2023 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 13

Brian Martin

2023 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 13

The final week of the regular season is here, and the playoff picture is starting to come into focus, with five teams clinching their postseason berth, three teams eliminated and headed for the lottery, and four teams battling for the final three spots in the field.

Who’s In, Who’s Out

Clinched: Las Vegas, New York, Connecticut, Dallas, Minnesota
Eliminated: Indiana, Seattle, Phoenix
In the Hunt: Atlanta, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago

We’ll take a look at each team’s playoff outlook as we break down the final week of the power rankings, which are headlined for the third straight week by the New York Liberty, who enter the final week of the regular season riding a six-game win streak. Are they peaking at the right time to make a championship run?

Note: All stats, rankings, and tiebreakers through games played on Sunday, Sept. 3.

New York Liberty (30-7)

Previous Ranking: 1
Last Week: W vs. Aces 94-85, W vs. Sun 89-58, W at Sky 86-69
This Week: Tuesday at Wings, Thursday vs. Sparks, Sunday vs. Mystics
Team Stats: OffRtg: 109.1 (2); DefRtg: 98.1 (2); NetRtg: 11.0 (2); eFG%: 53.9 (2); Pace/40 Min: 80.56 (5)
Playoff Status: Clinched top 2
Tiebreakers: Tied with Aces 2-2, .692 win percentage vs. .500+ teams

The Liberty may be the hottest team in the league right now, but it appears they will run out of time to try to catch Las Vegas for the No. 1 overall seed in the postseason. New York trails Las Vegas by one game and must finish with a better overall record to pass the Aces. The teams split their season series 2-2 (remember New York’s win in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game does not count toward the regular season or tiebreakers) and the Aces hold the superior record against teams currently over .500, which serves as the secondary tiebreaker. As great as New York is playing, we have to keep an eye on Sabrina Ionescu, who has missed the past two days with a calf injury.

Las Vegas Aces (32-6)

Previous Ranking: 2
Last Week: L at Liberty 94-85, W vs. Mystics 84-75, W vs. Storm 103-77
This Week: Friday at Mercury, Sunday vs. Mercury
Team Stats: OffRtg: 112.5 (1); DefRtg: 97.6 (1); NetRtg: 14.9 (1); eFG%: 55.0 (1); Pace/40 Min: 82.30 (2)
Playoff Status: Clinched top 2
Tiebreakers: Tied with Liberty 2-2, .733 win percentage vs. .500+ teams

The Aces are a near lock for the No. 1 overall seed in the postseason as they hold a one-game lead over New York, own the tiebreaker between them, and also finish out the regular season with two games against last-place Phoenix. After suffering consecutive losses for the first time all season last week, the Aces bounced back with consecutive wins over Washington and Seattle to maintain their spot atop the standings.

Connecticut Sun (25-12)

Previous Ranking: 3
Last Week: W vs. Mercury 84-74; L at Liberty 89-58
This Week: Tuesday vs. Sparks, Friday vs. Fever, Sunday vs. Sky
Team Stats: OffRtg: 102.9 (4); DefRtg: 98.7 (3); NetRtg: 4.2 (3); eFG%: 49.6 (4); Pace/40 Min: 79.49 (10)
Playoff Status: Clinched No. 3
Tiebreakers: None needed, will finish No. 3 regardless

The Sun enter the final week of the regular season with absolutely nothing on the line. At 25-12, they have no chance of catching the top two seeds and have a large enough cushion that none of the teams below them have enough games to catch up. The Sun have won four of their last six games, but have a decision on how to play out the final week – do they continue to play their starters and try to maintain a rhythm entering the postseason, or do they use this week to get some rest for their veterans so they enter the playoffs fresh? Alyssa Thomas ranks second in minutes played, while DeWanna Bonner ranks 21^st.

Dallas Wings (20-17)

Previous Ranking: 4
Last Week: W at Fever 110-100, L vs. Fever 97-84
This Week: Tuesday vs. Liberty, Friday vs. Storm, Sunday at Dream
Team Stats: OffRtg: 106.2 (3); DefRtg: 103.4 (T-7); NetRtg: 2.7 (4); eFG%: 48.3 (8); Pace/40 Min: 81.67 (3)
Playoff Status: Clinched (No. 4 entering final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (3-1 vs. Mystics; 2-0 vs. Dream with one game left); Tied (2-2 vs. Lynx); 0.429 vs. teams .500 or better

The Wings need one win to lock up the No. 4 seed in the playoffs, which brings home-court advantage in the first round, as it would put them out of reach of the teams below them battling for playoff position. Last week, the Wings split a two-game series with Indiana; eliminating the Fever from the playoffs with a 110-100 win behind Satou Sabally’s 40-point gem, before falling in overtime two days later in their first chance at locking up the No. 4 seed.

Minnesota Lynx (19-19)

Previous Ranking: 5
Last Week: L at Mystics 83-72, W vs. Dream 91-85, W vs. Mercury 86-73
This Week: Friday at Sky, Sunday at Fever
Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.8 (T-7); DefRtg: 105.4 (10); NetRtg: -5.6 (10); eFG%: 48.4 (7); Pace/40 Min: 79.83 (9)
Playoff Status: Clinched (No. 5 entering final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (2-1 vs. Mystics; 4-0 vs. Sparks); Lost (1-2 vs. Dream); Tied (2-2 vs. Wings); 0.267 vs. teams .500 or better

The Lynx became just the second team in WNBA history to qualify for the playoffs after opening the season 0-6, joining the 2015 Los Angeles Sparks. While the Lynx had more games to work with to recover from their slow start, their improvement has been more impressive than the 2015 Sparks, who made the playoffs at 14-20. While the Sparks played .500 ball (14-14) after their slow start to make the playoffs, the Lynx have played six games above .500 ball (19-13) after their 0-6 start to reach the final week of the season at an even 19-19.

Los Angeles Sparks (16-21)

Previous Ranking: 6
Last Week: L vs. Sky 76-75, L vs. Storm 72-61, W vs. Mystics 72-64
This Week: Tuesday at Sun, Thursday at Liberty, Sunday vs. Storm
Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.3 (11); DefRtg: 98.8 (4); NetRtg: -1.5 (6); eFG%: 47.1 (11); Pace/40 Min: 80.32 (7)
Playoff Status: In the hunt (No. 8 entering the final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (2-1 vs. Mystics); Lost (0-4 vs. Lynx; 1-3 vs. Sky); Tied (2-2 vs. Dream); 0.250 vs. teams .500 or better

The Sparks defeated the Mystics on Sunday without Nneka Ogwumike, who missed the game with a knee injury, to help salvage what could have been a disastrous week for L.A.’s playoff hopes. They opened the week with a one-point loss to Chicago that not only brought the Sky closer to the Sparks for the No. 8 seed but gave the Sky the tiebreaker if it’s needed. The Sparks followed that with a frustrating loss to the lottery-bound Storm in which L.A. matched its season low for points with 61. The win over Washington kept the Sparks in the No. 8 spot entering the final week, which begins with road games against playoff-bound teams in Connecticut and New York.

Washington Mystics (17-20)

Previous Ranking: 7
Last Week: W vs. Lynx 83-72, L at Aces 84-75, L at Sparks 72-64
This Week: Tuesday at Mercury, Friday vs. Dream, Sunday at Liberty
Team Stats: OffRtg: 98.8 (9); DefRtg: 100.0 (5); NetRtg: -1.2 (5); eFG%: 48.0 (9); Pace/40 Min: 80.55 (6)
Playoff Status: In the hunt (No. 7 entering the final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (4-0 vs. Sky); Lost (1-3 vs. Wings; 1-2 vs. Lynx; 1-2 vs. Sparks); TBD (1-2 vs. Dream with one game left); 0.235 vs. teams .500 or better

The Mystics have been cursed by injuries for much of the season and just as it appeared they were getting healthy for a playoff run, the Mystics were struck again as Ariel Atkins suffered a nasal fracture, Shakira Austin re-injured her hip, and Kristi Toliver suffered a torn ACL in just her third game back with the team since June. Washington enters the final week of the season needing just one win over a Chicago loss to clinch a playoff berth, but they’ll be shorthanded as they open the week against Phoenix.

Atlanta Dream (17-20)

Previous Ranking: 8
Last Week: W vs. Mercury 94-76, L at Lynx 91-85
This Week: Wednesday vs. Storm, Friday at Mystics, Sunday vs. Wings
Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.8 (T-7); DefRtg: 101.8 (6); NetRtg: -2.0 (7); eFG%: 47.7 (10); Pace/40 Min: 82.38 (1)
Playoff Status: In the hunt (No. 6 entering the final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (2-1 vs. Lynx; 4-0 vs. Sky); Lost (0-2 vs. Wings with one game left); Tied (2-2 vs. Sparks); TBD (2-1 vs. Mystics with one game left); 0.235 vs. teams .500 or better

On July 18, the Dream won their seventh straight game to improve to 12-8 on the season and sit in fourth place in the standings. Since then, Atlanta has gone just 5-12 overall, including a 2-7 mark in their last nine games. The Dream still holds the No. 6 seed entering the final week of the regular season but still have work to do to secure their first playoff berth since 2018.

Chicago Sky (15-22)

Previous Ranking: 9
Last Week: W at Sparks 76-75, L vs. Liberty 86-69
This Week: Tuesday at Fever, Friday vs. Lynx, Sunday at Sun
Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.2 (6); DefRtg: 103.9 (9); NetRtg: -3.8 (8); eFG%: 49.4 (T-5); Pace/40 Min: 80.05 (8)
Playoff Status: In the hunt (No. 9 entering the final week)
Tiebreakers: Won (3-1 vs. Sparks); Lost (0-4 vs. Dream; 0-4 vs. Mystics); TBD (1-1 vs. Lynx with one game left); 0.333 vs. teams .500 or better

The Sky got a much-needed win over Los Angeles last week to inch closer to the Sparks in the standings and clinch the tiebreaker should they need it when the regular season ends on Sunday. The Sky were unable to follow up that win in L.A. with another against New York but have still won three of their past five games entering the final week of the season. They close things out with Indiana (2-1), Minnesota (1-1) and Connecticut (0-3) – the Sky have a 3-5 combined record against the three teams.

Indiana Fever (12-25)

Previous Ranking: 10
Last Week: L vs. Wings 110-100, W at Wings 97-84
This Week: Tuesday vs. Sky, Friday at Sun, Sunday vs. Lynx
Team Stats: OffRtg: 102.7 (5); DefRtg: 106.7 (12); NetRtg: -4.0 (9); eFG%: 49.4 (T-5); Pace/40 Min: 79.01 (12)
Playoff Status: Eliminated

The Fever have gone 4-1 in the last five games, but their single loss during that stretch was the one that eliminated them from playoffs for the seventh straight season – a 110-100 home loss to Dallas. Indiana heads back to the lottery but does so after winning more games this season (12) than they did in their previous two seasons combined (11). Can the Fever get lucky at the lottery again and add another piece to their young core pieces of Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith?

Seattle Storm (11-26)

Previous Ranking: 11
Last Week: W at Sparks 72-61, L at Aces 103-77
This Week: Wednesday at Dream, Friday at Wings, Sunday vs. Sparks
Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.7 (12); DefRtg: 103.4 (T-7); NetRtg: -6.7 (11); eFG%: 46.9 (12); Pace/40 Min: 80.89 (4)
Playoff Status: Eliminated

The Storm are back in the lottery for the first time since 2015. Since entering the WNBA in 2000, the Storm have now missed the playoffs just six times in 24 seasons. Of the previous five instances in which the Storm missed the playoffs, they ended up with the No. 1 overall pick in the following draft:

2000 season: No. 1 pick in 2001 draft by the worst record in the league, selected Lauren Jackson
2001 season: No. 1 pick in 2002 draft by winning first ever draft lottery, selected Sue Bird
2003 season: No. 6 pick following lottery, traded before 2004 draft for Sheri Sam and Janell Burse
2014 season: No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft by winning draft lottery, selected Jewell Loyd
2015 season: No. 1 in the 2016 draft pick by winning draft lottery, selected Breanna Stewart
2023 season: TBD

Before their draft position is determined, the Storm have three more games on the schedule as Jewell Loyd looks to secure her first scoring title and become the first player to ever score over 900 points in a single season – she’s 48 points away.

Phoenix Mercury (9-28)

Previous Ranking: 12
Last Week: L at Dream 94-76, L at Sun 84-74, L at Lynx 86-73
This Week: Tuesday vs. Mystics, Friday vs. Aces, Sunday at Aces
Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.4 (10); DefRtg: 106.5 (11); NetRtg: -9.0 (12); eFG%: 49.9 (3); Pace/40 Min: 78.36 (12)
Playoff Status: Eliminated

This season, the Mercury celebrated the return of Brittney Griner and the milestone moment of Diana Taurasi becoming the first WNBA player to reach 10,000 career points. There hasn’t been much to celebrate recently as Phoenix has dropped eight straight games and must get a win during its final three games this week in order to avoid the longest losing streak in franchise history, which currently stands at 10 games.

Longtime WNBA reporter Brian Martin writes articles on WNBA.com throughout the season. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.

2023 WNBA Power Rankings: Week 13 - WNBA (2024)