RANKS: Sun rise, Lynx prowl, Aces drop…

Connecticut Sun shooting guard DiJonai Carrington dribbles and drives against Washington Mystics rookie Aaliyah Edwards in a WNBA game on May 17, 2024.

PHOTO: Johnell Pannell/Connecticut Sun

By W.G. RAMIREZ

A big shakeup atop the rankings this week, as the Connecticut Sun are now the only unbeaten team in the WNBA and are playing so well from top to bottom, and at both ends of the court. They've had a couple of close calls, but their killer instinct has kept them perfect.

"This is a tough league to win in, and especially to win on the road," Sun shooting guard DiJonai Carrington said. "Both of our road games have been sold-out crowds and sometimes it's hard to play in big settings like that.

"It's a testament to our leadership, the togetherness that we have, and that we're figuring it out. At the end of the day, we just play hard. It's not always pretty, our shooting percentages aren't always high, but we find a way to win. And that's typical with our effort, our defense and our will."

Meanwhile, don't tell Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve about power rankings. As far as she's concerned, the pundits are nothing more than outside noise that have no clue about her Lynx.

Guilty as charged.

I had the Lynx ranked ninth heading into the season and said specifically I was going to force them to prove me wrong. They did, and I moved them to No. 4 last week.

"We see it in ourselves; the experts, we don't believe the experts, nor should anybody else," Reeve said. "Every team around the league does not look at those power rankings and pundits that seem to 'know'.

"We've never felt like we were gonna be a bad team. We actually have felt all along ... we could be a top-four team and competing and hosting playoff series and competing for a championship. It's early, we're off to a good start, we've positioned ourselves decently, we have such a long way to go."

Reeve sort of calling me out on Zoom after Sunday's win in Atlanta might have been the highlight of my week, as I couldn't remember the exact placement of where I had her Lynx when she asked me, but it made for good banter and I respect her point.

The one area she is wrong about is when she said "I don't know if (critics) don't believe in the coach," because Reeve has been the one intangible I've always said everyone can count on when it comes to getting the best out of the Lynx. I have her as the early favorite to win Coach of the Year. Am I right?

Alright Cheryl, here we go, let's get to Week 3:

1. Connecticut Sun (5-0, previous 3) - It's lonely at the top, but as the only undefeated team, the Sun are most certainly the best team in the WNBA... for now. Five players average double figures, while coach Stephanie White has eight players averaging at least 14.2 minutes per game. A well-rounded group that will be tested at home this week by Phoenix and Dallas.

2. Minnesota Lynx (4-1, previous 4) - Outside of the seven-game gauntlet the Indiana Fever faced in 12 days, the Lynx opened the season with one of the toughest schedules in the league. And still, they're only two points away from being undefeated, if not for their one-point overtime loss to No. 1 Connecticut. Kayla McBride's 31-point, 83% shooting performance in Atlanta on Sunday is a mere glimpse of how good this team is right now. Three home games this week against Vegas, Phoenix and Dallas will tell us more.

3. Las Vegas Aces (3-1, previous 1) - The two-time defending champs got beat on their own court, and it could be worse, as they probably should have lost their season opener and came close to losing their second game. In their first four games - all at home - they resembled their championship selves just once, against the aforementioned weary Fever. A road trip may be exactly what this team needs right now.

4. New York Liberty (4-2, previous 2) - After opening the season with four straight wins, the Liberty received wake-up calls from Chicago and in Minnesota. Inconsistencies on offense will need to be corrected, as what's normally a dependable group comes into the week ranked eighth in the league with 83.3 points per game. Their 3-point efficiency will need to improve, specifically Sabrina Ionescu, a career 37.1% shooter from long-range who is firing just 27.3%.

5. Dallas Wings (3-2, previous 6) - Couple of nice bounce-back road wins after opening the season surprisingly 1-2. The Wings come into the week still in the midst of a five-game road trip, with stops in Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Connecticut and Minnesota. Talk about all over the map. Road wins against the Mercury and Sparks should boost confidence before visiting the top-ranked Sun and second-ranked Lynx.

6. Phoenix Mercury (3-2, previous 5) - Did not see the Mercury losing at home by 15, but that's why I had them swapping places with the Wings this week. I was fully prepared to tell everyone this was the best in the West, but now I want to see what this team does with a tough three-game trek through Connecticut, New York and Minnesota.

7. Seattle Storm (3-3, previous 9) - Aside from finding out coach Noelle Quinn is indeed a "gangster," we finally learned how dominant this team can be. Granted, they registered blowout wins over No. 10 Indiana and No. 12 Washington, but there were dominating performances the Storm needed for an immunization boost after a 1-3 start. Tuesday's matchup with a very physical Chicago Sky team will let us know more.

8. Atlanta Dream (2-2, previous 7) - If there is one team that needs to take advantage of a scheduling perk, it's the Dream. They split their season openers in Los Angeles and Phoenix, and then had five of six in Atlanta in front of them. They split the first two, visit No. 12 Washington on Wednesday, and then have three at home. That said, their three guests will be No. 3 Vegas, No. 1 Connecticut and No. 4 New York, but coach Tanisha Wright won't want to hear any excuses. This could be a statement week for the Dream.

9. Chicago Sky (2-2, previous 8) - Truly intrigued by what coach Teresa Witherspoon is doing with this team, and can't wait to see how the play will be bolstered with Kamilla Cardoso in the lineup. The Sky rank near the bottom in pace, sitting 10th with 78.7 possessions per 40 minutes, which might work okay if their defense didn't rank eighth in allowing 104.2 points per 100 possessions.

10. Indiana Fever (1-6, previous 10) - The ridicule for this team is ridiculous when you consider the schedule it's endured. The Fever looked competitive in New York, could've beaten Connecticut, was on the brink in Seattle, and simply ran out of gas against the Aces. Aliyah Boston said it best after the loss in Vegas, that a treacherous early season schedule will progressively make them stronger.

11. Los Angeles Sparks (1-4, previous 11) - Like the Fever, closes losses have haunted the Sparks, with three of their four losses coming from single-digits. Their average scoring margin is -4.4 points per game. Cameron Brink is on pace for 128 blocks this season, which would break the rookie record set by Margo Dydek in 1998 with 114.

12. Washington Mystics (0-6, previous 12) - The Mystics' record is not indicative of how good this team could be. They lost by five to New York, by two in Los Angeles, and by three in Phoenix. Toss out a 32-point obliteration in Seattle since they were on the end of a three-game trip over five days and we're left with a seven-point loss in Connecticut and a nine-point loss to Seattle in D.C. One confidence-building win is all it needs. The Dream arrive for a game on Wednesday. This could be their chance.