The Connecticut Sun took one step back last week.
That’s what WNBA.com’s Brian Martin reckoned Tuesday when he dropped the Sun to No. 3 in his list of WNBA power rankings for Week 14. While the Sun remain in position to claim a double-bye into the WNBA playoff semifinals, their loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday surrendered a potential tie-breaker and prompted Martin to move the Western Conference leaders above Connecticut in his latest rankings.
“In Los Angeles, the Sparks had their full 12-player roster available for the first time all season just last week,” Martin wrote. “In their first two games at full strength, they defeated the Fever by 33 points and upended the Sun by 12 points to extend their home win streak to 11 straight games. The win over Connecticut also clinched the season series with the Sun, giving the Sparks the head-to-head tiebreaker should they finish the season with the same record.”
The Sun rebounded from the loss to the Sparks to beat the Seattle Storm 89-70 on Tuesday night. The win keeps the Sun just one game behind the Washington Mystics for the best overall record in the WNBA.
Connecticut will visit the New York Liberty on Friday with a chance to reclaim its No. 2 ranking heading into 15th, and final, week of the WNBA regular season. Perhaps the Sun will make a big jump at the perfect time.
