The 2025 WNBA season kicked off one month ago. Since then, 13 teams have played 140 games. In order of the current standings, here’s one question each team still needs to answer.
Jump to your team: Minnesota, New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, Golden State, Indiana
[image credit: John McClellan]
1. Minnesota Lynx (9-1, last game: Beat Los Angeles 101-78)
Q: Can Minnesota develop bench depth beyond Hiedeman and Shepherd?
Even before Indiana beat New York, knocking out the league’s last undefeated team, I would have had the Lynx ahead of the Liberty in my Power Rankings. Napheesa Collier is playing at an MVP-level, averaging 26.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game and the Lynx’s starting 5 is excellent across the board. This team is well-coached and revenge-minded.
They have the talent, chemistry, and motivation to become WNBA champions.
Minnesota does lean heavily on Collier, who is averaging 35.0 minutes per game. Napheesa sat out one game in May due to a knee injury. Going forward, can the Lynx rely on their bench to give Collier more rest, keeping her healthy for a championship run?
Natisha Hiedeman and Jess Shepherd (who left for EuroBasket before the Lynx’s loss to the Storm) are both averaging 20+ minutes per game off the bench, but the Lynx remain vulnerable if Collier isn’t 100%.
Development from Diamond Miller or Alissa Pili would further strengthen this championship frontrunner.
Next game: Home against #8 Las Vegas on Tuesday, 6/17.
2. NEW YORK LIBERTY (9-1, LAST GAME: Lost to INDIANA 88-102)
Q: Do the Liberty have enough dawg in them to repeat as champion?
The Liberty made a crucial off-season move, acquiring point guard and defensive stalwart Natasha Cloud. Cloud’s play so far this season has been excellent. She’s averaging 9.0 points, 6.1 assists, and nearly 2 steals a game while shooting over 40% from 3. With Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, plus a deep, talented bench, the Liberty have one of the most talented rosters in the league.
But losing Kayla Thornton (to the Valkyries) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to injury is significant, especially in knock-down-drag-out playoff-style games.
When things are clicking, the Liberty play exquisite basketball. But opponents know the best way to beat New York is to muck things up. They can expect teams to make things difficult and gritty, words that come to mind for several games in last year’s championship series against the Lynx.
Will this year’s Liberty have the answer when things get ugly?
Next game: Home against #3 Atlanta on Tuesday, 6/17.
[image credit: John McClellan]
3. Atlanta Dream (8-3, Last game: Beat Washington 89-56)
Q: How will the Dream match up against the league’s top teams?
First-year coach Karl Smesko had the Atlanta Dream firing on all cylinders in their last game against the Mystics and there’s a long list of positives for Atlanta:
Allisha Gray is having a quietly stellar season that deserves more attention, exceeding her career bests in almost every statistical category. Rhyne Howard is steadily excellent and occasionally dominant. Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones are figuring it out in a system that prioritizes quick play and 3-point shooting. Jordin Canada is back and healthy and Naz Hillmon has been terrific.
But Atlanta also lost a puzzling game to the Connecticut ten days ago, and the Dream have yet to play Minnesota, New York, or Phoenix, the other teams in the top four of the standings. They’re 2-1 against Indiana, but Clark missed one of those games and missed all her threes in another. Can the Dream compete with the best of the best?
The answer to this question is coming soon: the Dream’s next game is against New York, who will be coming off their first loss of the season against the Fever.
Next game: At the #2 New York Liberty on Tuesday, 6/17.
4. Phoenix Mercury (8-4, Last Game: BEat Las Vegas 76-70)
Q: Now that the big 3 is healthy, how well — and how quickly — will they learn to play together?
Like many, I have had to eat my words about the Phoenix Mercury so far this season. I questioned the team’s depth beyond their big three, but even with Kahleah Copper missing the Mercury’s first eleven games, Natasha Mack missing ten games, and Alyssa Thomas missing five, the Mercury are 4th in the WNBA standings.
They’ve won close games behind the stellar play of Satou Sabally, the steady veteran presence of Sami Whitcomb, and huge contributions from rookies Lexi Held, Kathryn Westbeld, and Monique Akoa Makani.
Particularly impressive? Second-year coach Nate Tibbets has managed to keep Satou Sabally’s minutes below 30mpg (almost 5mpg lower than her last two seasons in Dallas) which bodes well for her resilience going forward.
The Mercury have played twice as many home games as away games so far and they’ve got two games against New York (away and then home) before the end of June.
If Thomas, Copper, and Sabally are able to stay healthy, there’s plenty of time for them to develop chemistry on both ends of the floor.
Next game: at #12 Connecticut on Wednesday, 6/18.
[image credit: John McClellan]
5. Seattle Storm (6-4 Last game: Lost to Golden State 70-76)
Q: Can the Seattle Storm be consistent?
The Storm are sitting at 5th in the WNBA standings — not bad, but not good enough for a team with veteran talent and championship ambitions.
The single word that comes to mind to describe Seattle is: inconsistent.
The Storm opened the season with an embarrassingly bad loss at Phoenix. They rebounded, beating the Aces handily and becoming the only team to beat the #1 Minnesota Lynx.
But inconsistency struck again in their last game, in which the Storm lost an extremely winnable game at Golden State, losing to a Valkyries’ squad who had just lost 17ppg in scoring to EuroBasket.
How to explain the Storm’s regular lapses in intensity, connectedness, and effort? Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, and Erica Wheeler provide a lot of veteran leadership, but they’re clearly still searching for answers.
It may be Gabby Williams — who has the potential to be the Storm’s best player — whose play will make the biggest difference to the Storm’s playoff aspirations.
Next game: at #10 Los Angeles on Tuesday, 6/17.
6. Golden State valkyries (5-5 Last game: Beat Seattle 76-70)*
* At 5-5, the Valkyries are tied with the Las Vegas Aces and the Indiana Fever
Q: What’s the ceiling for this expansion team’s first season?
The Valkyries have made a statement in 2025: they’re not afraid of anyone and they’re ready to win, now.
Golden State’s rout of the Las Vegas Aces felt like the end of one WNBA era and the beginning of a new one: the age of expansion teams, more money, more attention, and (coming next year) a new CBA that will see free agents on the move all over the place.
There’s a lot of season left, but with Kayla Thornton and Veronica Burton playing like All-Stars and first-year Coach Natalie Nakase revealing herself to be not only astute, but masterful, it seems like the Valkyries are intent on winning their way out of the 2026 draft lottery.
They’ll have to weather significant absences with international players gone for EuroBasket. But new players, like guard Carla Leite, are stepping up to excel; Laeticia Amihere and Kaitlyn Chen, fan favorites waived at the end of the preseason, are back in town; and Tiff Hayes may soon be back from injury.
Can the Valkyries hold onto their spot in the top half of the league? It’ll be a challenge, but Golden State isn’t afraid of those.
Next game: At #13 Dallas on Tuesday, 5/17.
7. Indiana Fever (5-5, Last game: Beat New York 102-88)*
* At 5-5, the Fever are tied with the Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries
[image credit: John McClellan]
Q: Can Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark become a dominant duo?
Having weathered a stretch of games without Caitlin Clark, Indiana secured an important win over the New York Liberty and they’re looking to climb the standings. Next they play the Connecticut Sun in Indianapolis before heading out west to play at Golden State, at Las Vegas, and at Seattle.
This Fever roster is stacked with talent and, as they showed beating the Liberty, they’re ready to compete with the league’s best. Their West Coast road trip is important: the Fever have the same record as the Valkyries and the Aces and are only 1 game behind Seattle in the standings. The time to climb is now!
Clark was the star in the win over the Liberty, scoring 34 points while shooting 7-14 from 3. Boston scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had 6 assists (!) and 2 blocks. Now that Clark is healthy again, watching the Fever continue to grow their chemistry, especially between Caitlin and Aliyah, will help make it clear whether the goal of a WNBA championship is really in reach for this season.
Next Game: home against #12 Connecticut on Tuesday, 6/17.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Follow me on BlueSky to talk about the W! @finishthroughcontact.bsky.social!
Leave a Reply