WNBA Power Rankings: The Fever are running hot
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- Indiana Fever moved up to No. 4 in ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings after a 3-1 western road trip improved their record to 14-9, with four straight home games ahead before the All-Star break
- Kelsey Mitchell is averaging 22.7 points on 48.8% shooting from the field and 40.9% from three — all potential career highs — and has scored 25-plus points in six consecutive games, two short of A'ja Wilson's 2024 league record
- Caitlin Clark returned from a two-game absence due to back issues, playing 16 limited minutes against the Sparks before a more comfortable 24-minute, 12-point outing at Las Vegas
- Golden State Valkyries retained the No. 1 ranking for a second week, riding a seven-game winning streak and leading the WNBA in defensive rating (101.2) and points allowed (76.2 per game)
- Minnesota Lynx climbed to No. 2 with the league's best record (18-6) after Kayla McBride scored a combined 85 points over three wins, including a 37-point performance and a 33-point rookie-record game from Olivia Miles
- Las Vegas Aces posted the largest point-differential swing in WNBA history — an 82-point turnaround from a 48-point win over Phoenix to a 34-point loss to Indiana three days later
- Los Angeles Sparks parted with general manager Raegan Pebley despite back-to-back wins, sitting at 10-12 and outside playoff position with star guard Kelsey Plum still sidelined by a leg injury
- Toronto Tempo played two games at Montreal's Bell Centre, drawing 20,996 fans for the Dallas matchup — the largest regular-season crowd in WNBA history — and ended a four-game losing streak with a 93-91 win over New York
Why it matters: The Fever's home-heavy stretch before the All-Star break gives them a runway to tighten up defensively and climb further, and Mitchell's career year provides a scoring foundation that doesn't depend on a fully healthy Clark. Meanwhile, the Sparks' front-office shakeup signals urgency to end a five-year playoff drought, though Plum's continued absence complicates any in-season turnaround before the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
