Friday night was a record-setting night in the WNBA in terms of close games, as the combined scoring margin of the four games was just 13 points, the smallest margin for a single day ever with at least four games played.

All four WNBA games were decided by six points or fewer on Friday night.

The combined scoring margin was a total of 13 points, that's the lowest scoring margin in a single day in WNBA history (min. 4 games played). pic.twitter.com/cMNUryvJnc

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 3, 2023

The theme of close games actually played out over the entire week. Of the 14 games played over the past seven days, nine were decided by five points or less, and only one was decided by more than eight points. With so many close finishes, we take a closer look at the clutch stats so far this season.

In total, 23 of this season’s 34 games (67.6%) have featured clutch time – when the game is within five points in the final five minutes – with New York being the only team that has not played at least half of its game in the clutch.

The two teams that sit atop this week’s power rankings are both unbeaten in clutch games: the Las Vegas Aces are 3-0, and the Connecticut Sun are 6-0, with all six of their wins coming in clutch time.

Rankings and stats through games played on Sunday, June 4

1. Las Vegas Aces (6-0)

• Previous Ranking: 1
• Last Week: (2-0) W at Dream 92-87; W at Fever 84-80
• This Week: Tuesday at Sun; Thursday at Sun; Sunday vs. Sky
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 110.4 (1), DefRtg: 89.4 (1), NetRtg: 21.0 (1), eFG%: 54.5 (1), Pace/40 Min: 84.75 (1)

The Aces remained undefeated by pulling off a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Fever on Sunday. Las Vegas outscored Indiana 28-17 in the fourth quarter to secure the 84-80 win behind A’ja Wilson’s 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and two steals, which is a stat line that puts her in elite company.

A'ja Wilson finished the comeback win vs Fever with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks & 2 steals.

Wilson is the 3rd player in WNBA history to post a line with those totals.

The others are her teammate Candace Parker (2008 & 2010) & Sylvia Fowles (2021). pic.twitter.com/A0b2GbxYht

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 4, 2023

2. Connecticut Sun (6-1) 

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Last Week: (3-0) W vs. Fever 81-78; W at Lynx 89-84; W vs. Wings 80-74
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Aces; Thursday vs. Aces; Sunday at Dream
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.3 (6), DefRtg: 96.9 (5), NetRtg: 2.4 (3), eFG%: 45.8 (9), Pace/40 Min: 79.07 (12)

The Sun have the same number of wins as the Aces (six each), but Connecticut’s plus-20 point differential is 88 points less than Las Vegas’ 108. As discussed above, every one of Connecticut’s wins has come in games decided in the final five minutes. The Sun feature two top 10 clutch scorers in Alyssa Thomas (3^rd with 15 points in 18 minutes) and DeWanna Bonner (tied for 9^th with 10 points in 17 minutes).

3. New York Liberty (4-2)

• Previous Ranking: 2
• Last Week: (2-1) W at Storm 86-78; W at Sky 77-76; L vs. Sky 86-82
• This Week: Wednesday vs. Lynx; Friday at Dream; Sunday vs. Wings
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.6 (5), DefRtg: 95.4 (4), NetRtg: 5.2 (2), eFG%: 51.6 (3), Pace/40 Min: 79.75 (11)

The Liberty won their two emotional homecoming games this week – Breanna Stewart’s return to Seattle and Courtney Vandersloot’s return to Chicago. After edging out the Sky on Stewart’s game-winner with seven seconds left on Friday, the Sky rallied back from down 19 to stun the Liberty in Brooklyn on Sunday.

4. Chicago Sky (4-3) 

• Previous Ranking: 5
• Last Week: (1-2) L at Dream 83-65; L vs. Liberty 77-76; W at Liberty 86-82
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Fever; Friday at Sparks; Sunday at Aces
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 94.4 (11), DefRtg: 94.0 (3), NetRtg: 0.4 (7), eFG%: 47.0 (T-5), Pace/40 Min: 81.71 (5)

No player has scored more clutch points this season than Courtney Williams, who has 27 points in 22 clutch minutes over five games for Chicago. Williams has shot 71.4% (10-14) from the field, a perfect 3-3 from 3-point range, and 4-6 from the free throw line when the game is on the line. Can she keep this up when Chicago faces Indiana, L.A., and Las Vegas this week?

5. Washington Mystics (3-3)

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Last Week: (1-1) W vs. Wings 75-74; L vs. Lynx 80-78
• This Week: Friday at Storm; Sunday at Storm
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 93.9 (12), DefRtg: 92.9 (2), NetRtg: 1.0 (6), eFG%: 44.4 (12), Pace/40 Min: 81.58 (6)

Washington’s last three games have been decided by two points or less – a two-point win over Chicago, a one-point win over Dallas, and a two-point loss to Minnesota as the Lynx earned their first win of the season. Another team will look to earn their first W of the season against Washington this week as the Mystics visit the Storm in Seattle for a pair of games.

6. Los Angeles Sparks (3-2)

• Previous Ranking: 7
• Last Week: (2-0) W at Mercury 99-93; W vs. Storm 92-85
• This Week: Tuesday at Storm; Friday vs. Sky; Sunday at Lynx
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 103.6 (2), DefRtg: 104.8 (9), NetRtg: -1.2 (8), eFG%: 48.2 (4), Pace/40 Min: 81.56 (7)

The Sparks enter this week with the league’s second-ranked offense in terms of offensive rating (103.6 points per 100 possessions) and points per game (87.0).

All three of L.A.’s wins have come when they’ve scored at least 90 points, with Nneka Ogwumike (20.3 ppg, 8^th in WNBA) and Lexie Brown (14.4 ppg, 23^rd in WNBA) leading the way. Brown joins Elena Delle Donne as the only players shooting 50-40-90 on the season while averaging more than five shots per game.

7. Dallas Wings (3-3)

• Previous Ranking: 6
• Last Week: (1-2) W vs. Lynx 94-89; L at Mystics 75-74; L at Sun 80-74
• This Week: Wednesday vs. Mercury; Friday vs. Mercury; Sunday at Liberty
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.8 (3), DefRtg: 99.4 (7), NetRtg: 1.4 (5), eFG%: 46.3 (T-7), Pace/40 Min: 84.67 (2)

Satou Sabally has to be the early frontrunner for Most Improved Player as she enters this week ranked third in the WNBA in both scoring (22.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.7 rpg) as she and Breanna Stewart are the only players averaging 20-10 on the season. Add in Arike Ogunbowale – the WNBA’s sixth-leading scorer at 21.2 ppg – and it adds up to the league’s third-ranked offense. This week, the Wings have a two-game set against Phoenix at home before hitting the road to face the Liberty.

8. Atlanta Dream (2-3) 

• Previous Ranking: 10
• Last Week: (1-1) W vs. Sky 83-65; L vs. Aces 92-87
• This Week: Friday vs. Liberty; Sunday vs. Sun
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.7 (4), DefRtg: 98.3 (6), NetRtg: 2.4 (4), eFG%: 46.3 (T-7), Pace/40 Min: 83.10 (4)

The Dream posted the only win by double digits in the WNBA this week as they defeated the Sky 83-65 at home behind 20 points from Rhyne Howard and 13 points apiece from Allisha Gray and rookie Haley Jones. Atlanta followed the win over Chicago with a loss to Las Vegas, as the Dream have traded wins and losses since the season began. They’ll look for their first consecutive wins of the season this week when they host New York and Connecticut as they wrap up a five-game homestand.

9. Indiana Fever (1-4) 

• Previous Ranking: 9
• Last Week: (0-2) L at Sun 81-78; L vs. Aces 84-80
• This Week: Tuesday at Sky; Friday at Lynx; Sunday vs. Mercury
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 94.8 (10), DefRtg: 102.7 (8), NetRtg: -8.0 (10), eFG%: 45.5 (T-10), Pace/40 Min: 80.40 (9)

The Fever are better than their 1-4 record would indicate. After picking up their first win of the season on May 28 to snap a 20-game losing streak dating back to last season, the Fever dropped a pair of games this past week but were competitive in both as they fell to the Sun by three on the road and to the Aces by four at home. Playing close games against veteran teams with Finals experience is only going to help this young Fever squad develop.

10. Phoenix Mercury (1-3)

• Previous Ranking: 8
• Last Week: (0-1) L vs. Sparks 99-93
• This Week: Wednesday at Wings; Friday at Wings; Sunday at Fever
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 98.5 (7), DefRtg: 105.4 (10), NetRtg: -7.0 (9), eFG%: 52.8 (2), Pace/40 Min: 79.88 (10)

The Mercury lost its only game of the past week as they fell to the Sparks 99-93 despite Brittney Griner’s 24 points and 11 boards and 19 points each from Diana Taurasi and Sophie Cunningham. Things get busier this week as the Mercury hit the road for a three-game road trip — with a pair of games in Dallas and a visit to Indiana.

11. Minnesota Lynx (1-6) 

• Previous Ranking: 12
• Last Week: (1-2) L vs. Lynx 94-89; L vs. Sun 89-84; W at Mystics 80-78
• This Week: Wednesday at Liberty; Friday vs. Fever; Sunday vs. Sparks
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 97.5 (8), DefRtg: 106.7 (11), NetRtg: -9.2 (11), eFG%: 47.0 (T-5), Pace/40 Min: 80.79 (8)

After dropping their first two games of the past week to fall to 0-6 on the season – Minnesota’s first 0-6 start to a season since 2007 – the Lynx earned their first win of the season as they held off Washington on the road to edge the Mystics 80-78. Kayla McBride scored 24 points, while Napheesa Collier added 17 points and nine rebounds. The Lynx will look to build upon that win this week with a game in New York before returning home for games against the Fever and Sparks.

12. Seattle Storm (0-4)

• Previous Ranking: 11
• Last Week: (0-2) L vs. Liberty 86-78; L at Sparks 92-85
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Sparks; Friday vs. Mystics, Sunday vs. Mystics
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.1 (9), DefRtg: 113.2 (12), NetRtg: -17.1 (12), eFG%: 45.5 (T-10), Pace/40 Min: 83.12 (3)

Seattle is the final team still in search of its first win of 2023 after dropping games against New York and Los Angeles over the past week. Jewell Loyd has been a bright spot for the Storm, leading the WNBA in scoring at 28.8 points per game while shooting 44.4% from 3-point range. The Storm have three home games to work with as they try to pick up that elusive first W, hosting the Sparks on Tuesday before a two-game set with the Mystics this weekend.

Historic milestone achieved ✅@jewellloyd becomes the 2nd player in #WNBA history to record 35+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds, and 8 3PT FG-M in a game 🙌

The only other player to record that kind of stat line in a game was Diana Taurasi in 2016#MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/bDw2QGsr7M

— WNBA (@WNBA) June 4, 2023

Longtime WNBA reporter Brian Martin writes articles on WNBA.com throughout the season. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.