All-Star Weekend was, overall, a big success. Former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at practice, Elena Delle Donne and Azzi Fudd starred at All-Star Friday Night, Dominique Malonga dunked and Jonquel Jones made history when she won All-Star Game MVP after leading Team Spoon to victory.
Now, it’s time for the regular season to resume – at least for a few weeks. Teams will be back in action Tuesday, and play until Aug. 30. Then, there will be another break until Sept. 17 for the FIBA World Cup. After the World Cup, there will be one more week of regular season action, before the playoffs get underway in late September.
While it doesn’t seem like there will be much drama at the back-end of the playoff picture, there will be plenty of seeding battles down the stretch, particularly in the middle of the pack. Just four games separate the Nos. 2 and 7 seeds. And who knows how the upcoming Aug. 2 trade deadline may shake things up.
2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend winners and losers: Jonquel Jones and Dominique Malonga shine, the Sky no-show
Jack Maloney
Ahead of Tuesday’s return to play, here are CBS Sports’ recent WNBA Power Rankings. Due to the All-Star break, we’re taking a turn away from the typical format and highlighting one key player from each team to watch in the second half of the season.
Biggest Movers
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Lynx
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Wings
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Rk
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Teams
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Chg
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Rcrd
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1 |
Lynx | Nia Coffey: The veteran forward was a huge part of the Lynx’s early success without Napheesa Collier, but her production and efficiency has declined each month: 10.1 points on 47.1% from 3 in May to 8.1 points on 40.5% from 3 in June to five points on 27.6% from 3 in July. The Lynx’s defense has also gotten continuously worse with her on the floor. Now that Collier is back, Coffey has been moved to the bench. She’s still going to be a key part of the Lynx’s rotation, however, and they need her to get back to her early-season level. | 2 | |
2 |
Valkyries | Kaitlyn Chen: The second-year guard is enjoying a breakout season and has quietly turned into one of the best bench scorers in the league: 7.7 points on 57.5% shooting. But because of the Valkyries’ depth and Natalie Nakase’s approach, Chen still plays less than 15 minutes per game. Can she take on more responsibility? It might be worth finding out as the Valkyries try to boost their struggling offense. Among teams currently in playoff position, only Washington has a worse offensive rating than Golden State (107.7). | 1 | |
3 |
Fever | Tyasha Harris: After missing the majority of last season due to knee surgery, Harris struggled to begin her first season in Indiana and largely fell out of the rotation for a few weeks. Caitlin Clark’s back injury gave her another chance, and she’s run with it, securing the back-up point guard role even now that Clark is healthy. During the Fever’s 7-2 run heading into the All-Star break, Harris averaged 9.8 points and 3.7 assists on 53.6/44.4/88.9 shooting splits. The Fever would be thrilled if she can keep that up. Her playmaking and perimeter defense is just what they need. | 1 | |
4 |
Wings | Alanna Smith: Smith was the Wings’ marquee free agent signing this winter, but the 2025 co-Defensive Player of the Year has essentially been a zero. She’s missed seven games due to injuries, hasn’t started since May, is putting up 3.8 points on 38.5% shooting and has failed to make an impact defensively. While the Wings are in fourth place anyway, they’re thin in the frontcourt and their interior defense is a real weakness. If Smith can get healthy and give them something down the stretch, that would be huge. | 2 | |
5 |
Aces | Jewell Loyd: The six-time All-Star is averaging a career-low 8.3 points on 36.5% shooting, including 33.6% from 3-point range. She had similar struggles last season, but turned things around in the playoffs and was excellent in the Finals. The Aces might need her to have a similar resurgence if they want to repeat. After Chennedy Carter’s departure, Loyd is their only real scoring threat off the bench. | — | |
6 |
Dream | Brionna Jones: The veteran center missed the Dream’s first 24 games due to a torn meniscus she suffered overseas, and has looked rusty upon her return to action ahead of the All-Star break. She has been one of the most reliable players in the league in recent years, and was a big part of the Dream’s success last year. But can she get back to her best post-surgery? And how does she fit into Atlanta’s new frontcourt with Angel Reese and Madina Okot? Those are big questions for a team that has been inconsistent but still has title aspirations. | — | |
7 |
Liberty | Satou Sabally: The Liberty stunned the WNBA world in the offseason when they were able to sign the three-time All-Star away from the Mercury, but she’s only played 13 games and has been in the concussion protocol for over a month. It remains unclear when, or if, Sabally will play again this season. Everyone inside and outside New York will keep a close eye on her status down the stretch. When healthy, her versatility on both ends of the floor gives the Liberty a dynamic they sorely miss without her. | — | |
8 |
Mystics | Michaela Onyenwere: The veteran forward was the only free agent signing the extremely young Mystics made this offseason. While the former Rookie of the Year is having a career season – 10.1 points, three rebounds and 1.7 assists on 43.2% shooting from 3-point range – she has not been consistent. The Mystics are 9-2 when she scores in double figures and 5-7 when she does not. If she can be a more reliable source of support behind the Big Three of Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, the Mystics will likely be playoff bound. | 2 | |
9 |
Fire | Frieda Buhner: The second-round pick started the season on a developmental contract, but was converted to a standard contract in late May and has steadily improved. In July, she’s averaging 8.4 points off the bench and shooting 50% from 3-point range. It will be interesting to see if she can keep that up as the Fire chase a playoff spot, especially as she steps into what will assuredly be a bigger role due to Sarah Ashlee Barker’s ACL tear. There’s a chance Buhner takes her place in the starting lineup, but that remains to be seen. | 1 | |
10 |
Mercury | Marta Suarez: The Mercury have been the most disappointing team in the league by far. They are likely to become the first team since themselves in 2008 to miss the playoffs in the year following a Finals appearance. Their core is aging, they’re short on young talent and their roster isn’t particularly interesting. It may be worthwhile keeping an eye on Marta Suarez down the stretch. The second-round pick is just starting her third seven-day contract and has had some decent outings off the bench. Is she worth keeping around long term? | 2 | |
11 |
Sun | Diamond Miller: Already on her third team in four years, Miller is the only young player on the Sun not under contract for next season. She’s gotten a chance to start in Uncasville, but while she’s shown flashes of the talent that made her a lottery pick, she’s shooting 35.5% and has more turnovers (40) than assists (35). Few players have more at stake over the final two months than the former No. 2 overall pick, who may be playing for her WNBA career. | 2 | |
12 |
Sky | Sydney Taylor: Amid all of the Sky’s wheeling and dealing in the offseason, their best move may have been signing Taylor to a training camp contract. She not only made the team, but has become their go-to scorer after injuries to Rickea Jackson and Skylar Diggins. As a starter, she’s averaging 17.9 points on 48.1/39.4/84.4 shooting splits. With the playoffs looking unlikely – they’re five and a half games back of the final spot – little in Chicago will be as important down the stretch as Taylor’s continued development. | 1 | |
13 |
Tempo | Kiki Rice: The No. 6 overall pick was off to an excellent start before suffering a severe ankle sprain that has kept her out of the lineup since June 3. She is nearing a return, however, and is listed as questionable for the Tempo’s game Tuesday against the Lynx. The expansion franchise is on the fringe of the playoff race – four games back of eighth – but regardless of whether Rice can help the Tempo make the postseason, her continued development is vital for their future. | — | |
14 |
Sparks | Cameron Brink: The former No. 2 overall pick has had another frustrating, injury-filled season, but is healthy coming out of the All-Star break. Can she stay on the floor down the stretch? If so, the Sparks might still have a chance of ending their playoff drought. Her presence at the rim is one of the few redeeming qualities for their abysmal defense. Opponents take 33% of their shots at the rim and shoot 71% with Brink off the floor. When she plays, opponents take 24.8% of their shots at the rim and shoot 65%. | — | |
15 |
Storm | Jordan Horston: You could easily pick any of Dominique Malonga, Awa Fam or Flau’jae Johnson here, but we’ve already seen enough from them to know they’re going to be very good for a long time. How Horston plays down the stretch is far more interesting. She looked like she was on the verge of a breakout in 2024, but missed all of last season with a torn ACL and has struggled to find a rhythm this summer. In theory, Horston has the size and skillset to be a perfect fit as a defensive-minded role player next to the Storm’s core, but lets see how she fares over the next two months ahead of restricted free agency. | — |
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