NFL
By: Stephen Garner
The early season “rust” is wearing off and teams are beginning to lay a foundation for their identities and gauging how they stack up against the competition in the process.
The top tier teams are, well, showing why they’re top tier yet again and the teams in this week’s top-5 should come as no surprise seeing that they’re mainstays in the W’s contender realm. Let’s dive into week four’s power rankings.
(Last weeks rankings are found in parentheses.)
1.) Las Vegas Aces: 9-1 (1)
Well, the Aces are completely unlocked. They’ve now amassed wins over both the Sky and Sun this week, and are doing so behind some extremely impressive defensive efforts.
They’re able to remain effective while switching between both man and zone and get efforts on that end, especially from their frontcourt of Wilson-Hamby, that allow for their defense to be as free-flowing in execution as possible. Add to that the feisty efforts of Plum, and the well-noted abilities of Jackie Young both at the point of attack and off-ball, and voila.
They’re connected, hitting the flow of one end of the floor playing off of the other, and have their integrals all operating at a high frequency, exhibiting by far the highest level of play at the moment.
2.) Connecticut Sun: 6-3 (2)
Defense, defense, and more defense. The Sun are wreaking havoc in an on-brand manner defensively. They’re allowing just 74.9 points per, and simply just make teams work to score against them, if at all.
They have the prerequisite talents to take away things from star players and generally dictate from that end of the floor.
3.) Washington Mystics: 7-3 (3)
Expected fluctuating will continue as the Mystics have a fluidly peculiar situation on their hands with both Delle Donne and Clarks availability ever-fluctuant.
What is a mainstay, however, is their defense. Independent of who’s in or out, they’re compiling multiple efforts and attention to detail that’s all impressive. Allowing a league-low 73.3 points against is attention garnering, and that at their foundation bodes well moving forward.
4.) Chicago Sky: 5-3 (2)
The Sky have had their bouts with the level of play early on. They’re feeling out the meshing of their talents to find the most conducive blend for this group. It’s taking a bit longer than they’d like, but they’re rolling with the punches while staying competitive.
All-assuring that when coach Wade and company click, we’ll see who I still feel is the best team in the W exude just that on a nightly basis.
In the meantime, the efforts and talents of their new additions, Meesseman and Gardner, continue to impress. Extra passes, smart cuts, steals and deflections, connecting for the Sky on both ends whether it’s a DHO or tagging rollers, peel switches or kick-outs, these two do it all and are ever-present.
5.) Seattle Storm: 5-3 (N/A)
Bouts with both Covid and injury have made it hard to gauge this team accurately as a whole. However, signs of a well-coached team always show amidst absences, and the Storm DEFEND.
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
They get after it on that end, with the additions of both Briann January and Gabby Williams and their infinite multiple efforts & activity, they give this team a unique dynamic in this rendition. Keep an eye on their efforts on that end when tuning into their games, it’s fun.
