WNBA preseason power rankings: Reigning champion Aces on top, but several teams made gains

The excitement for the WNBA’s 28th season is at a fever pitch (no pun intended), and with limited roster space and upcoming expansion, taking advantage of increased eyeballs will undoubtedly be essential moving forward.

Las Vegas is the dominant team in the league, with the reigning champion Aces looking to three-peat. The New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun are right on their heels. The Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury had productive offseasons to close the gap.

The exciting rookie class is led by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft who is trying to lead the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

WNBA preseason power rankings

1. Las Vegas Aces

The two-time defending champions are once again the favorites, and the only things derailing them from a third title are injuries and complacency. You can do nothing about injuries, but head coach Becky Hammon isn’t about excuses and won’t let her team lose focus. Last season, the Aces led the league in both offensive and defensive rating, and they are looking for A’ja Wilson to have another MVP-type season, leading Las Vegas back to the Finals.

2. New York Liberty

The Liberty, which lost to the Aces in the last year's Finals, are still seeking their first title after five championship appearances and return all five starters from last year’s team, led by reigning MVP Breanna Stewart. Their bench, or lack thereof, will be the key to returning to the Finals, especially without Stefanie Dolson and Marine Johannes. But Stewart, 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and rookie draft pick Marquesha Davis are more than capable of exceeding last year’s output.

3. Connecticut Sun

The Sun’s trio of MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas, five-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner, and two-time All-Star Brionna Jones, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, have enough to compete for a title. It could be now or never for Connecticut, depending on expiring contracts, and Bonner will be 37 by season’s end. The big question is who will run the point, as guard play will be critical, especially with what the Liberty and Aces bring on a nightly basis.

4. Seattle Storm

The Storm formed their own superteam in the offseason, bringing in Nneka Ogwumike from Los Angeles and Skylar Diggins-Smith from Phoenix. Jewell Loyd will still put up points, but she doesn’t have to be the entire show like she was in 2023. Like every team with three capable scorers, finding balance is vital, especially with players who are unfamiliar with each other.

5. Dallas Wings

Dallas will be without All-WNBA first-team performer Satou Sabally for a portion of the season, which will be a considerable loss. The cupboard is far from empty, as Arike Ogunbowale is one of the best guards in the league, and Natasha Howard can put up 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. The role players will be the focus as center Stephanie Soares and guard Lou Lopez Senechal will return after missing the entire 2023 campaign with injuries.

6. Phoenix Mercury

New additions Kahleah Copper, the 2021 Finals MVP with the Chicago Sky; long-time Washington Mystics point guard Natasha Cloud; and Rebecca Allen, a veteran of the Liberty and Sun, should help the Mercury, the lowest-scoring team in the WNBA last season. Another season of Olympic gold medalists Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, who will be 42 next month, should help Phoenix push for a playoff spot. The Mercury only won nine games last season and ensured a competitive product would be on the floor during the offseason. But trying to catch the likes of the Aces, Liberty and Storm is another story, especially if they can’t correct their rebounding and turnover woes from 2023.

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7. Minnesota Lynx

The big story with the Lynx is defense: they weren’t very good at it last season, and if they expect to be in games, that’s job No. 1 for coach Cheryl Reeve, who will also coach Team USA at the Paris Olympics this summer. Job No. 2 is trying to find some three-point shooting, as none of their top six scorers shot over 35% from deep. Napheesa Collier is a superstar, and it will be interesting to see how rookie Alissa Pili is used, considering she is an undersized post player.

8. Atlanta Dream

Atlanta added veterans Jordin Canada and 35-year-old Tina Charles, who did not play in the WNBA last season, to pair with Haley Jones and leading scorer Rhyne Howard. The Dream broke a five-season playoff drought, and to keep up with the rest of the league, Charles needs to play close to the former MVP and eight-time All-Star she was. Atlanta’s defense won them plenty of games, but it must be even better if the Dream want to advance past the first round of the playoffs.

9. Indiana Fever

Even with the addition of Clark, the Fever will need to be more efficient than last year: They were one of two teams that did not score at least 60 points in every game. (Connecticut was the other). But there is no doubt, with Clark and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston pick-and-rolling teams to death, that Indiana might surprise some people and push for a postseason spot. The farther Indiana goes, the better for the league as a whole.

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10. Los Angeles Sparks

The Sparks had the best draft, adding Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, who bring instant defense and scoring, which is badly needed. Can the Sparks surprise oddsmakers and make a push for the playoffs? Unlikely. But Brink and Jackson can develop into the dynamic duo Los Angeles needs for years to come to get back to competing for championships.

11. Chicago Sky

Even with draft picks Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, the Chicago will be hard-pressed to find the basket. The Sky will have to rely on their skills at defense and rebounding to have a successful season and to keep teams from running up the score on them. Growing pains will meet new coach Teresa Weatherspoon immediately, especially with two of their top three scorers from 2023 playing elsewhere.

12. Washington Mystics

The big question about the Mystics is who is going to score. Elena Delle Donne is stepping away from basketball for an undetermined amount of time, and Natasha Cloud headed west to Phoenix. Washington doesn’t have enough talent to compete this year, but they have a building block in rookie Aaliyah Edwards, the No. 6 overall pick and three core pieces: Brittney Sykes, a member of the WNBA all-defensive team the past four seasons; Ariel Atkins, the lone returning star from the Mystics' 2019 championship team; and budding star Shakira Austin. But it is still going to be a long season in D.C.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 WNBA preseason power rankings: Where do Aces, Liberty, Fever rank