All-Star Weekend has come and gone, which means the WNBA's Olympic break is officially underway. While a number of players, including those leading Team USA, will head to France for the 2024 Paris Olympics later this month, the rest of the league will enjoy a well-deserved break until play resumes on Aug. 15.
Now that the action has come to a halt, it's a perfect time to take stock of the league and recap the good and bad for each team from the first half of the season.
1. New York Liberty
The good: First place at the break
After losing in the Finals last season, the Liberty have returned with a vengeance. They enter the Olympic break all alone in first place with a 21-4 record, which is the best start through 25 games in franchise history.
The bad: Recent injury concerns
There's been few negatives in New York this season, but some of the injuries that popped up just before the break weren't ideal. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton underwent knee surgery and is expected back in 4-6 weeks, while Breanna Stewart heads to Paris nursing a sore hamstring.
2. Connecticut Sun
The good: Their dominant defense
Once again, the Sun have been extremely difficult to play against. They are big, they are physical and they are aggressive on the defensive end. Their 21.3 opponent turnover percentage leads the league and their 93.8 defensive rating is second.
The bad: Their 3-point shooting
The Sun pulled off a big trade just before the break to acquire Marina Mabrey because they desperately needed some perimeter scoring. Heading into the break they are 10th in the league in 3-point attempts per game (17.7) and 10th in 3-point percentage (31.4).
3. Las Vegas Aces
The good: A'ja Wilson's brilliance
A'ja Wilson is going to win her third MVP award this season, and the only real question is whether it will be unanimous (it should be). She's averaging 27.2 points, 12 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.9 blocks per game, and is on pace to set the highest single-season scoring average in league history.
The bad: The first month
Candace Parker retired just before the season started and Chelsea Gray remained sidelined with a foot injury she suffered in the 2023 Finals. As a result, the back-to-back champs lost as many games in the first month (six) as they did all of last season.
4. Seattle Storm
The good: New additions Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith
Back in February, the Storm won free agency by signing both Ogwumike and Diggins-Smith, and those two have made an immediate impact. Those two, along with Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor, have played more minutes than any other four-player group in the league, and the Storm have a plus-13.2 net rating when they're on the floor.
The bad: Record against other top teams
The Storm are in fourth place at 17-8, but they are 3-6 against fellow top-five teams and 14-2 against everyone else. They have a lot of talent, so they're certainly still capable of making a run come playoff time, but their struggles against other contenders is concerning.
5. Minnesota Lynx
The good: A red-hot start
The Lynx have been the surprise team of the season, and they ended the first half in third place at 17-8 thanks to their league-best defense. And their record would likely be even better if Napheesa Collier hadn't gone down with plantar fasciitis.
The bad: Inside scoring
Minnesota's offense has been middling, in large part because of a lack of interior scoring. The team is last in the league in points in the paint per game (28.4) and 11th in free throw attempts (15.4). An inability to get easy points could be their downfall come playoff time.
6. Indiana Fever
The good: Caitlin Clark is the real deal
In the last game before the break, Clark set the WNBA's all-time single-game assist record with 19 and now leads the league in assists at 8.2 per game. It took her a few weeks to settle in, but she's now established herself as arguably the best playmaker in the league and is the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year.
The bad: The first 20 days
The schedule makers did the Fever no favors early in the season. They had to play 11 games in the first 20 days, with eight of them coming against the Liberty, Sun, Storm and Aces. As a result, the Fever got off to a 2-9 start that they're still trying to recover from.
7. Phoenix Mercury
The good: Kahleah Copper
Copper was traded to the Mercury during the offseason, which was a great move for both her and her new team. She is thriving in head coach Nate Tibbets' five-out system and has the league lead in 30-point games with eight. The all-time record is 12, set by Maya Moore (2014) and Jewell Loyd (2023).
The bad: The bench
The Mercury's primary starting lineup has a plus-7.6 net rating, which is the sixth-best five-player lineup with at least 150 minutes together. Beyond that are a lot of question marks. Their bench is last in the league with 12.5 points per game.
8. Chicago Sky
The good: Angel Reese's historic start
Few expected the No. 7 overall pick to make this much of an impact right away, but she's one of four players averaging a double-double, second in the league in rebounding (11.9 per game) and set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15.
The bad: Poor spacing
The Sky have one of the worst offenses in the league because of poor spacing and a lack of outside shooting. Their 14.5 attempts per game would be the fewest since the Aces in 2021, and Marina Mabrey, who was traded to the Sun, accounted for 6.7 of those. Only one other player, Dana Evans, has taken more than two 3s per game.
9. Los Angeles Sparks
The good: Rickea Jackson's efficient scoring
Jackson didn't have the same hype as some of the other players in this rookie class, but she's quietly gone about her business in an extremely consistent manner. She's third among rookies in scoring at 11.4 points per game and shooting 45% from the field.
The bad: Cameron Brink's ACL tear
The No. 2 overall pick was off to a historic start on the defensive end, where she was on pace to average the third-most blocks ever by a rookie. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL in game No. 15, so we won't see her until sometime next season.
10. Dallas Wings
The good: Maddy Siegrist's breakout
Maddy Siegrist, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, was one of the best stories in the league over the first month. She was averaging 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and was one of the leading candidates for Most Improved Player before breaking her finger.
The bad: Injuries
Siegrist's broken finger was just one of the many injuries that hit the Wings this season. Satou Sabally still hasn't played after undergoing shoulder surgery, Natasha Howard missed more than a month with a broken foot and intriguing rookie Jaelyn Brown has only played one game.
11. Washington Mystics
The good: The rooks can play
Aaliyah Edwards fell to No. 6 in the draft earlier this year, which was a big win for the Mystics. She's been the most efficient rookie this season at 49% shooting and looks like a long-time starter. Belgian rookie Julie Vanloo has also impressed, and is second among rookies in assists per game at 5.1.
The bad: Injuries
Brittney Sykes has only played three games and Shakira Austin has been out there for six. That's simply too much talent for this Mystics team to be without, especially after losing Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud in the offseason.
12. Atlanta Dream
The good: Allisha Gray's All-Star moment
Allisha Gray was named an All-Star for the second consecutive year, and also represented the team in the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. She won both events, becoming the first player to pull off that double feat in the same year.
The bad: Their offense
The Dream are scoring 94.1 points per 100 possessions, which is not only last in the league but the worst offensive rating by any team since the 2021 Sparks. They are also 11th in true shooting percentage (50.1).
