Chicago, Connecticut and Dallas are still trying to find their way during early part of WNBA season

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

Through the first 20% of the WNBA season there are a bunch of teams that have struggled out of the gate.
The Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings have combined for five victories so far. The Wings' lone victory came over the Sun while the Sky have beaten the Wings twice. Connecticut has the best two victories in the WNBA so far this season, topping Indiana and Atlanta, but also suffered the second-biggest blowout in league history in a 48-point loss to New York.
All three teams have new coaches and are experiencing the learning curve of new systems.
The Wings also have been missing No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers for their last few games while she dealt first with a concussion and then an illness. She should be back soon.
The Sky just suffered their own injury setback, with veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot going down for the season with an ACL tear in her right knee. The injury occurred Saturday night during their game against the Fever. It's a major blow to the Sky, who now need to find a point guard to fill in for Vandersloot. The 36-year-old had returned to Chicago this season after helping New York win its first WNBA championship last year.
The Liberty are on the other end of the spectrum, picking up right where they left off after winning the title. New York hasn't lost yet this season and is one of two undefeated teams along with WNBA Finals runner-up Minnesota.
Power poll rankings
New York led the way as the No. 1 team in the power poll again this week. Minnesota was still right behind in second. The national voting panel chose Seattle third, Phoenix fourth and Atlanta fifth. Indiana was sixth with Las Vegas seventh. Golden State, Washington and Los Angeles were the next three. Chicago, Connecticut and Dallas rounded out the poll.
Calling it a career
Allie Quigley announced in The Players Tribune on Tuesday that she's officially retiring after not playing since 2021. Quigley, who played in the WNBA for 14 seasons after getting drafted by Seattle in 2008, was a four-time 3-point champion at All-Star weekend.
Player of the week
Napheesa Collier of Minnesota earned Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. The Lynx forward averaged 23 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists to help the team win both its game and stay undefeated. Other players receiving consideration were Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, Satou Sabally of Phoenix, Breanna Stewart of New York and Gabby Williams of Seattle.
Game of the week
New York at Indiana, Saturday. The Eastern Conference representative in the Commissioner's Cup could come down to this game. The two teams met earlier in the season and the Liberty had to rally for the victory. It also could mark the return of star Indiana guard Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined with a left quad strain the last few weeks.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball