The 2024 WNBA season didn’t just break records, it blew them out of the water like a buzzer-beater from half court. We’re talking over 54 million unique viewers across networks like ABC, CBS, ESPN, ION, and even NBA TV. Yup, turns out the W was the hottest binge-watch of the summer! And to top it off, let’s not forget the record-breaking 154 games that sold out last year, which marked a 242% jump from last season! Even Stephen A. Smith went on record saying he couldn’t get those courtside tickets; that’s how real the demand was.
Naturally, expectations for the W this season shot through the roof. Fans had all kinds of questions. Could the Liberty go back-to-back? Can Caitlin Clark lead the Fever to glory? Will the Lynx settle old scores? The hype felt like Avengers: Endgame all over again… except this time, the battle was on the hardwood, and the “heroes” were very real.
With the All-Star break now in the rearview mirror, we’re officially into the second half of the season. With the standings shaping up quite nicely and giving us a fair idea of how things will look come September, let’s take a look at how the teams have measured up to their preseason expectations.
Minnesota Lynx
Nobody saw the Lynx making that kind of run last year. Finishing with a 30-10 record and locking in the number 2 seed? That came out of nowhere. But it was also the season Napheesa Collier put the league on notice. Collier cemented her spot as one of the top players in the W, took home Defensive Player of the Year honors, and led Minnesota all the way to the WNBA Finals.
That’s as far as they would come, though, as the Liberty convincingly trounced them in five games and clinched the championship. But everyone saw what the Lynx were capable of, and this year, the revenge tour is going to plan, perfectly. ESPN analysts had them finishing the regular season second, and the Lynx have far exceeded those expectations, sitting comfortably at the top of the table with a 21-4 overall record. They are the favorites to clinch the #1 seed this year, and frankly, who’ll bet against them?
There’s a lot to love about the Lynx right now. They boast the league’s best NET rating at 13.1, top the charts in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and have arguably the best player in the league leading the charge. On paper, they look like the ultimate championship favorite. But, are they really that invincible?
Well, not quite. Why? Because we saw what happened in the Commissioner’s Cup final. An Indiana Fever team without Caitlin Clark managed to soundly beat the Lynx 74-59. This game raised one big question that has surrounded Cheryl Reeve’s side since last season.
How will the team fare when Phee doesn’t show up? When you look at the composition of recent champions, you’ll find they all had more than just one superstar. Whether it’s the big three of the Liberty or the big three of the Aces, they always had players who could step up when others were struggling. For the Lynx, it’s different. Their entire roster is built around Collier, and we’re yet to see McBride and Williams carry that burden when Phee doesn’t perform.
However, that hasn’t hindered them in the regular season so far. So, you never know, maybe Napheesa Collier can lead this team to the promise land on her own!
New York Liberty
For the first 11 games of this season, the defending champions looked like the team to beat once again. A 10-1 record to start the season convinced everyone that they would run away with the championship, again this year. But in a horrible twist of fate, their talisman, Jonquel Jones, injured her ankle.
The Liberty then went 5-5 without the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP on the court. However, they seem to have found some sort of consistency, winning three games on the bounce before the All-Star break. Now, with Jonquel Jones back and firing (she scored 18 points on her return against the Fever), the Liberty are among the favorites again.
With a 16-6 overall record, the Liberty will aim to put some pressure on the Lynx for the No.1 spot. And they are well-placed to do so as well, having kept their core of Stewie, Sabrina, Jones, and Fiebich intact and adding a vital piece in Natasha Cloud. And much to the chagrin of the following pack, they just went ahead and signed Stephanie Talbot and Emma Meesseman–the 2019 Finals MVP and the leading scorer in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
There’s no reason to believe that this team can’t replicate last season’s success, but staying healthy will be key, especially for Jonquel Jones. We’ve already seen how much her absence can hurt the Liberty, and the organisation will be determined to keep her fit. In short: don’t count them out just yet!
Phoenix Mercury
Aha, the surprise of the season: Phoenix Mercury! They entered the year having lost four of their five starters, with Kahleah Copper being the only one returning. And on top of that, the White Mamba, Diana Taurasi, had decided to retire, adding another layer of uncertainty to their season. But Coach Tibbetts isn’t the kind to give up easily!
With Mercury losing a host of players, no one in their sane mind expected much from them this season. So, naturally, they were predicted to finish eighth this year. But the Mercury has ripped the script, sitting third with an impressive record of 15-7. And they could have easily been higher in the table if their big three of Copper, Alyssa Thomas, and Satou Sabally had played more than six games together this season.
That’s how good they have been this season. And this isn’t a fluke. The underlying numbers show they deserve to be where they are on the table. And major credit should go to HC Nate Tibbetts for this miracle!
Even though they have exceeded all expectations this year, the playoffs are a different ball game altogether. And the Mercury lacks the quality depth to make a serious dent in the postseason, even with the mid-season addition of DeWanna Bonner.
But they have proven us wrong before. Who’s to say they won’t again? And with Alyssa Thomas tearing it up with 15.2 points, 7.3 boards, and a league-leading 9.5 assists on 51.7% shooting, are you willing to bet against them?
Seattle Storm
The Storm is an interesting case. If fans were allowed to replace the word inconsistency with a WNBA team, most of them would pick the Seattle Storm. To predict a Storm result is next to impossible. One night they could be beating the Minnesota Lynx, and the very next night they would be blowing away a double-digit lead to the Connecticut Sun. That has been the story of the season so far for the Storm.
That said, they have met the overall expectations so far this season. Having been expected to finish fifth in the regular season, they sit in the fourth spot halfway through the season. The experience of Skylar Diggins, Erica Wheeler, and Nneka Ogwumike has no doubt been key for the Storm. But their brightest spot has been Gabby Williams, who leads the league in steals and ranks fourth in defensive win shares.
It will certainly be interesting to keep an eye on the Storm moving forward. Last season, they shot a league-worst 28.8% from deep, but came into this year red-hot, knocking down a league-best 37.7% in the first month. Since then? They’ve cooled off to just 30.7%. So it’s impossible to predict whether they can be one of the dark horses for the season or are all in for another first-round exit.
Atlanta Dream
Boasting the big three of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Brittney Griner, fans were buzzing for the Atlanta Dream before the start of the season. And why wouldn’t they? On paper, the team looked phenomenal. Although they haven’t been amazing, they have still managed to hang around their predicted spot on the table. The concern? 2 of their big 3 haven’t performed to the level we all hoped they would!
Rhyne Howard hasn’t exactly made that leap forward we all thought she would. She is now shooting under 30% from deep. On top of that, Brittney Griner is undoubtedly having the worst season of her career to date. They have now lost five of their last eight games, and despite boasting the third-best net rating, it’s not looking good for the Dream in the near future.
And now, with Rhyne Howard sidelined and expected to miss the rest of July, things have gone from bad to worse for the Dream. Karl Smesko’s side is suddenly staring at the very real possibility of falling short of preseason expectations if they don’t find answers quickly!
Las Vegas Aces
The Aces went through quite a few changes this offseason. They lost Kelsey Plum, Sydney Colson, Kate Martin, and Alysha Clark. But with Jewell Loyd coming in to replace Plum, and stars like A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray still in the mix, most believed they’d still be strong enough to secure a top-three finish.
But that hasn’t been the case. Other than A’ja, no one has really played their part this season. Jewell Loyd clearly hasn’t been a good fit for the team, and the likes of Gray and Young have struggled as well. They currently find themselves 6th in the table with a 12-11 record, but with a net rating of -0.7, they aren’t looking like a serious candidate for the championship.
That said, A’ja has put up 95 points and 38 rebounds in her last 3 games, leading the Aces to 3 wins in a row. If A’ja continues to drop such monster performances, and other players can raise their game enough to support her, the Aces can become a serious force in the second half.
Indiana Fever
“Championship,” that’s how Caitlin Clark addressed the media when she was asked about her goals for the season. When you bring in the likes of Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Sophie Cunningham, you automatically become one of the favorites for the WNBA championship for sure. But for the Fever, it was never about the quality of the team; it was about keeping the players fit.
Caitlin herself has played just 13 games so far this season due to her injuries, and her form hasn’t been good either. She has gone just 2-35 from the 3-point line in road games this season and is shooting 27.9% from 3-point range for the season. To make matters worse, the likes of Sophie Cunningham, Damiris Dantas, and DeWanna Bonner have also missed games due to various issues. So, not having everybody available has certainly hurt them!
While their defense has been a concern, especially after losing DeWanna Bonner and ending up with a defensive rating of 101, the Fever haven’t struggled on the offensive end. Even with Caitlin Clark not fully at her best, they’ve managed to put up the third-best offensive rating in the WNBA at 105.5, averaging 84.2 points per game.
So while they are currently 12-12 to start the WNBA season and might not look like a genuine contender to you anymore, watch out for them if Caitlin manages to get healthy and goes all guns blazing. A healthy Fever team is something we haven’t seen much of this season, and moving forward, if Stephanie White manages to get her entire side fit, it could spell trouble for the opponents! Remember, they are the only team to taste silverware this season!
Washington Mystics
The last team in the list and perhaps the most surprising of the lot. Most people expected this to be a rebuilding season for the Mystics, especially after trading Ariel Atkins in the offseason and securing three of the top six picks in the 2025 draft. Their 3-6 start seemed to confirm that narrative.
But to the surprise of everyone except the Mystics faithful, their rookie duo, or shall we say All-Star duo?– had other plans. Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been outstanding this season and have helped turn the season around for the Mystics, along with the likes of Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin!
From going 3-6 to start the WNBA, the Mystics went on an 8-6 run and beat the likes of the Lynx, Storm, and Aces to climb up to the 8th spot in the table with an 11-12 record. But moving forward, you can’t help but wonder what the plans are for this organization? Do they trade Aliyah Edwards for a better player now that she is clearly struggling for minutes post-injury, and make a serious push for the playoffs? Or stay where they are, and treat this as a rebuilding year, like it was meant to be? A big decision to make for the Mystics’ front office.
So here we are, with the top 8 teams halfway through the season. Many have exceeded their expectations… others haven’t, and the rest have performed as we hoped. It remains to be seen whether these predictions hold true at the end of the regular season, or will there be any surprises that spring? But be honest…were these your top 8 days on day 1? If not, who did you have? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The post Be Honest: Were These Your WNBA Top 8 Teams On Day 1? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
