In our Week 7 Power Rankings just before the All-Star break, we looked at the record-breaking pace of 40-point games across the league. Now, three weeks later, we take a look at the rate of triple-doubles so far this season.

With three recorded last week alone – Alyssa Thomas extended her WNBA record with her eighth career triple-double, Sabrina Ionescu took sole possession of second place with the fourth of her young career, and Satou Sabally recorded not just the first triple-double of her career, but the first in Dallas Wings history.

There have been seven triple-doubles posted so far this season, matching last season’s record total in 66 fewer games played. The rate of triple-doubles has skyrocketed the past two seasons; there were a total of nine regular-season triple-doubles (11 including the postseason) in the first 25 seasons of the WNBA (1997-2021) combined. There have now been 14 regular season triple-doubles since 2022 (16 including the postseason), and we’ve only just passed the halfway point of the 2023 season.

Triple-Doubles By Season (Including Regular Season and Playoffs)

Note: any season not listed did not have any triple-doubles recorded

When looking at the rise of triple-doubles, some key factors play a major role. In addition to having versatile players with the ability to stuff the stat sheet – Thomas (eight triple-doubles), Ionescu (four), and Candace Parker (three) have the most triple-doubles in league history – there is also the style of play of today’s game. With increased pace and space, better shooting percentages, and fewer turnovers, there are simply more opportunities to rack up numbers in today’s game than there were two decades ago.

When looking at league averages throughout league history, the 2023 season ranks first in average pace (79.5 possessions per 40 minutes), third in effective field goal percentage (53.9%), third in turnover percentage (14.9%), and fifth in offensive efficiency (103.6).

All eight of Thomas’ triple-doubles have come in the past two seasons; she had none in her first eight seasons combined. However, she did have eight games in which she had the points and rebounds but finished two assists shy; and she had three other games in which she had the points and assists but finished one or two rebounds shy. With more possessions to work with, Thomas has more rebounding opportunities and more offensive possessions to either score or set up her teammates for shots, and with the field goal percentages rising, so have her assist numbers, as she’s averaging a career-best 8.1 in her 10^th season.

Now, on to this week’s power rankings, with stats through games played on Sunday, July 30.

1. Las Vegas Aces (23-2)

• Previous Ranking: 1
• Last Week: (2-0) W at Sky 107-95, W vs. Wings 104-91
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Dream, Sunday at Liberty
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 115.2 (1); DefRtg: 96.3 (1); NetRtg: 18.9 (1); eFG%: 57.0 (1); Pace/40 Min: 82.14 (2)

The Aces enter this week riding a seven-game win streak – the longest active streak in the league. There have been four win streaks of seven games or more so far this season – Las Vegas owns three of them, including the longest run of nine consecutive wins. Of Las Vegas’ 23 wins, 17 have come by 10 points or more, including all seven games of this current streak. This entire streak has also been played without Candace Parker, who has been out with a left foot injury since July 7. The Aces announced last week that Parker underwent successful surgery on the foot and that she is out indefinitely. Her absence has not slowed the Aces yet, but it is worth watching moving forward.

2. New York Liberty (19-6)

• Previous Ranking: 2
• Last Week: (3-1) W vs. Storm 86-82, W vs. Dream 95-84, L vs. Lynx 88-83, W at Sparks 87-79
• This Week: Tuesday at Sparks, Friday at Lynx, Sunday vs. Aces
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 107.8 (2); DefRtg: 101.0 (7); NetRtg: 6.8 (2); eFG%: 53.3 (2); Pace/40 Min: 81.17 (T-4)

New York was the busiest team in the league last week with four games, including a back-to-back and a run of three games in four days that also included a cross-country flight to Los Angeles. The Liberty went 3-1 on the week, falling only to a hot Minnesota team that is rising in this week’s rankings. New York has scored at least 80 points in 16 straight games, which is tied for the longest streak of the season, and the longest active streak entering the week.

3. Connecticut Sun (18-7)

• Previous Ranking: 3
• Last Week: (1-1) W at Wings 88-83, L vs. Lynx 87-83
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Lynx, Friday at Fever
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 103.6 (4); DefRtg: 97.6 (2); NetRtg: 5.9 (3); eFG%: 49.4 (4); Pace/40 Min: 80.58 (8)

The Liberty wasn’t the only top-three team to fall to the Lynx this week as the Sun posted a 1-1 week with a win over Dallas to snap the Wings’ five-game win streak, followed by a loss to Minnesota that snapped the Sun’s three-game win streak. DeWanna Bonner was the league’s top scorer of the week, averaging 31.5 points in Connecticut’s two games. The Sun and Lynx are tied for the most clutch wins in the league, with 10 apiece.

4. Dallas Wings (14-11)

• Previous Ranking: 4
• Last Week: (1-2) L vs. Sun 88-83, W vs. Mystics 90-62, L at Aces 104-91
• This Week: Wednesday at Storm, Friday vs. Sky, Sunday vs. Sky
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 105.2 (3); DefRtg: 100.8 (T-5); NetRtg: 4.4 (4); eFG%: 48.0 (T-9); Pace/40 Min: 81.96 (3)

This week, the Wings dropped two games against top three teams – a five-point home loss to the Sun and a 13-point road loss to the Aces – and beat the depleted Mystics by 28 points. That win against Washington featured Sabally’s triple-double, which was the first ever recorded by a Dallas Wing and only the second in franchise history, more than 18 years after Deanna Nolan posted a triple-double for the Detroit Shock in 2005.

5. Atlanta Dream (14-11)

• Previous Ranking: 5
• Last Week: (2-1) W vs. Mercury 78-65, L at Liberty 95-84, W vs. Mystics 80-73
• This Week: Tuesday at Aces, Thursday at Mercury, Sunday vs. Fever
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.9 (5); DefRtg: 100.7 (4); NetRtg: 0.2 (6); eFG%: 48.7 (6); Pace/40 Min: 83.60 (1)

The Dream posted a 2-1 week with wins over a struggling Mercury squad and the injury-riddled Mystics and a road loss to the Liberty. Allisha Gray continues to shine in her debut season in Atlanta. She is coming off back-to-back games with 25+ points and is the league’s top scorer in clutch situations – score within five points in the final five minutes – as she has 40 points on 62.5% shooting from the field (10-16), 66.7% from 3-point range (4-6) and 94.1% from the free throw line (16-17). The Dream have the second-best record in clutch games at 8-3, trailing only the Aces at 6-1.

6. Minnesota Lynx (13-13)

• Previous Ranking: 7
• Last Week: (3-0) W vs. Mystics 97-92, W at Liberty 88-83, W at Sun 87-83
• This Week: Tuesday at Sun, Friday vs. Liberty
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.8 (7); DefRtg: 105.8 (10); NetRtg: -6.1 (10); eFG%: 48.4 (8); Pace/40 Min: 80.27 (9)

Speaking of clutch wins, the Lynx got three of them in three games this past week as they beat the Mystics by five points, the Liberty by five points, and the Sun by four points. The wins against New York and Connecticut not only both came on the road but also came without Napheesa Collier, who suffered an ankle injury in the Mystics game that is expected to keep her out at least a week. Minnesota’s 0-6 start continues to move further into the rearview as they have reached .500 at 13-13 and reach No. 6 in both the playoff race and the power rankings.

7. Washington Mystics (12-13)

• Previous Ranking: 6
• Last Week: (0-3) L at Lynx 97-92, L at Wings 90-62, L at Dream 80-73
• This Week: Friday vs. Sparks, Sunday vs. Sparks
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 99.4 (8); DefRtg: 98.9 (3); NetRtg: 0.5 (5); eFG%: 48.0 (T-9); Pace/40 Min: 80.84 (6)

Washington’s tumble down the standings continues as they posted an 0-3 week while continuing to be without key players — Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin, Ariel Atkins, and Kristi Toliver – due to injury. Despite going 3-7 in July, the Mystics still stand in the No. 7 spot in the standings and hold a two-game edge over No. 8 Chicago and a three-game edge in the loss column over No. 9 Los Angeles at the bottom of the playoff race.

8. Chicago Sky (10-15)

• Previous Ranking: 8
• Last Week: (1-2) L vs. Aces 107-95, L vs. Storm 83-74, W vs. Mercury 104-85
• This Week: Friday at Wings, Sunday at Wings
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 98.9 (9); DefRtg: 103.5 (8); NetRtg: -4.7 (8); eFG%: 48.8 (5); Pace/40 Min: 79.56 (10)

Despite a career-high 37 points from Kahleah Copper, the Sky were unable to knock off the top-ranked Aces to open last week and followed that with a loss to Seattle before getting a much-needed win over Phoenix in a game that saw the Sky eclipse 100 points for the second time this season. Overall, Chicago has dropped six of its last eight games and has two games in Dallas on deck this week.

9. Los Angeles Sparks (9-16)

• Previous Ranking: 11
• Last Week: (2-1) W vs. Fever 79-78, W vs. Fever 81-68, L vs. Liberty 87-79
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Liberty, Friday at Mystics, Sunday at Mystics
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.8 (10); DefRtg: 100.8 (T-5); NetRtg: -4.0 (7); eFG%: 47.0 (12); Pace/40 Min: 80.76 (7)

The Sparks snapped their eight-game losing streak – the longest single-season streak in franchise history and tied for the longest overall – with consecutive home wins over the Fever this past week behind a combined 55 points from Nneka Ogwumike. The Sparks could not make it a three-game win streak, though, as they fell behind big to New York and saw their comeback fall short in a loss to the Liberty. The Sparks get another shot at New York to open the week before heading to D.C. for a two-game set against the Mystics.

10. Seattle Storm (6-19)

• Previous Ranking: 12
• Last Week: (2-1) L at Liberty 86-82, W at Sky 83-74, W at Fever 85-62
• This Week: Wednesday vs. Wings, Saturday at Mercury
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.5 (T-11); DefRtg: 103.8 (9); NetRtg: -7.3 (11); eFG%: 47.1 (11); Pace/40 Min: 81.17 (T-4)

The Sparks weren’t the only team to snap a franchise-long losing streak this week as the Storm picked up a win in Chicago and Indiana to snap a 10-game skid that spanned nearly an entire month. Seattle nearly posted a perfect week as they led the Liberty by 18 points in New York in the first game of their three-game road trip, but were unable to hold off the Liberty. Jewell Loyd (24.3 ppg) continues to lead the league in scoring as the Storm open the week with a rematch of a scoring duel between Loyd and fourth-leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale (21.6 ppg) as the Storm host the Wings on Wednesday.

11. Phoenix Mercury (6-18)

• Previous Ranking: 9
• Last Week: (0-2) L at Dream 78-65, L at Sky 104-85
• This Week: Tuesday at Fever, Thursday vs. Dream, Saturday vs. Storm
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 96.5 (T-11); DefRtg: 106.2 (11); NetRtg: -9.7 (12); eFG%: 49.8 (3); Pace/40 Min: 78.82 (12)

The good news is that Diana Taurasi returned to the lineup after missing three games with quad and toe injuries as she continues to approach the 10,000 career points milestone – she enters the week needing 47 points. The bad news is that Brittney Griner did not make the Mercury’s current road trip – which wraps up Tuesday in Indiana – for mental health purposes. The Mercury have only one win this season that did not include both Taurasi and Griner in the lineup. Phoenix is 5-11 when both Griner and Taurasi play, 1-3 with Griner but without Taurasi, 0-1 with Taurasi but without Griner, and 0-3 when both are out.

12. Indiana Fever (6-19)

• Previous Ranking: 10
• Last Week: (0-3) L at Sparks 79-78, L at Fever 81-68, L vs. Storm 85-62
• This Week: Tuesday vs. Mercury, Friday vs. Sun, Sunday at Dream
• Team Stats: OffRtg: 100.9 (6); DefRtg: 106.7 (12); NetRtg: -5.8 (9); eFG%: 48.6 (7); Pace/40 Min: 79.29 (11)

The Fever had a two-week stretch from June 9-22 that saw them win four out of six games, but they have gone just 2-17 outside of that promising stretch. After snapping an eight-game losing streak on July 19, the Fever have dropped four in a row, including three last week against teams with losing records. Indiana has played a league-high 17 games featuring clutch time but is just 4-13 in those games. The Fever open the week hosting the Mercury (0-2 this season) and Sun (0-2 this season) before visiting the Dream (where the Fever earned one of its six wins this season).

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.