RANKS: Golden State climbs ranking, continue to put everyone on notice

Monique Billings and the Golden State Valkyries come into the week having won three in a row to even their mark at 5-5. PHOTO CREDIT: Golden State Valkyries

By W.G. RAMIREZ

If someone were to tell you one month into the season that the Las Vegas Aces would be tied with the Golden State Valkyries in the Western Conference, both at 5-5, you might be booking their action.

Yet here we are at the quarter pole for most teams, and the Western complexion is not what many expected.

The Minnesota Lynx are 10-1, that's not a shock. But they're followed by Phoenix (8-4), Seattle (6-5) and then the Valks and Aces.

Las Vegas visits the Lynx this week, before hosting Seattle on Friday and the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The Ace will have to play much better than we've seen to avoid falling further.

In the East, it's the Liberty at 9-1, followed by a very good Atlanta (8-3) squad. From there, no other team is above .500. But with Caitlin Clark healthy, the Fever could make a hard charge this week.

Here are this week's rankings:

1. Liberty (9-1) - (LW: 1) New York remains atop the rankings despite losing for the first time, as its closest competitor to being the top-ranked team also suffered its first loss. Put simply, the Liberty were due for a loss and will be tested by tough guests this week, as the Dream and Mercury arrive Tuesday and Thursday.

2. Lynx (10-1) - (LW: 2) Minnesota dropped its first game, with a hard-fought loss in Seattle. A much anticipated Western Conference battle against the Aces may not be as competitive without A'ja Wilson in the game. The Lynx only two games this week are at home.

3. Mercury (8-4) - (LW: 3) Phoenix won twice last week, with a home win over No. 13 Dallas, and a road win in Las Vegas. The Mercury continue a four-game road trip with three in the Eastern time zone, including back-to-back nights in Connecticut and Brooklyn.

4. Dream (8-3) - (LW: 5) The Lynx might have the MVP favorite in Collier, but the Dream boast Gray, who has the hottest hand right now. She's been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice, and was the East's Player of the Month in May. Atlanta's showdown in Brooklyn on Tuesday will tell us more.

5. Storm (6-5) - (LW: 6) Seattle learned just how good Golden State can be when the expansion team continued to mow down Western Conference powers. The Storm visit Los Angeles and Las Vegas this week, before hosting the Liberty on Sunday. This will certainly be a battle-tested week.

6. Aces (5-5) - (LW: 4) Las Vegas started last season 5-5 and ended up fighting back to a semifinal showing. The Aces need their star back, though, as they won't survive long without A'ja in the lineup.

7. Fever (5-5) - (LW: 8) Indiana has turned things around, winning three of four and now have Clark back in their lineup. A dominating home win over the Liberty is one thing, but Sunday's visit to Las Vegas will tell us more.

8. Valkyries (5-5) - (LW: 9) Golden State is proving plenty of people wrong, having won three of its last four, while putting plenty of voters on alert: Natalie Nakase should be the frontrunner for WNBA Coach of the Year.

9. Sparks (4-8) - (LW: 11) The dichotomy that is Los Angeles continues. It's split its last four games and continues to be a mystery. Is this the same Sparks team that went into Las Vegas and nearly threw a 100-spot on the board, of the one that went to Minneapolis and lost by 23?

10. Mystics (4-7) - (LW: 7) Washington opened the season 2-0 but has lost seven of nine since the third week of May, including a 33-point home shellacking at the hands of the Dream on Sunday. Two road games in Chicago and Atlanta won't be easy, and could send the Mystics into a spiral.

11. Sky (3-7) - (LW: 10) Chicago picked up a much-needed win at Connecticut on Father's Day, and has two winnable home games on Tuesday and Saturday, hosting the Mystics and Mercury. Given some time, first-year coach Tyler Marsh might have a winning team on his hands.

12. Sun (2-8) - (LW: 13) Connecticut has its problems, there's no doubt about that. But it also might have a Most Improved Player of the Year candidate in Jacy Sheldon. She is the person the franchise should think about building around.

13. Wings (1-11) - (LW: 12) Dallas' only win came against No. 12 Connecticut. The Wings have lost seven in a row since, and tension may be building in the locker room between the players and first-year coach Chris Koclanes. Many believe he is in over his head and want to see a change, with a loaded roster they believe should be better.