Valkyries grab top WNBA ranking as defense fuels nine-game tear
CBS Sports put Golden State at No. 1 after a late defensive squeeze beat Washington and extended the Valkyries’ streak to nine games.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
The Golden State Valkyries have crashed the top of CBS Sports’ latest WNBA Power Rankings after turning another tight finish into a defensive mugging.
Jack Maloney of CBS Sports ranked Golden State No. 1 following Saturday night’s comeback against the Washington Mystics, when the Valkyries trailed by six midway through the fourth quarter before closing on a 15-4 burst. According to CBS Sports, Washington shot 2 of 8 and committed three turnovers over the final six minutes.
The win pushed Golden State to 19-7 and stretched its streak to nine games, the longest in the WNBA this season and the best run in franchise history, CBS Sports reported. The Valkyries are now second in the standings, one game behind the Minnesota Lynx.
Golden State’s rise has been built on defense first. CBS Sports reported that the Valkyries have allowed more than 75 points just once during the streak and own a 93.7 defensive rating across those nine games. On July 6, they held the Mystics to 49 points, the lowest total by any WNBA team this season and only the fourth sub-50 outing by a team in the 2020s.
For the season, CBS Sports listed Golden State first in defensive rating at 100.3, first in points allowed at 75.1 per game, first in opponent points per possession at 0.883 and first in opponent effective field goal percentage at 48.1%. The Valkyries also lead the league in opponent points in the paint, opponent points off turnovers, restricted-area attempts allowed and opponent restricted-area field goal percentage.
The offense has not been as polished. CBS Sports noted Golden State is eighth in offensive rating at 107.7 and last in field goal percentage at 41.9%. The team’s 3-point shooting, however, has improved to 34.6% from 32.5% last season, with free-agent addition Gabby Williams helping add spark.
Kaitlyn Chen told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month that Golden State takes pride in defense because it is based on effort and mentality. “If we can’t score, they can’t score,” she said.
Wings, Lynx and Fever chase
CBS Sports placed the Dallas Wings at No. 2 after a win over the Los Angeles Sparks stretched their streak to six games, their longest since moving to Dallas in 2016. Their scheduled matchup with the New York Liberty was postponed because of travel issues. CBS Sports also reported concern over All-Star guard Paige Bueckers, who left Sunday’s game after a collision with Nneka Ogwumike in which she appeared to hit her head on the floor. Her status was unclear.
The Minnesota Lynx, still holding first place in the standings at 20-6, came in third. CBS Sports highlighted Kayla McBride’s 37-point game against the Phoenix Mercury and said she is averaging 26.6 points during Minnesota’s five-game winning streak.
The Indiana Fever ranked fourth after Caitlin Clark delivered a 45-point, 10-assist game against the Seattle Storm, the first 40-point, 10-assist performance in WNBA history, according to CBS Sports. Kelsey Mitchell has also powered Indiana’s turnaround, averaging 27.3 points over the last 10 games as the Fever went 7-3.
Liberty slide, Dream rebound
The Las Vegas Aces sat fifth after a rare week off, while the Atlanta Dream moved to sixth after three straight wins. CBS Sports reported that Brionna Jones made her season debut Friday against the Toronto Tempo and Jordin Canada beat the Chicago Sky with a buzzer beater Sunday.
The Liberty landed seventh after a rough week. CBS Sports reported that New York spent 12 hours on a tarmac Wednesday because of mechanical problems with its plane, then later blew a 13-point lead to the Fever and lost by 20. The Liberty have dropped four straight and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. “We’re in the trenches, and we can either keep sinking or we can dig ourselves out,” Breanna Stewart said, according to CBS Sports.
Rounding out the list were the Portland Fire, Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Phoenix Mercury, Toronto Tempo, Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm. CBS Sports reported Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was suspended one game for an “inappropriate” comment about Angel Reese and later apologized to Reese for using the phrase.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.