![[original_title]](https://rawnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2156085772-1024x536.jpg)
No, a Las Vegas Aces’ three-peat does not look inevitable. A minimum of for now.
The primary month of the 2024 WNBA season has not been outlined by the domination of two titanic tremendous groups fated for a Finals rematch. As a substitute, numerous squads stay viable contenders for the 2024 crown. With each staff having performed between 12 and 15 video games, right here’s how Swish Attraction’s workers assesses the standing of the W’s 12 groups.
1. New York Liberty (12-2)
Jonquel Jones is BACK! And the New York Liberty could be the most effective staff within the WNBA.
Whereas New York trails the Connecticut Solar in total file and web score, the house owners of the WNBA’s finest offense are using an eight-game successful streak that features a victory over Connecticut, in addition to an authoritative win over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. In that contest, Jones dropped a career-high 34 factors, proving that after an uneven 2023 season—the product of adjusting to a brand new staff and a gradual restoration from an offseason harm—she stays one of the most talented, impactful players within the W. And presumably the linchpin for the long-awaited first title in franchise historical past?
2. Connecticut Solar (12-1)
The Connecticut Solar have the most effective file, finest protection and finest web score within the league, however they’re not the most effective staff? The disrespeCT by no means ends.
As Noa Dalzell has chronicled, though the Solar have been racking up wins, a couple of too many have been happening to the wire, largely due to gradual begins. Effectively, since dropping their lone game to the Liberty, the Solar have cured these considerations, exemplified by their most up-to-date rout of the Dallas Wings.
3. Minnesota Lynx (10-3)
In latest seasons, it appeared the Minnesota magic that outlined the Lynx’s dynasty days had light, because the staff suffered via some uninspiring stretches whereas attempting to ascertain a brand new id. This season, the whole lot has clicked into place, with head coach Cheryl Reeve optimizing returning gamers and new additions round the two-way star power of Napheesa Collier.
As Eric Nemchock has noted, the Lynx have been scorching sizzling from behind the arc, propelled by Kayla McBride making almost half of her greater than seven 3-point makes an attempt per recreation. Even when that long-range taking pictures probably regresses, Minnesota has the muse essential to proceed to win a number of video games.
4. Las Vegas Aces (6-6)
There’s a cause just one staff in WNBA historical past has three-peated, and, previous to this season, just one different staff has had the chance to take action. The Las Vegas Aces try to finish the feat in a 40-game season throughout an Olympic yr, with their place to begin guard lacking the primary 12 video games (and counting?).
And but, assuming Chelsea Grey ultimately returns, does any staff wish to see the Aces within the playoffs? The emotion A’ja Wilson showed throughout her most up-to-date postgame press convention suggests she’s going to do everything in her power to take the back-to-back defending champs again to the mountain high.
5. Seattle Storm (9-5)
After a considerably unsteady begin to the season, the Seattle Storm have hit their stride and gained eight of their final 10 video games. If solely they may find a way to beat Lynx.
Though Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith finding their strokes has helped the Storm seem like the staff they have been anticipated to be, Nneka Ogwumike is the fulcrum of Seattle’s success, as Eric has highlighted. Jordan Horston rising as a dependable off-the-bench choice additionally strengthens a Storm second unit that entered the season with questions. Albeit in a loss, the second-year wing had her finest recreation of the season on Sunday, with a high-activity 12 factors, 5 steals, 4 rebounds and two blocks.
6. Phoenix Mercury (7-7)
4 video games with Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury have gained three of them. Forthcoming video games towards the Liberty and Lynx will extra definitively decide if the Griner-boosted Mercury will be thought of a reliable title contender.
For now, the BG-KFC mixture seems like one no opponent needs to see in a brief playoff collection. On Sunday, Phoenix earned the wire-to-wire win over the Storm behind a mixed 58 factors from Griner and Kahleah Copper. It was Copper’s league-leading fifth recreation of not less than 30 factors. With Griner within the lineup, she’s been absurdly prolific and environment friendly, averaging virtually 28 factors per recreation on 48.1 % taking pictures. Griner is also rounding in the direction of high type, scoring not less than 25 factors in back-to-back video games for the primary time since 2021.
7. Atlanta Dream (6-6)
Inconsistency, once more abounds for the Atlanta Dream, the place a feel-good win over the Aces has been nullified by losses to the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever.
The hoped-for return of Jordin Canada, who ought to present desperately-needed offensive group and point-of-attack defensive stress, leaves open the presumably that the Dream may coalesce right into a staff that’s now not lower than the sum of its elements. But, it’s unreasonable to see Canada as a panacea; Atlanta should play with an intentionality on each ends of the ground that, far too usually, has eluded them.
8. Los Angeles Sparks (4-10)
As Edwin Garcia has documented, the 2024 season has been a combined bag to this point for the Los Angeles Sparks, with some encouraging wins balanced by blowout losses.
An indeniable shiny spot, nonetheless, has been Dearica Hamby, who’s placing collectively a profession yr in her tenth WNBA season. Rookies Cameron Brink, a gift and future defensive power, and Rickea Jackson, already a simple scorer, additionally seem like the muse of the subsequent, nice Sparks staff. However for now, uneven contributions from the bench cap LA’s upside.
9. Chicago Sky (4-9)
In the course of the free company interval, when Kahleah Copper surprisingly was traded to the Mercury, the Chicago Sky appeared favored essentially the most misplaced group within the WNBA. Effectively, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon swiftly has imposed a brand new course—and it’s onward and upward. Though the staff has solely gained a 3rd of their video games, Chicago performs with a spirit and function that evokes optimism concerning the staff’s future.
The rejuvenation of Chennedy Carter and the short acclimations of high rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are the first causes for positivity. However as Zachary Draves has detailed, Weatherspoon is getting the most effective out of all of her gamers.
10. Dallas Wings (3-9)
The unlucky harm absences of Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard seemingly would allow head coach Latricia Trammell to experiment with completely different lineup combos, giving extra gamers the chance to point out what they could be capable of contribute to a completely wholesome Dallas Wings staff.
As a substitute, Trammell has ridden the highest six gamers in her rotation, even because the wins turn out to be extra elusive. And on offense, Dallas more and more has turn out to be the Arike Ogunbowale Present. When she has it going, it could be one of the most entertaining shows in sports. However, having Ogunbowale carry a high-usage and high-volume burden via a compressed schedule doesn’t appear sustainable. She at present has the bottom taking pictures percentages of her profession, each from 3 and total.
11. Indiana Fever (5-10)
The Indiana Fever now have extra wins (5) than non-national tv video games (4). But, regardless of successful three of their final 4 video games, progress stays a gradual course of for the Fever, as Łukasz Muniowski recently wrote. That’s very true on the defensive end, the place Indiana’s league-worst defensive score of 110.8 is greater than six factors worse than the second-worst mark.
After a dreadful defensive effort in a loss to the Solar, the Fever secured their win over their Dream with a number of key defensive stops down the stretch. Nevertheless, their victory over the Sky was a product of a robust taking pictures efficiency, relatively than additional improved protection. Till Indiana demonstrates a constant consideration to element on that finish, it’s onerous to see them advancing past the sting of the playoff image.
12. Washington Mystics (2-12)
Though they adopted up their first win of the season with a second-straight victory, the Washington Mystics nonetheless sit within the league cellar. That they don’t personal the league’s worst web score, nonetheless, suggests the staff is best than their file. As Josh Felton has analyzed, the Mystics have been aggressive within the majority of their losses, with promising developments, particularly the play of Aaliyah Edwards, combined in with largely disappointing outcomes.
One other harm absence for Brittney Sykes, on high of Shakira Austin’s continued administration of a hip harm, signifies the Mystics are unlikely to generate way more successful momentum. The truth is, it looks as if normal supervisor Mike Thibault could be pleased to be Paiging the No. 1 choose within the 2025 WNBA Draft.
