WNBA Power Rankings: Why Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx are the hottest team in the league

Welcome to For The Win’s 2024 WNBA season Week 12 power rankings.

The end of the regular season is fast approaching ― September 19 ― so there isn't much time left to smooth out any team issues. The most significant question that remains unanswered ahead of the postseason is whether the Las Vegas Aces will actually have enough to three-peat.

After choosing the New York Liberty over the Aces in the WNBA Finals last season, I've learned to stop picking against them. But three-peating is really hard. Currently, Las Vegas looks like a shell of itself, and it's leaving the door wide open for a team like the Minnesota Lynx to slide right into optimum position in the WNBA Finals.

Here’s For The Win’s WNBA power rankings for Week 12:

12. Los Angeles Sparks (6-24)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 12

The Los Angeles Sparks can't get it together. The team inevitably crumbles whenever you think Los Angeles has finally figured out how to finish games ― like being up 22 in the fourth quarter.

What's worse is that Rickea Jackson is totally balling, and not enough people are talking about it because the Sparks' record and defense are terrible.

11. Dallas Wings (7-22)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 11

The Dallas Wings aren't much better than the Sparks, but having Satou Sabally back in the starting lineup has undoubtedly freed up Arike Ogunbowale to do what she does best ― shoot.

Arike is third in the WNBA in points scored this season, second only to A'ja Wilson and Kahleah Copper. While the Wings haven't had the season they planned to, she's been a bucket the whole way.

10. Washington Mystics (7-22)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 10

The Mystics are trying. I'll give Washington that.

The team made a handful of moves over the past several weeks to secure future draft picks and possibly put themselves in a position to draft Paige Bueckers.

Otherwise, there's not much going on in the nation's capital. Washington made it enjoyable against the Seattle Storm during Week 12 and soundly beat the Sparks.

9. Chicago Sky (11-18)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 9

At the time of this publication, the Chicago Sky are barely hanging on to a playoff spot. The Sky have lost four out of its last five games (including a loss with a last-second A'ja Wilson game-winning bucket), leaving the door open for the Atlanta Dream to sneak into the postseason.

If Chicago doesn't figure things out soon, a September 17 matchup with Atlanta right before the regular season ends will feel much more heavy.

8. Atlanta Dream (10-18)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 8

Since returning from the Olympic break, the Atlanta Dream are 3-1 and look like a different team. Being healthy changes things, but it also helps when the ball moves and the team gets vintage performances from future WNBA Hall of Famer Tina Charles.

Charles, Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have found a winning formula that could help them jump straight into the playoffs.

7. Phoenix Mercury (16-14)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 7

The Phoenix Mercury are still so hard to get a read on. Weeks ago, ESPN's LaChina Robinson called them the biggest threat to derail the Aces' three-peat chances. But Phoenix hasn't exactly looked consistently good.

Their offense feels very boom or bust, which doesn't bode well for a deep playoff run. Whatever head coach Nate Tibbetts has in his bag of tricks, he might want to pull it out soon.

6. Seattle Storm (18-10)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 6

I'll be honest: I'm not sure what is happening with the Seattle Storm. Seattle has gone from a legitimate contender to a middle-of-the-pack team, which feels very gross.

I'm not panicking yet because the team made one heck of a move near the trade deadline: snagging Gabby Williams from overseas hoops. With the addition of Williams, the Storm instantly get a two-way threat that could be their x-factor in the playoffs.

5. Indiana Fever (13-16)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 5

The Indiana Fever lost its lone matchup during Week 12, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Indiana withstood nearly every punch that the Minnesota Lynx threw at it. But, in the end, their defense ― a problem before the Olympic break ― couldn't keep up with Minnesota's three-point shooting.

In all fairness, the Lynx tend to make most teams look silly. So, there isn't reason to panic yet. I still see the Fever as a team that could shake things up during the playoffs.

4. Las Vegas Aces (18-11)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 2

Even though she can carry the team to the playoffs, A'ja Wilson cannot be everything for Las Vegas.

At one point during the team's Week 12 thriller with the Sky, Wilson had taken 18 shots, and the next closest person on the team only had six. Clearly, that's not sustainable. But what is she to do if she's getting minimal contribution from the rest of the team?

The offense has looked inconsistent lately, and the only reason the Aces keep getting away with it is that most teams not in the league's upper echelon can't hang with Las Vegas for a full game.

What scares me more is the Aces leaky defense. There are just 11 games left to fix it, and I'm not entirely convinced Las Vegas can turn it on once it reaches the postseason. It HAS to happen before.

3. Connecticut Sun (22-7)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 4

Look who decided to show up this week. Nice of the squad to join the party, Connecticut Sun.

I've been calling the team a fraud for weeks and practically begging for change. It only took the New York Liberty racking up three wins against the organization for a shift to happen.

Maybe the Sun finally ate its Wheaties, or maybe it just got tired of losing to top-tier teams. Either way, it looked very good against the Liberty on Sunday and showed me that the team has the potential to live up to its greatness.

2. Minnesota Lynx (22-8)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 3

The Minnesota Lynx are the hottest team in the league, with six straight wins.

There hasn't been any Olympic fatigue for its fearless leader, Napheesa Collier. A'ja Wilson is still the clear favorite for MVP, but she's making an excellent case for consideration. Phee's numbers are absolutely bonkers.

In Week 12 alone, Collier averaged 27 points and 10 rebounds on 67 percent shooting. It's utterly wild stuff, and Minnesota is responding to Phee's dominance on both ends of the floor by matching her energy.

I wouldn't sleep on the Lynx. Minnesota might have found a path to the WNBA Finals.

1. New York Liberty (25-5)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 1

The New York Liberty are human ― shocking, I know.

New York's eight-game winning streak came tumbling down at the hands of the Sun, and there's nothing it could really be mad about. The Sun outmuscled the Liberty, and that's probably a good thing.

It shows that New York isn't without flaws ― Sabrina Ionescu didn't look great after being out with a neck injury ― and still has things to work on. I fully expect the Liberty to digest the disappointment and refocus ahead of what will likely be a run to the WNBA Finals.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: WNBA Power Rankings: Why Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx are the hottest team in the league