WNBA Power Rankings Week 7 by Her Hoop Stats
Playoff seeding is still at play heading into the final week of the regular season
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It’s the last week of the 2020 WNBA regular season. Seven teams have clinched a playoff spot, and only New York has been eliminated from playoff contention.
The playoff schedule has not been set, so teams aren’t sure how much rest they’ll get before the playoffs begin, but some teams like Phoenix and Chicago finish the regular season on Friday, while other teams like Seattle and Las Vegas play through Sunday. While the Storm have clinched a spot in the top four of the playoffs, seeding is still at play for teams competing for a first-round bye (seeds three and four) and double-bye (seeds one and two) heading into the postseason.
This week’s article is full of links from the new WNBA portion of Her Hoop Stats, which launched last week. As you’re making your own picks for WNBA season awards or previewing potential playoff matchups, I encourage you to take advantage of the free beta preview. Features include traditional and advanced box scores, leaderboards, team and player pages, and Lobo’s Look, which offers a statistical preview of each upcoming matchup. The site shows statistics for teams and players since the league’s debut in 1997.
1. Seattle Storm (16-3)
Points: 1,183
Seattle clinched at least a first-round bye with its win against Minnesota on Sunday. Seattle only needs one more win to clinch a double-bye heading into the playoffs.
Breanna Stewart is averaging 19.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game through Sunday and could be on her way to her second MVP award. However, her numbers are slightly below her 2018 MVP season, when she averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. That year, Stewart was second in the league in scoring behind Liz Cambage and third in the league in rebounding behind Sylvia Fowles and Cambage that year. She is currently trailing Arike Ogunbowale and A’ja Wilson in scoring, and Stewart ranks 10th overall in rebounds per game.
Natasha Howard has also found her stride in time for the WNBA playoffs. She didn’t score double digits in a game until Aug. 16 but has contributed at least 10 points in every game since. In those nine games, she’s shooting 67 percent from the field for 14.0 points a game and grabbing 8.9 rebounds a game. While it doesn’t compare to her exceptional 2019 season, Howard could be a difference-maker in the playoffs.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Dallas Wings, 9/11 vs. Phoenix Mercury,9/13 vs. Las Vegas Aces
2. Las Vegas Aces (14-4)
Last week’s ranking: 2
Points: 1,083
While Seattle has led the league all season, Las Vegas is in the driver’s seat this week as they try to secure a double bye in the playoffs. The Aces have four games in the final week, including back-to-back games against Los Angeles and Seattle to end the season. Las Vegas has only lost to two teams this year (Chicago and Phoenix twice each), so they currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Storm and Sparks, who are also competing for the double bye.
Even without Kelsey Plum and Liz Cambage, the Aces are leading the league in points and rebounds per game and only trail Seattle for the league’s best offensive and defensive ratings.
A’ja Wilson, who is in the running for her first WNBA MVP award, is averaging 20.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Dearica Hamby is also in the running for her second straight Sixth Woman of the Year award, which comes with a financial reward thanks to the new CBA. Hamby is averaging 13.2 points per game on 55.5 percent shooting from the field, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 28 minutes per game. Aside from a very slight dip in total rebounds, all of those stats are improvements from 2019.
Next up: 9/8 vs. Indiana Fever, 9/10 vs. Minnesota Lynx, 9/12 vs. Los Angeles Sparks, 9/13 vs. Seattle Storm
3. Los Angeles Sparks (14-5)
Last week’s ranking: 3
Points: 1,033
The Sparks are only half a game behind Las Vegas for the No. 2 seed and have a chance to even the series on Saturday. Candace Parker is a strong contender for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year this year, averaging 14.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks through Sunday. Her 24 points and 15 rebounds against Chicago on Sunday was her eighth double-double of the season. Heading into the playoffs, the Sparks will also rely on Nneka Ogwumike, who returned from a back injury after missing three games on Sunday, and Chelsea Gray, who stuffed the stat box against Chicago with 20 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
Next up: 9/8 vs. New York Liberty, 9/10 vs. Washington Mystics, 9/12 vs. Las Vegas Aces
4. Minnesota Lynx (13-6)
Last week’s ranking: 4
Points: 900
The Lynx were ranked eighth in our preseason power rankings poll, but Coach of the Year candidate Cheryl Reeve has her team in position to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. Second-round draft pick Crystal Dangerfield is averaging 15.6 points and 3.4 assists in 29.1 minutes this season and is in contention to be the first second-round pick to win Rookie of the Year (ROY). Dangerfield would be the fifth Lynx rookie to win the top honor in history. No other team has more than two. Last year’s ROY, Napheesa Collier, has improved her numbers and is making a run at Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 15.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
Next up: 9/8 vs. Washington Mystics, 9/10 vs. Las Vegas Aces, 9/12 vs. Indiana Fever
5. Phoenix Mercury (12-8)
Last week’s ranking: 6
Points: 800
After putting together a six-game win streak, the Mercury lost to Connecticut on Monday, but are still only 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the fourth seed and a first-round bye.
During the win streak, Diana Taurasi averaged 23.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, and Skylar Diggins-Smith averaged 22.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Diggins-Smith notched her 3,000th career point in a 30-point effort against New York on Saturday.
Sophomore Brianna Turner has had the most notable impact on the defensive end of the court in Brittney Griner’s absence and could be up for Defensive Player of the Year. Turner has started every game for Phoenix and is averaging 7.2 points and 8.3 rebounds while recording a league-leading 36 total blocks through Sunday.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Connecticut Sun, 9/11 vs. Seattle Storm
6. Chicago Sky (11-9)
Last week’s ranking: 5
Points: 667
Chicago has lost five of six games playing without Azurá Stevens and Diamond DeShields since Aug. 22, but the Sky still have four players averaging double-digit points. Courtney Vandersloot has recorded at least nine assists in every game since August 18, averaging 12 per game in that nine-game span. She’s on pace to break the single-season assist record for the fourth year in a row, posting 196 assists in 20 games so far.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Atlanta Dream, 9/11 vs. Dallas Wings
7. Connecticut Sun (10-10)
Last week’s ranking: 7
Points: 633
The Sun clinched its fourth straight playoff appearance with a win against Phoenix on Monday night. During Connecticut’s 0-5 start, the Sun were shooting an average of 38.8 percent from the field, and 28.8 percent from three. Since then, the Sun have gone 10-5 and have improved to shooting 44.5 percent from the field, and 33.1 percent from behind the arc.
The Sun also rank second in the league behind Seattle in steals, averaging 9.5 per game. Alyssa Thomas, who is averaging 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, leads the league in steals with 38 total this season. DeWanna Bonner is tied with Natasha Howard for second-most steals in the league with 36, and Brionna Jones is ranked fourth with 34 total steals this season.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Phoenix Mercury, 9/11 vs. Atlanta Dream
8. Dallas Wings (7-12)
Last week’s ranking: 8
Points: 500
The young Wings squad, which was ranked 10th overall in the preseason power rankings poll, is in position to make the playoffs after missing out last year. The Wings need to win at least two of their last three games to secure the final playoff seed, but have to face Seattle and Chicago, two teams they lost to earlier in the season. Arike Ogunbowale put up the most points in the league so far this season with a career-high 39 points against the Mystics in overtime on Sunday. She leads the league in scoring with 22.2 points per game.
In addition, for the second year in a row, Dallas has a rookie in contention for Rookie of the Year. No. 2 pick Satou Sabally is averaging 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds in 15 games this year, including five double double performances.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Seattle Storm, 9/11 vs. Chicago Sky, 9/13 vs. New York Liberty
9. Washington Mystics (5-13)
Last week’s ranking: 10
Points: 367
The reigning WNBA champions still have a shot at the postseason, but will need help from Dallas. Washington needs a four-game win streak to end the season, something they haven’t done all season. They’re currently 1.5 games behind Dallas for the eighth playoff spot, and can clinch if Washington wins out and Dallas loses at least two games. Washington has been inconsistent over the course of the season, but Myisha Hines-Allen, who is a strong candidate for Most Improved Player, is averaging 15.4 points on 48.7 percent shooting in 2020, a dramatic increase from 2.3 points on 36.2 percent in 2019. She’s also averaging 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Next up: 9/8 vs. Minnesota Lynx, 9/10 vs. Los Angeles Sparks, 9/12 vs. New York Liberty, 9/13 vs. Atlanta Dream
10. Atlanta Dream (5-14)
Last week’s ranking: 11
Points: 333
Atlanta has looked like a better team over the course of the season but hasn’t been able to put away close games in the second half. The playoffs still aren’t entirely out of the Dream’s reach, but they would need help from multiple teams to clinch the eighth seed. Betnijah Laney is a Most Improved Player candidate and is averaging 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 steals this season, all career highs. Despite missing six games because of injury, Chennedy Carter is also up for Rookie of the Year, leading all rookies with 16.5 points per game.
Next up: 9/9 vs. Chicago Sky,9/11 vs. Connecticut Sun, 9/13 vs. Washington Mystics
11. Indiana Fever (5-14)
Last week’s ranking: 9
Points: 200
Indiana needs to win all of its games and get some help to make the playoffs. The team has had some good individual performances this year: Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 17.5 points on 44.3 percent shooting from the field (up from 13.6 points on 38.7 percent shooting in 2019), and Julie Allemand is making her case for Rookie of the Year with 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. However, an abysmal defense has led to seven straight losses; the Fever lost by a margin of 15.1 points over that time span. The team currently has the worst defensive rating in the league by a margin of 4.8 points.
Next up: 9/8 vs. Las Vegas Aces, 9/10 vs. New York Liberty, 9/12 vs. Minnesota Lynx
12. New York Liberty (2-16)
Last week’s ranking: 12
Points: 100
The Liberty have four more games in their 2020 season. Although it was a disappointing season for New York without No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty were never expected to make the postseason. The team can look forward to the return of guards Ionescu and Asia Durr, along with international players such as Rebecca Allen and Han Xu, and another high lottery pick to join them for (hopefully) the team’s debut in Barclays Center in 2021.
Next up: 9/8 vs. Los Angeles Sparks,9/10 vs. Indiana Fever, 9/12 vs. Washington Mystics, 9/13 vs. Dallas Wings
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.