attribute this loss mostly to the Sun being sick of losing to New York, which had beaten Connecticut seven straight times in regular-season matchups, and went 3-1 against the Sun in the 2023 WNBA semifinals.
Sabrina Ionescu missed the Liberty’s two victories over Dallas last week with neck soreness, then returned vs. Connecticut. New York is hopeful of getting Betnijah Laney-Hamilton back from knee surgery soon, as the Liberty will spend this week out West.
Previous ranking: 2
This week: @ PHO (Aug. 28), @ DAL (Aug. 30), vs. CHI (Sept. 1)
Collier totaled 81 points and 30 rebounds in Minnesota’s three victories last week. In her past four games, she has shot 70.3% from the field, the only WNBA player ever to do that while taking at least 60 attempts.
In addition to all the things we’ve mentioned that the Lynx do well, we should bring up another: passing the ball. Minnesota leads the WNBA in assists at 23.4 per game, with Williams leading the way at 5.5.
Previous ranking: 4
This week: @ IND (Aug. 28), @ WAS (Aug. 31), vs. SEA (Sept. 1)
If there was ever a week when we could have presented a three-way tie at No. 1 in the Power Rankings, this would have been it. The Sun, who like the Lynx clinched a playoff spot Saturday, got a big victory that night at New York. Earlier in the week, the Sun sold out their victory in Boston vs. Los Angeles and rallied to beat Chicago at home.
Guard Marina Mabrey has fit in well with the Sun after being traded from the Sky on July 17; she led Connecticut in scoring against her former team and New York. At this point, the Sun are there with the Liberty and Lynx as the top contenders for the WNBA title.
Previous: 3
This week: @ DAL (Aug. 27), vs. ATL (Aug. 30), @ PHO (Sept. 1)
The Aces needed some last-second magic from Wilson to win 77-75 at Chicago on Sunday. She had an uncharacteristic 8-of-28 day from the field — the most missed shots in a game in her WNBA career — but her basket just before the final buzzer on an inbounds pass from Chelsea Gray held off a Sky rally.
It was an important win for Las Vegas after losing twice last week to Minnesota. The Aces are still trying to climb into the top four in the standings to host the first round of the playoffs.
Previous ranking: 5
This week: @ ATL (Aug. 26), vs. CON (Aug. 28), @ CHI (Aug. 30), @ DAL (Sept. 1)
The Fever had just one game last week, and it was on Moore’s big celebratory night at Minnesota on Saturday. Indiana fell 90-80, but the Fever had some good moments. Especially in the backcourt, as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell continue their post-Olympic scoring success. The Fever also decisively won the rebounding battle vs. Minnesota. But Clark acknowledged after the game that they needed to find ways to get Aliyah Boston more good looks inside.
This week is big for the Fever’s playoffs hopes, with three of their four games on the road.
Previous ranking: 7
This week: vs. WASH (Aug. 26), vs. ATL (Aug. 28), vs. NY (Aug. 30), @ CON (Sept. 1)
The Storm also had just one game last week, an 83-77 victory at Washington. That was much needed after losses the previous week to Atlanta and Indiana. The Storm are fourth in the WNBA standings and trying to hold on to the opportunity to host in the playoffs. Three games at home this week could help.
Previous ranking: 6
This week: vs. NY (Aug. 26), vs. MINN (Aug. 28), vs. LV (Sept. 1)
The Mercury have alternated wins and losses since play resumed after the Olympic break. That included a loss Wednesday in Atlanta, followed by a win there Friday. Now it’s put-up-or-shut-up time for the Mercury with five consecutive games at home. Diana Taurasi has played well since winning her sixth Olympic gold medal in Paris, scoring in double figures in four of the Mercury’s past five games.
Previous ranking: 8
This week: vs. IND (Aug. 26), @ SEA (Aug. 28), @ LV (Aug. 30), @ LA (Sept. 1)
The Dream are hot on Chicago’s heels for the No. 8 place in the standings and a playoff spot, a half-game behind the Sky. After a victory over Phoenix on Wednesday in which Dream center Tina Charles moved into second place on the WNBA’s career scoring list, Atlanta fell 82-80 to the Mercury on Friday. With four of their next five on the road, all in the West, this is a crucial stretch for the Dream.
Previous ranking: 9
This week: vs. WASH (Aug. 28), vs. IND (Aug. 30), @ MIN (Sept. 1)
The Sky were very close last week to two victories that would have helped their playoff quest. But in both cases, the wins got away by a basket: 82-80 at Connecticut and 77-75 at home to Las Vegas. Angel Reese has continued her board dominance, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record three consecutive games of 20 or more rebounds. But the Sky need a little more scoring from their post players.
Previous ranking: 10
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This week: @ SEA (Aug. 26), @ CHI (Aug. 28), vs. CONN (Aug. 31)
The Mystics fell to Seattle and beat Los Angeles last week. The return of center Shakira Austin and guard Brittney Sykes from injuries after the Olympic break has been a positive sign for Washington in a season without many positives. Austin has scored in double figures her last three games; Sykes has done the same in three of her past four.
Previous ranking: 11
This week: vs. LV (Aug. 27), vs. MIN (Aug. 30), vs. IND (Sept. 1)
After back-to-back losses to New York last week, Dallas got its first victory since WNBA play resumed, and it did so improbably. The Wings trailed Los Angeles by 19 points going into the fourth quarter Sunday, then outscored the Sparks 40-18 in the period to win 113-110. It turned out to be one of the most fun games for Dallas in a down season, as Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard combined for 63 points.
Previous ranking: 12
This week: vs. NY (Aug. 28), vs. ATL (Sept. 1)
We don’t want to pick on the Sparks when they’re down, but it’s hard to lose a game if you score 110 points in regulation. In fact, no team in WNBA history had ever done it before Sunday, when the Sparks scored the most points ever by a losing team in a non-overtime game. Their 19-point lead to start the fourth quarter against Dallas, also a league cellar dweller, wasn’t enough. It makes you wonder what the Sparks will need to do to end their current losing streak, which is at seven games. A bright spot for Los Angeles: rookie Rickea Jackson, who had her season scoring high with 25 points vs. the Wings.