RANKS: Solid camp helps Lynx open season 2-0

Minnesota Lynx forward Diamond Miller (1) looks to pass to MVP-candidate Napheesa Collier during a game against the Seattle Storm on May 14.

PHOTO COURTESY: Jane Gershovich/Seattle Storm

By W.G. RAMIREZ

Week one in the bank, and there's no surprise which teams have been able to lean on their veteran superstars to remain undefeated. No one expected the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty or Connecticut Sun to lose early on, so it’s no surprise they remain atop my power rankings, but the emergence of the Minnesota Lynx has been impressive after back-to-back wins over Seattle.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve enjoyed a stable training camp with plenty of experience in place, and it showed with the likes of Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith providing consistency and chemistry during the opening week.

"I don't necessarily know that I have felt like we'll get off to a quick start, I think it's more of we've built momentum out of training camp," Reeve said. "Often times what you do in training camp, it carries over into the regular season. This is 24 training camps I've been a part of and so you know the season's not quite right and go back to training camp and (say), 'Well that's kind of what training camp was.'

"The opposite is true as well. And so I think what we're doing is we have upward movement, upward trajectory for our team."

And, upward ranking, as the Lynx made the biggest jump in my WNBA power rankings.

Here we go for Week 2:

1. Las Vegas Aces (2-0, previous 1) - The defending champs opened the season with two hard-fought wins, and the only reason I'm leaving them No. 1 is out of respect for who they are and the fact they held their own. But another week without an overall dominating performance could find them slipping a spot. Last year's most potent offense checks in at third-best with 89.0 points per game, while the defense ranks fourth with 81.0 points allowed per contest. Perspective: the Aces didn't score less than 90 points until their sixth game last season, while they had outscored teams by 20.8 points per game through their five contests. Where are you Chelsea Gray?

2. New York Liberty (3-0, previous 2) - Oh, here's the No. 1 offense in the league. The reigning WNBA runner-up is scoring a league-best 92.7 points per game, including a pair of "Welcome to the WNBA" wins over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The Liberty also rank No. 2 on defense after allowing just 75.3 points per contest. Their +17.3 scoring differential is tops in the league. There is no doubt the Liberty opened the season looking like a squad that's out for redemption after last year's heartbreaking exit from the WNBA Finals.

3. Connecticut Sun (2-0, previous 3) - Oh, here's the No. 1 defense in the league. The most physical team in the league certainly looks like one of the most balanced. It's only a small sample size after wins over the Fever and Washington Mystics, but if there is one concerning aspect about the Sun is though they held those two teams to 74.0 points per game, they're allowing a league-high 48.1% shooting from the floor. They travel to Indianapolis (Monday) and Chicago (Saturday) this week, with a home game against surging Minnesota sandwiched in between on Thursday. This week may not be as easy.

4. Minnesota Lynx (2-0, previous 9) - Last week I said I was going to force Reeve's group to prove me wrong, and it did. The Lynx head into the second week of the season with the second-highest scoring average (92.5 ppg.) and third-best scoring differential (+11.0). All talk of this year's sleeper for the MVP award being Collier certainly looks legit, as she ranks among the best across the board: fourth with 24.5 ppg. and 10.4 rebounds per game, and tied for No. 1 with 3.5 steals per contest. This week we find just how good this team is, as it travels to Connecticut on Thursday, hosts the Liberty on Saturday and visits the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.

5. Phoenix Mercury (1-1, previous 7) - One of the only teams in the league that lost a game, but which I boosted upward. The Mercury will definitely be a fun team to watch. They posed a legitimate threat in Las Vegas on opening night and responded with a home win over the Dream on Saturday. And that was without Brittney Griner. This was a team that ranked dead last in pace last season, with 77 possessions per 40 minutes. After one week without BG - but now with the likes of Kahleah Copper, Natasha Cloud and Rebecca Allen joining Diana Taurasi - is tied with the Aces in fourth with 100.2 pp40. The Mercury's return engagement in Vegas on Tuesday will be interesting.

6. Dallas Wings (1-1, previous 5) - The Wings dip one spot after splitting their first two games, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the decline continue until further notice. Part of the rash of injuries that swept through the W during opening week were key losses to Dallas' lineup. With Satou Sabally already out with a shoulder injury, the Wings lost Jaelyn Brown (nose) and Natasha Howard (foot). After splitting two with the Chicago Sky in Dallas, the short-handed Wings play their next five on the road. Hard times are ahead for Dallas.

7. Atlanta Dream (1-1, previous 6) - The Dream opened the season on the road, with a win over the Sparks in Los Angeles and a loss in Phoenix on Saturday. Despite the loss, the Dream rank fourth in the league with 88.5 ppg. on a league second-highest 45.9% shooting clip. With the home opener this week, this team should enjoy a successful stretch in front of a frenzied home faithful. The Dream rank No. 1 in the W with 45.0% shooting from 3-point range and I can see leading scorers Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray feeding off the crowd. They host Dallas on Tuesday and Minnesota on Sunday, which means plenty of rest in the A-T-L for two big games.

8. Chicago Sky (1-1, previous 12) - Chicago was competitive in its season-opening loss in Dallas, and then beat the Wings in Big D three days later. I can only imagine how exciting this team will be when Kamilla Cardoso joins the lineup. First-year coach Teresa Weatherspoon was emotional when addressing her team after Saturday's win. It's quite apparent how close this team is becoming, and I've been impressed with rookie Angel Reese's poise and demeanor through her first week. Reese, who leads the league with 6.0 offensive rebounds per game, is averaging 11.5 points and 8.5 boards.

9. Seattle Storm (1-2, previous 4) - I was concerned about this team after the first two games, a pair of losses to Minnesota. But then the Storm closed the week with a win despite the absence of leading scorer and rebounder Nneka Ogwumike, who was out with an ankle injury from Friday’s double-overtime loss at Minnesota. The Storm are one of the fastest-paced teams in the league with 83.5 possessions per 40 minutes, but also have the second-lowest scoring average per 100 possessions (91.0 ppg.)

10. Indiana Fever (0-3, previous 8) - Having Caitlin Clark on the roster is such a rough dichotomy. Who wouldn't want the greatest scorer in NCAA history on the team, especially with the heart she has, and the competitive drive she brings? The problem is, coach Christie Sides has the difficult task of figuring out when to hand the keys to the offense to her star rookie, or last year's leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell, or last year's Rookie of the Year Aaliyah Boston. Remembering this team is more than Clark might be the toughest thing to do.

11. Los Angeles Sparks (0-2, previous 10) - The Sparks lost to two of the toughest teams in the league, dropping their home opener to the Dream and a road game in Las Vegas. I have to say, they were competitive in both, most notably challenging the Aces, but, like Sides, coach Curt Miller has a chore in front of him, with talented rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson in the paint and steady vets like Lexie Brown, Nia Kurse and Dearica Hamby ready to lead. Once this chemistry is figured out, the Sparks will be dangerous.

12. Washington Mystics (0-3, previous 11) - A lot of learning to do with this team, too. Defensively, the Mystics will have to limit spaces against quicker teams and close gaps late in games. Offensively, at some point, I think coach Eric Thibault would like to know if Ariel Atkins, Karlie Samuelson or Shakira Austin is his go-to gal to take over a game. The Mystics rank last in the league with 15.7 assists per game, while they've committed 16.0 turnovers per contest. That'll need to change quickly with a three-game gauntlet on the West Coast taking place this week in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle.