The game of the week featured a matchup between the top two offenses in the league playing each other for the first time -- and this week's top two in the ESPN WNBA Power Rankings.
In an offensive showcase, the Minnesota Lynx continued to show why they've stayed atop the standings and are now even more dangerous with Napheesa Collier back on the court. Olivia Miles continued her Rookie of the Year push with 28 points and six assists in Sunday's 108-100 victory over the Indiana Fever, while Courtney Williams put up 27 points.
On the other side, Kelsey Mitchell (37 points) and Caitlin Clark (19 points, 10 rebounds) showed why the Indiana teammates are in the MVP discussion.
"Being able to be successful in ... the clutch-time games, those are really important games for teams to be in," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Being battle-tested is the most valuable thing."
The Fever make the biggest jump up the rankings as they had a five-game winning streak and had won seven of eight before falling to a Lynx team that hasn't lost since July 6.
1. Minnesota Lynx (25-6)
Previous ranking: 1
Next seven days: vs. LA (Aug. 6), vs. LV (Aug. 8), vs. DAL (Aug. 9)
The Lynx won their 10th straight game Sunday, for their longest win streak since 2016. They did it by beating Indiana, the highest-scoring team in the league, behind powerful performances from Olivia Miles and Courtney Williams. Minnesota also saw the return of Napheesa Collier, the MVP runner-up. She promptly dropped 24 points and 10 rebounds in her debut, and has averaged 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc in four games. The league's top team has now had 10 games of scoring 100-plus points, doubling the franchise record set in 2017 and 2025.
2. Indiana Fever (19-11)
Previous ranking: 4
Next seven days: vs. LV (Aug. 6), @ CHI (Aug. 8)
The Fever were rolling, with five consecutive wins before they fell to the Lynx in Minnesota on Sunday. Despite the loss, Indiana has posted six straight games of 100-plus points to extend its WNBA record. Kelsey Mitchell has scored 20-plus points in 14 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in league history. But scoring defense (ranked No. 12) remains the weakness for the league's No. 1 offense.
3. Las Vegas Aces (21-9)
Previous ranking: 5
Next seven days: @ IND (Aug. 6), @ MIN (Aug. 8), @ NY (Aug. 9)
A buzzer-beating 3-pointer from undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor in Chicago kept the Aces from a perfect 3-0 this cycle. They bounced back with a 21-point rout of the Dream in Atlanta as they continued an eight-game stretch against would-be playoff teams: Dream (twice), Fever, Lynx (twice), Liberty and Mystics (twice). A'ja Wilson remains the MVP front-runner as she averaged 31.6 points over the past five games. Jackie Young recorded her third career triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) against the Dream.
4. Atlanta Dream (18-11)
Previous ranking: 6
Next seven days: vs. PHO (Aug. 5), @ WAS (Aug. 7), vs. TOR (Aug. 10)
A five-game winning streak came to an end against the Aces on Monday as the defending champs pulled away in the second quarter and never trailed again. The return of Brionna Jones from injury has given the Dream a boost, and Monday was the first loss since she returned. Angel Reese continues to be one of only two players in the league to average a double-double. The week was highlighted by 15-point comeback against the Wings in which Allisha Gray started her own five-point sequence with 18.7 seconds left to take the lead.
5. Golden State Valkyries (20-9)
Previous ranking: 2
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Aug. 4), @ DAL (Aug. 7), @ LA (Aug. 9)
The Valkyries went into the All-Star break with their first loss in 10 games. Things didn't return to normal coming out of the break, though, with another loss to the struggling Phoenix Mercury by two points. Golden State is the No. 1 defensive team in the league in points allowed (77.0) but has wavered in that regard recently: It gave up 90 and 91 points, respectively, in those two recent losses, and also trailed the Toronto Tempo late in the third quarter before rallying for a 17-point win. After that game, Kiah Stokes said coach Natalie Nakase called out the team's defensive "effort and intensity" during halftime.
6. Washington Mystics (16-12)
Previous ranking: 7
Next seven days: vs. DAL (Aug. 5), vs. ATL (Aug. 7), vs. PHO (Aug. 9)
The youngest team in the league, the Mystics are on a season-high four-game winning streak and have sent a message to the rest of the WNBA. As they have continued to mature, there are no easy wins against them. They've defeated the Valkyries, Aces and Wings during that four-game streak, and also have victories over the Lynx, Fever, Dream and Liberty this season. Washington controls its own destiny and is becoming a dangerous postseason team as the No. 2 scoring defense (82.9). Most recently, Shakira Austin dropped 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a win over Dallas, which the Mystics face again this week.
7. Dallas Wings (19-11)
Previous ranking: 3
Next seven days: @ WAS (Aug. 5), vs. GS (Aug. 7), @ MIN (Aug. 9)
The Wings had a heartbreaking loss in their first game after the All-Star break. Cruising with a 12-point lead with under eight minutes to play, Dallas collapsed down the stretch at home against Atlanta, including a five-point sequence from Allisha Gray with 18.7 seconds left. Two days later, tied with 90 seconds left, the Mystics -- the league's youngest team -- pulled away for a six-point win. A blowout at home against the Sun doesn't erase the fact that the Wings have lost their past three games against teams currently projected to make the playoffs.
8. New York Liberty (18-13)
Previous ranking: 8
Next seven days: vs. SEA (Aug. 5), vs. LV (Aug. 9)
Arguably the most confounding team in the league, the Liberty have won five of six games immediately after having lost six of seven. With only 13 games left, every one matters with New York sitting in the No. 7 playoff slot. After a 95-83 win over the Storm on Monday, the Liberty have scored 90-plus points in six straight games to tie the longest such streak in franchise history. Breanna Stewart has scored 276 points in her past 11 games, the most during any 11-game span of her career.
9. Phoenix Mercury (12-19)
Previous ranking: 11
Next seven days: @ ATL (Aug. 5), @ CON (Aug. 7), @ WAS (Aug. 9)
Exiting the All-Star break, the Mercury have not given up on the postseason despite needing to win 10 of the final 13 games to be at .500 by season's end. They upset the Valkyries by two last week, lost to the Liberty by two and then made the biggest trade of the season. The organization pushed its chips into the middle of the table by acquiring five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and guard Monique Akoa Makani. Plum will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and intends to test the market. Phoenix is taking on the risk of Plum leaving after 14 games, so they hope to make the move worth its while in a short time. Plum debuted with 20 points in 20 minutes in a 106-101 win over the Sky on Monday. The combination of Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Plum might be enough to make a playoff rally, but the bigger goal should be convincing Plum to re-sign.
"We have wanted Kelsey here for a long time, and we're excited to finally bring her to Phoenix as we continue to build on our foundation," general manager Nick U'Ren said.
10. Chicago Sky (11-19)
Previous ranking: 9
Next seven days: vs. LA (Aug. 5), vs. IND (Aug. 8), @ SEA (Aug. 10)
The Sky won their second consecutive game for a fourth time this season in spectacular fashion: Undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to knock off the Aces 84-83 on Saturday. They just missed going 3-0 but suffered a five-point loss to the Mercury on Monday. This is a team still focused on making the postseason despite needing to win 11 of 14 games to be at .500 by season's end. Absences remain an issue as Skylar Diggins (right knee) hasn't played in a month and Azura Stevens sat out a third straight game Monday for personal reasons. Chicago is 4-3 in its past seven games, with six decided by six points or fewer. The team has reached the 90-point plateau in six of those seven games.
"Our offense took a little while to come together once Rickea [Jackson] went down early in the season," Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. "So, we wanted to focus, put a high priority on that and what that looked like."
11. Portland Fire (11-19)
Previous ranking: 10
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Aug. 6), vs. SEA (Aug. 8)
The Fire are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, but that's understandable considering the first four came against the Lynx, Wings, Aces and Fever. The disappointment came Sunday against the Sparks, who had lost six straight and traded Kelsey Plum hours earlier. The Fire are now 5-15 since the beginning of June, after a 6-4 start. The loss of Sarah Ashlee Barker (10.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG) to a torn ACL has been a significant blow to an already struggling team.
12. Los Angeles Sparks (11-17)
Previous ranking: 14
Next seven days: @ CHI (Aug. 5), @ MIN (Aug. 6), vs. GS (Aug. 9)
The Sparks ended a six-game losing streak (barely) on Sunday in Portland, with a 106-101 victory. But the news of the week was trading five-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum to the Mercury for guard Monique Akoa Makani, a 2027 first-round pick and 2028 second-round pick. The organization had gone all-in on acquiring Plum two seasons ago, then signing Nneka Ogwumike this spring to make a run at a title in 2026. Now, the Sparks must win 11 of their remaining 16 games just to get to .500 by season's end, and bank on other teams' results to make the postseason. Trading Plum indicates management is looking toward the future, but this is still a veteran-led roster with Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins, Dearica Hamby and Erica Wheeler, who specifically signed for a contending-now environment. The Sparks also now have a second first-round pick in what's expected to be a talented draft next April.
13. Toronto Tempo (10-19)
Previous ranking: 13
Next seven days: @ GS (Aug. 4), @ POR (Aug. 6), @ ATL (Aug. 10)
The losing streak has reached six for the Tempo, though all have been against teams currently projected to be in the playoffs: Mystics, Dream, Aces, Lynx (twice) and Valkyries. Expanding the time frame, Toronto has lost 10 of 11. The defense has been an issue, as the team has given up 100-plus points in four of those losses, 96 in another. Life just hasn't been the same without Brittney Sykes and Kiki Rice, though the organization did get 2025 No. 7 pick Aneesah Morrow last week.
14. Connecticut Sun (7-23)
Previous ranking: 12
Next seven days: vs. PHO (Aug. 7)
Riding a five-game losing streak, the Sun have continued to struggle to put points up as the lowest-scoring team (79.8) in the league. The team moved on from 2025 No. 7 pick Aneesah Morrow before the trade deadline, sending her to the Tempo for Maria "Masha" Kliundikova and a 2028 second-round pick. A bright spot is Diamond Miller, who scored 22 against the Wings on Sunday, matching a career high with four 3-pointers. Four straight 10-point games ties the longest such streak of her career.
15. Seattle Storm (6-26)
Previous ranking: 15
Next seven days: @ NY (Aug. 5), @ POR (Aug. 8), vs. CHI (Aug. 10)
The Storm have lost nine in a row and remain the cellar dwellers in the league. One consolation is the fact that it has been a brutal stretch that included the Dream (twice), Fever (twice), Lynx (twice) and Liberty. Natisha Hiedeman continues to have a career year, including a career-high 33 points against the Fever last week. This is Year 1 of a rebuild, so the goal is to gain experience for a young roster.