ESPN released the latest iteration of WNBA Power Rankings this past Monday. Teams have seen their share of hot and cold streaks during this early part of the season. The New York Liberty and Chicago Sky have been two competitive teams to watch. Since the first power rankings were released, the Liberty have risen to 3rd (originally 4th) while the Sky have fallen to 6th (originally 3rd). Here are three factors going into each team’s rise and descent.
WNBA Power Rankings: New York Liberty Rise as Chicago Sky Fall
Depth
The New York Liberty have one of the best players in the WNBA. Breanna Stewart is averaging 23.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 40% for three-pointers. At the beginning of the season, the Liberty looked heavily reliant on Stewart as she scored 45 points in the season opener with the next-highest scorer having 12. In contrast, the Sky’s Kahleah Cooper had 35 points with her next teammate scoring 24. Fast forward to now, the Liberty’s top six players are averaging a combined total of 79 points per game while the Sky are averaging 72.9.
The depth of the Liberty looks to be superior to the Sky at the moment. It is important to note that the Liberty currently have four players that made the All-Star team last year. Stewart can share the load with the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones. While the Sky have no shortage of depth, one all-star against four is difficult to beat.
Defense
The Chicago Sky started the season as the 2nd ranked defense in the WNBA. The Liberty were on their heels at 3rd. Now, the Sky have fallen to 5th while the Liberty have stayed at 3rd. The teams’ number of steals and blocks are not far from each other, but nearly every other category shows Liberty’s upper hand. For example, the Sky are allowing 40.2 points in the paint per game while the Liberty are keeping opponents to 34.2. Similarly, the Liberty are only allowing 9.1 points off the fastbreak while the Sky are giving up 13.4. It will be interesting to see if the Sky can get their defense back to the level it was at the start of the season.
Three-Point Shooting
The Sky have fallen off their hot three-point shooting field goal percentage from the beginning of the season, going from 38.5% to 30%. The Liberty are shooting 39.5%, which ranks 1st in the WNBA. This comes as no surprise with the caliber of scorers on their team. Another factor to look at is the Liberty attempt the most three-pointers per game in the WNBA. The Sky attempt the 7th most per game. If the Sky attempt and make more threes, they can close the gap on the Liberty.
Closing Thoughts
The New York Liberty look like heavy contenders for the WNBA championship this season. With plenty of basketball left to play, the Chicago Sky and the rest of the top WNBA teams have time to rise in the power rankings and make their case for a title.
