WNBA Power Rankings: Angel Reese’s injury means Chennedy Carter will have to lead the Sky’s playoff hopes

Welcome to For The Win’s 2024 WNBA season Week 14 power rankings.

After a brief hiatus, we're back to terrorize you again with our totally correct but just-making-an-eduated-guess-here rankings. In case you missed it, the last few weeks have been pretty chaotic as the regular season end date approaches, and playoffs come swiftly afterward.

Things are fairly status quo with the league's top teams like the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, but several teams in the bottom portion are in a chaotic race to claim the WNBA's eighth and final playoff spot.

That includes a Chicago Sky team without one of its main staples ― Angel Reese. If Chicago wants to make it to the postseason, it must go through the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics, with a lights-out performance by top-scorer Chennedy Carter.

Here’s For The Win’s WNBA power rankings for Week 14:

12. Los Angeles Sparks (7-28)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 12

We're on to the draft! The Los Angeles Sparks have been officially eliminated from playoff contention and should focus on winning any games it can while preparing for next season.

Per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, barring any changes to the 2025 WNBA Draft lottery with the Golden State State Valkyries in the mix, Los Angeles has locked in top odds (44.2%) for the No. 1 overall pick. The team is also guaranteed a top-three pick regardless of the lottery results.

Sparks fans, start your Paige Bueckers campaigns now.

11. Dallas Wings (9-26)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 11

Not even a healthy Satou Sabally could save the Wings.

The offense hasn't been the issue. The Wings are full of buckets. Dallas' inconsistent defense has gotten it into trouble and eliminated it from playoff contention. (Slide over on the couch, Los Angeles.)

Dallas lost every game it played last week, including an overtime thriller with the Atlanta Dream, where it led by as much as 16. Those were all games it had to have to gain ground, and now the glimmer of playoff hope is gone just as quickly as it came.

10. Washington Mystics (11-24)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 10

The Washington Mystics are 5-2 in its last seven games. I repeat: THE WASHINGTON MYSTICS ARE 5-2 IN ITS LAST SEVEN GAMES.

If it sounds like I'm shouting a bit, I kind of am. I've said all season long that I admired the Mystics' fight, considering everything that could go wrong injury-wise.

Washington has suddenly climbed its way back into the playoff conversation, and if the team makes it, it would be one of the greatest stories of the whole season.

9. Atlanta Dream (12-23)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 8

Rhyne Howard is on a HEATER. The Atlanta Dream guard has scored 30 or more points in three straight games.

However, the problem has recently been that the rest of the team is sometimes a bit slow to show up if the shots aren't falling. That's not a sustainable recipe for success and has produced mixed results over the past week.

Atlanta needed to win its overtime game against the Fever on Sunday to gain ground on Chicago for the league's eighth playoff spot. But in every game it has played against Indy this season, it has often been outmatched offensively and unable to withstand the barrage of shots.

If Atlanta wants the playoffs, flawless basketball needs to happen NOW.

8. Chicago Sky (13-22)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 9

The narrative is often that Angel Reese isn't contributing enough to the Sky, but now, we'll see if the Sky can survive without Reese's presence.

We've seen before that Reese's rebounds alone can generate nine points or more on a given night for her team. That's a giant swing not to have on the floor. Additionally, without Reese's offensive production, it must come from other players, mainly Chennedy Carter.

Carter is Chicago's top scorer, and she'll need to be lights out the rest of the way to give the Sky a chance to get into the playoffs with two of its remaining five games against teams also vying for a spot.

If Chicago is to make the playoffs, Chennedy Carter needs drag it there.

7. Phoenix Mercury (17-19)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 7

I'm here to say I should have stuck with my gut on the Phoenix Mercury instead of hyping up the franchise when they showed the slightest bit of improvement.

On paper, the team looked like a fantastic playoff threat before the season and could make some noise. But Phoenix is so inconsistent that it's maddening and underwhelming.

The Mercury are not to be taken seriously in any way, shape, or form unless they win out its remaining games AND convincingly win its first playoff series.

6. Seattle Storm (21-14)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 6

Excuse me while I hurl.

It is another team that has been underwhelming, even with the addition of Gabby Williams. Williams has contributed some, but truly hasn't been the impact I thought she would instantly be.

Thankfully, Seattle's final five games are 100 percent winnable, which would truly give me a good indication of how deep a playoff run this team might be able to make.

5. Indiana Fever (19-17)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 5

If I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now: GIVE KELSEY MITCHELL HER FLOWERS.

The Indiana Fever do not climb itself out of a 1-8 hole to start the season without contributions from several players (including Caitlin Clark, of course). However, I have not seen enough praise for the absolute tear that Kelsey Mitchell has been on since the Olympic break, which has helped the Fever to become a dangerous playoff team.

Mitchell's averaged a blistering 24.9 points in the last ten games and has only been below 20 points once. That's a WILD stretch of production, and I don't think the Fever go 8-2 during that timeframe without her offense and uncanny knack for making big buckets.

4. Las Vegas Aces (22-13)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 4

If A'ja Wilson is hurt more than what Becky Hammon shared with the media, the Aces better start asking the basketball gods for help now.

Las Vegas goes as she does, and without her on the floor, there are not enough buckets to hang with the New York Liberty, the Minnesota Lynx or any other team in the league's upper echelon. That's not a slight to the team that is loaded with talent. It's just that so much of how Vegas operates starts and ends with A'ja.

Paging Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray ― ANYBODY.

3. Connecticut Sun (25-10)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 3

At some point, I really want Connecticut to actually live up to its potential because hating on them feels like nasty work. But here I am again, telling you that watching them play basketball feels like buying pants you think are super sleek, only to realize they have fake pockets. It's disappointing.

The pants still do their job, but you can't put anything in the pockets, and that's rough because ― what are you supposed to do with pants that don't have pockets? NOTHING. That's what.

That's the Sun. The team is fully functional and can win the games it should. But it can't when it needs to go deep into its bag (pockets) to beat top teams. WHAT A PITY.

2. Minnesota Lynx (26-9)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 2

The Minnesota Lynx have outlasted several of the league's bottom teams during the last week, but their defense has been particularly concerning lately. It hasn't looked as crisp as it needs to, and I'm not saying anyone should panic.

However, don't say I didn't warn you about the Lynx's defense dropping to a 97.5 defensive rating (sixth in the league) over the last two games, a drop from its 95.1 season rating (third in the WNBA.)

I'm not saying, but I'm saying.

1. New York Liberty (29-6)

Previous Week’s Ranking: 1

The New York Liberty's resiliency has been tested in several matchups. Sabrina Ionescu has been up and down since returning from an injury, and now Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is dealing with injuries again.

I'm not sounding the alarm bells over it, but if the Liberty want to return to the Finals, they need a fully up-to-par Ionescu and a healthy Laney-Hamilton. That's just the heart of the matter.

Ionescu brings the offensive punch, and Laney-Hamilton brings the extra force defensively. New York needs both to win a championship.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: WNBA Power Rankings: Angel Reese’s injury means Chennedy Carter will have to lead the Sky’s playoff hopes