WNBA Power Rankings: Fever heating up after 7-4 mark in June

Midway through June, rookie Caitlin Clark described how the Indiana Fever judge themselves regardless of the endless outside noise.

"No one came in here and said we were going to be WNBA champions from day one," Clark said. "Our goal is to get back to the playoffs, and we're fighting for that every single night."

Now with June over, the Fever (8-12) are halfway through the 40-game WNBA schedule, and their focus remains the same. Indiana, which jumps to No. 6 this week in ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings, wants to keep growth, unity, perspective and the playoffs in mind. The Fever did that Sunday in an 88-82 comeback victory at Phoenix, capping a 7-4 mark in June.

Clark was one rebound short of what would have been the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie. She and center Aliyah Boston combined for 32 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists. The No. 1 picks from the 2023 and 2024 drafts faced off against two other No. 1s:Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, who were drafted nine years apart and have played the past decade together in Phoenix. Boston was asked about Taurasi and Griner being a model for her and Clark.

"It's special what DT and BG have been able to do," Boston said of the WNBA and Olympic champions. "I think with Caitlin and I, we're looking to be a great guard-post duo. We've been able to get a better feel for each other over the course of these games."

Sunday's win was the Fever's first victory this season over a team that had a winning record, and the first time since 2022 they've come back from down at least 15 points to win. Indiana had five players score in double figures. And led by forward NaLyssa Smith (15 rebounds), the Fever dominated the board battle 42-28.

Veteran center Temi Fagbenle, who returned Thursday from a foot injury suffered in May, has made an immediate impact in her first two games back with a combined 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 9 rebounds.

Fagbenle, 31, and guard Erica Wheeler, 33, bring veteran savvy. The Fever and Mercury got into a goofy skirmish in an eventful second quarter after huddling too close together on court. Fagbenle and Wheeler got technical fouls along with Phoenix's Natasha Cloud and Kahleah Copper. For the Fever, the techs sent a "won't back down" message that Indiana needed.

The Fever still have a long way to go to secure the elusive playoff spot the franchise last got in 2016. They have the surging Las Vegas Aceson Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), the first of their remaining five games before the All-Star/Olympic break.

Clark, dealing with the effects of a migraine, didn't speak to the media after Sunday's game. But before tip-off, she talked about Taurasi being one of the first WNBA players she idolized as a child, and about the Fever starting to jell after their challenging start.

"Nobody ever hung their head, everybody just wants to get better," Clark said. "[We] know there's so much potential for this group. There's always been a positive energy about us."

Previous rankings: Preseason | May 20 | May 27 | June 3 | June 10 | June 17 | June 24

1. Minnesota Lynx (14-4)

Previous ranking: 1

This week: @ NY (July 2), vs. CON (July 4), vs. WAS (July 6)

The Commissioner's Cup final doesn't count in the WNBA standings, but the Lynx stay in the top spot after their Cup victory at New York on Tuesday and a win at Chicago on Sunday. In between was a matinee loss at Dallas, but it's not enough to bump down the Lynx. They're going back to New York this week, which could be a challenge. Last week, including the Cup final (those stats don't count for the regular season, either), Napheesa Collier averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals.

2. New York Liberty (16-3)

Previous ranking: 2

This week: vs. MIN (July 2), @ IND (July 6)

The Liberty are No. 2 here but they remain atop the WNBA standings. Turnovers (20) were a big problem in their 94-89 Cup loss to the Lynx. They fixed it with just five giveaways in beating Atlanta 81-75 on Sunday. This past week saw the return of Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot, who missed eight games following the death of her mother. After coming off the bench in the Cup final, she started Sunday, getting 7 points and 7 assists in 21 minutes.

3. Las Vegas Aces (10-6)

Previous: 6

This week: vs. IND (July 2), vs. WAS (July 4), @ LA (July 5), vs. DAL (July 7)

Look who's back! After the Aces dropped to 6-6 on June 15, prompting a heartfelt postgame news conference in which A'ja Wilson vowed to inspire her teammates, Las Vegas has won four in a row. Chelsea Gray's return June 19 obviously helped; in this past week's victories over Chicago and Washington, she had a combined 30 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. The Aces' run could continue; in their eight games before the break, they play just one team (Seattle) that currently has a winning record.

4. Seattle Storm (12-6)

Previous ranking: 4

This week: vs. DAL (July 1), vs. CHI (July 5), vs. CHI (July 7)

Seattle holds steady at No. 4 for the fifth week in a row. Last week, the Storm beat Indiana and Dallas, and Jewell Loyd was on fire with a combined 64 points. Talk about making teams pay for fouling her: Loyd was 24-of-25 from the line in those two games. The Storm, who are 7-1 at home, play their next six games there.

5. Connecticut Sun (14-4)

Previous ranking: 3

This week: @ PHO (July 1), @ MIN (July 4), vs. ATL (July 7)

After starting 9-0, the Sun have cooled, going 5-4 since. This past week, they had to go to overtime for a win at Washington, then lost at home to Atlanta. Connecticut's offense has dropped off over the past five games, scoring at least 80 points in only one (vs. the Mystics). The Sun's remaining schedule before the All-Star/Olympic break isn't easy: They face New York and Phoenix twice, along with Minnesota and Atlanta.

6. Indiana Fever (8-12)

Previous ranking: 8

This week: @ LV (July 2), vs. NY (July 6)

The Fever lost at Seattle on Thursday, after which coach Christie Sides said she wants Clark to try to average 15 shots a game. Clark has had at least 15 attempts from the field just six times, the most recent being her 30-point performance at Washington on June 7. She got close Sunday (14). But her passing was the biggest key in beating Phoenix; she had a combined 19 assists in the two games last week. And while she had six turnovers against the Mercury, none of them were in the crucial fourth quarter.

7. Phoenix Mercury (9-9)

Previous ranking: 5

This week: vs. CON (July 1), @ DAL (July 3), @ LA (July 7)

The Mercury must ask themselves: "Are we better than a .500 team?" Because that's where they have been hovering all season. This past week was a perfect example: They beat Los Angeles on Friday but then couldn't put away Indiana on Sunday despite holding a 15-point lead. In crunch time against the younger Fever, the Mercury made more mistakes, including some undisciplined fouls. With five of their seven games before the break on the road, the Mercury will be further tested.

8. Atlanta Dream (7-10)

Previous ranking: 10

This week: vs. CHI (July 2), @ DAL (July 5), @ CON (July 7)

Atlanta has lost four of its past five, but the victory came Friday at Connecticut. That was enough to bump the Dream up a couple of spots in the Power Rankings. Rhyne Howard now has missed four games since injuring an ankle on June 19 at Minnesota. During that time, Atlanta has relied even more on Allisha Gray and Tina Charles. Like the Mercury, the Dream have five of their next seven games before the break on the road.

9. Chicago Sky (6-11)

Previous ranking: 7

This week: @ ATL (July 2), @ SEA (July 5), @ SEA (July 7)

Angel Reese keeps piling up double-doubles -- she got her record-setting 10th in a row Sunday in a loss to the Lynx -- and making the Rookie of the Year race with Clark interesting. But the Sky also fell to the Aces on Thursday, their sixth loss in eight games. And yes, there's a trend here: They also play five of their next seven games before the break on the road. The Sky's hopes for a playoff spot could be helped (or really hurt) during this stretch.

10. Washington Mystics (4-15)

Previous ranking: 9

This week: @ LA (July 2), @ LV (July 4), @ MIN (July 6)

The Mystics have the league's worst record, but they aren't the team currently struggling the most. (That's the Sparks.) After an 0-12 start, Washington has gone 4-3. That includes Thursday's 94-91 overtime loss to Connecticut and an 11-point loss to Las Vegas on Saturday. With their next four games on the road, it might be tough for the Mystics to get back some momentum.

11. Dallas Wings (4-14)

Previous ranking: 12

This week: @ SEA (July 1), vs. PHO (July 3), vs. ATL (July 5), @ LV (July 7)

The Wings' nightmare stretch of 11 consecutive losses ended Thursday with a 94-88 victory over Minnesota. That was followed by a loss at Seattle. The Wings have a lot of work to do to return to playoff contention. But with an offensive talent such as Arike Ogunbowale (combined 47 points and 13 assists last week), don't count out Dallas this early.

12. Los Angeles Sparks (4-14)

Previous ranking: 11

This week: vs. WAS (July 2), vs. LV (July 5), vs. PHO (July 7)

The Sparks went winless in seven consecutive road games -- a stretch that started June 11 and ended Friday against Phoenix. The Sparks have five of their next six games at home, and we'll see whether that gives them something positive to take into the break. Dearica Hamby remains a bright spot; she tied a career high with 29 points against the Mercury and will be competing in the Olympic 3x3 tournament in place of injured Sparks teammate Cameron Brink.