Marina Mabrey made history on Thursday, tying the league’s single-game scoring record and dropping 53 points in the Tempo’s win over the Sparks. In her eighth WNBA season, Mabrey is enjoying a breakout campaign with Toronto. She is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game while shooting an efficient 45.9% from the field and 40.3% from beyond the arc. The 29-year-old has never made an All-Star team and is making a compelling case for an inaugural nod.
Mabrey’s prolific outing also highlighted another one of the league’s top storylines: the Sparks’ dreadful defense. Los Angeles has tumbled down the rankings after giving up over 110 points in consecutive losses. Could coach Lynne Roberts be on the hot seat if the Sparks can’t get it together?
On to the rankings …
1. Minnesota Lynx
Previous ranking: 3
The Lynx remain the team to beat, leading the league with a 15–4 record. Olivia Miles looked well beyond her years, logging 21 points and eight assists while getting into a spirited back-and-forth with Paige Bueckers during Sunday’s game against the Wings. Over the past three games, Miles is averaging 21.3 points on 43.16% shooting, helping Minnesota to back-to-back wins over the Mystics and Wings.
2. Las Vegas Aces
Previous ranking: 2
The Aces rebounded after their loss to the Liberty with wins over the Wings and Sky to end the week. Jackie Young notched 28 points and eight assists in Chicago, draining four of her six attempted three-pointers. She and A’ja Wilson combined for 58 of the Aces’ 107 points on Sunday, with Wilson gathering 15 rebounds to go along with her 30 points. It’s easy to take what Wilson is doing for granted, but it’s worth noting that the 29-year-old is well on her way to her fifth MVP award, with no player even close to threatening her for the honor.
3. Golden State Valkyries
Previous ranking: 6
Defense wins championships. The Valkyries are third in the league standings primarily due to their elite defense, the second-highest-rated in the league (102.2), behind only the Lynx. Golden State held the Dream to 66 points on Wednesday—well below Atlanta’s season average of 88.3 points per game—before limiting the Liberty to 67 points on Sunday.
4. New York Liberty
Previous ranking: 1
The Liberty have lost four of their past five games, falling to the Valkyries and Storm after toppling the Aces on Tuesday. Breanna Stewart, the team’s leading scorer, missed Thursday’s game in Seattle before returning to the lineup on Sunday against Golden State, and Satou Sabally missed both contests due to concussion protocol. Without consistent minutes from critical personnel, the Liberty have struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. Sabrina Ionescu is still working her way back after injury, and has yet to reach her ceiling, scoring just nine points on 30% shooting against the Valkyries.
5. Atlanta Dream
Previous ranking: 4
The Dream are in a slump, losing three games in a row. Golden State held Atlanta’s leading scorer Rhyne Howard to nine points on Friday after limiting her to just 12 points two days earlier. Atlanta then had trouble containing the Storm on Saturday, with Awa Fam, Flau’jae Johnson and Natisha Hiedeman all finishing with over 20 points. “It’s still early in the season, so these are the types of things you want to experience early so you can learn from it, so when it gets to playoff time, it’s not too late,” Allisha Gray said following the team’s 105–90 loss to Seattle.
6. Dallas Wings
Previous ranking: 5
The Wings are coming off back-to-back losses to two contenders, the Aces and Lynx. Arike Ogunbowale struggled in both matchups, limited to four points against the Aces, missing all five of her attempted threes, before scoring just four points and going 1-for-9 against the Lynx. Dallas will look to regroup and bounce back in its Thursday game against the Sun.
7. Indiana Fever
Previous ranking: 7
The Fever fell to Mercury in a feisty affair before dropping 111 points to take down a defensively-challenged Sparks side. Indiana was without Caitlin Clark, who sustained a back injury in the team’s game against Phoenix, but still managed to pull off an offensive explosion, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring 26 points in an efficient showing against Los Angeles.
8. Washington Mystics
Previous ranking: 10
Scoring just 57 points in their Friday loss to the Sun, the Mystics turned things around with a 124–123 overtime win over the Fire. Sonia Citron, who has been sensational for Washington this season, scored just 11 points in a less-than-stellar shooting night, going 2-for-11 from the field against Connecticut. But Citron didn’t stay down for long, responding with a 32-point outburst against Portland, even as she struggled from three (making one of her seven attempts from beyond the arc).
9. Phoenix Mercury
Previous ranking: 12
The Mercury won back-to-back games last week, downing the Fever and the Tempo. Kahleah Copper has been rounding into form, scoring 27 points on 60% shooting against Indiana before dropping 27 points and shooting an efficient 66.7% from the field against Toronto. Without Alyssa Thomas, who was serving a one-game suspension, and Natasha Mack, who is out with a bone bruise, Copper led the Mercury past the Tempo, getting downhill and punishing Toronto in transition.
10. Chicago Sky
Previous ranking: 14
The clouds seem to have parted in the Windy City, with the Sky blunting a six-game losing streak with consecutive wins over the Fire. Kamila Cardoso had a historic performance on Friday, scoring 30 points while shooting a perfect 13-for-13 from the field. She also hauled in eight rebounds and delivered one block, helping Chicago to a 124–94 victory over Portland. Cardoso averaged 21.8 points and 9.4 rebounds over the past five games, a marked improvement from her output earlier in the month.
11. Seattle Storm
Previous ranking: 15
Rookie Awa Fam had the best game of her season on Sunday, scoring 21 points on 88.9% shooting and delivering one devastating block to Angel Reese to help the Storm down the Dream. Seattle also beat a Stewart–less Liberty in a week of big-name wins. It’s been a process to get the young frontcourt duo of Fam and Dominique Malonga to jell, but once they do, they will be a lethal pair.
AWA REJECTION 👀❌ pic.twitter.com/y6zyOZWnPc
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) June 28, 2026
12. Toronto Tempo
Previous ranking: 11
It was a mixed bag for the Tempo last week, with Mabrey making history in the team’s blowout win over the Sparks before sitting out of Sunday’s loss to the Mercury due to a neck injury. Toronto has one of the most prolific offenses, especially with Mabrey on the floor, but it struggles defensively, with only the Fire and Sparks rated lower.
13. Portland Fire
Previous ranking: 9
The Fire have gone cold, losing their past three games. Like fellow expansion side Toronto, Portland has struggled defensively, allowing its opponents to score over 100 points in four of their past five games. Averaging 21.2 defensive rebounds per game, the Fire are last in the league in rebounding and need to improve on the glass.
14. Connecticut Sun
Previous ranking: 13
The Sun logged consecutive wins last week, taking down the Sky and Mystics. Connecticut is still in the experimentation phase, sussing out which players have chemistry and which lineups work best. Aneesah Morrow has asserted herself this season, as has Charlisse Leger-Walker. The rookie notched 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists against the Sky before logging 10 points and three steals against the Mystics.
15. Los Angeles Sparks
Previous ranking: 8
Roberts may be on the hot seat, with things starting to look ugly in Los Angeles. While the Sparks are only one game back from playoff position, the team looks out of sorts defensively, allowing the Fever and Tempo to score 111 and 125 points, respectively, in their losses last week. With Kelsey Plum out with a lower leg injury, Los Angeles’s offensive output can’t make up for its sloppy defense.
