players struggling – The WNBA’s push for more freedom of movement has meant more fouls and more frustration at the quarter mark of the season, and several players are bearing the brunt—highlighted in a league-by-league look at who’s having the hardest time adjusting.
For some teams, the start of this WNBA season felt like a new game with a familiar penalty attached. The league’s emphasis on freedom of movement has come with a tighter interpretation of contact, pushing the fouls count higher as teams adjust to a new demarcation line.
By the quarter mark, the results show up in the numbers—and in the game-to-game swings that can derail rhythm. In this week’s WNBA power rankings, released every Tuesday this season, the focus is on which players have struggled the most with the new whistle so far.
Minnesota Lynx (11-3) opened the list at No. 1 after previously holding the top spot. The Lynx lead the league in defense. allowing opponents the second-fewest points in the paint per game. and Natasha Howard has been central to that. Howard, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 17.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 14 games, all starts. But she also leads her team with 3.7 fouls per game and has fouled out of two games.
Las Vegas Aces (10-4) moved to No. 2 after previously ranking No. 3. NaLyssa Smith leads the team in fouls with 3.0 per game in 12 starts. even as she has produced a career-high 11.2 points in 23.2 minutes per game. The Aces’ recent results underline the tension between defense and discipline: they picked up a thrilling 100-97 win over the Minnesota Lynx to extend their win streak to six games. but then the run ended with a 30-point loss to the Dallas Wings on Monday.
New York Liberty (10-3) ranked No. 3 after previously sitting at No. 5. The Liberty enter on momentum. holding the longest win streak in the league with seven straight victories and clinching a spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship with an 86-64 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday. Jonquel Jones scored 17 of her game-high 20 points in the second half and is averaging 13.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 13 starts. Jones and Pauline Astier lead the team with 3.1 fouls per game. Astier is averaging 11.3 points and a team-high 3.9 assists.
Atlanta Dream (9-4) climbed to No. 4, up from No. 4. Angel Reese leads the team in fouls with 3.6 per game. She has nine double-doubles across 13 starts. including 15 points and 17 rebounds in the Dream’s 102-77 win over the Toronto Tempo. a game that included a Flagrant 2 foul by Isabelle Harrison. Reese is tied with Caitlin Clark for the most technical fouls this season with four.
Dallas Wings (9-5) come in at No. 5 after previously ranking No. 2. First-year coach Jose Fernandez has emphasized defense. and the Wings have managed to do it with fewer infractions: they average the third-lowest amount of fouls per game (18.2) and surrender the fewest free-throw attempts to opponents per game (17.4). Even so, Paige Bueckers and Alanna Smith average a team-high 2.7 fouls per game. Bueckers is averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game. while Smith has struggled in Dallas with 3.4 points per game in seven starts.
Golden State Valkyries (6-?. as noted under the list) are slotted at No. 6, following a previous rank of No. 7. Veronica Burton is the team’s leader in fouls. averaging 3.7 per game while also posting a career-high 24.4 points and a team-high 29.2 minutes per game through 13 starts. The Valkyries secured two narrow victories last week over the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm.
Indiana Fever (8-5) is at No. 7 after previously ranking No. 8. The Fever commit more fouls than any other team in the WNBA, a detail that left Myisha Hines-Allen speechless. “That’s bad … we have to l learn to defend without fouling,” she said on June 10. Indiana is averaging a league-high 23.9 fouls per game and sending opponents to the free-throw line about 25.5 times per game. the second-highest total in the league. Aliyah Boston is averaging a career-high 3.7 fouls per game in 12 games. all starts. while Caitlin Clark is also averaging 3.7 fouls and is tied with Angel Reese for a league-high four technical fouls.
Toronto Tempo (7-7) sit at No. 9 after previously ranking No. 6. The Tempo average the fourth-most personal fouls (22.6) and give up 23.2 free-throw attempts per game. Laura Juskaite leads the league total fouls with 56 and ranks first in fouls per game (4.0) for players who have appeared in 10 games or more. Juskaite is averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13 games with 11 starts, and has racked up five fouls in seven games.
Portland Fire (6-8) are No. 10, holding steady at the same rank they previously held. The Fire beat the Dallas Wings 84-83 on June 13. Bridget Carleton led the way with a team-high 20 points. while Luisa Geiselsöder added seven points in 14 minutes off the bench. Geiselsöder leads the team with 2.9 fouls per game.
Washington Mystics (4-6) come in at No. 11 after staying No. 11 in the previous slot. The Mystics get to the free-throw line more than any other team, averaging 25.8 free-throw attempts per game. Kiki Iriafen has increased her scoring from 13.3 points in her rookie season to 14.6 points in 10 starts. while her personal fouls are also up—averaging 3.2 in 25.7 minutes per game.
Phoenix Mercury (4-11) land at No. 12, dropping from No. 14. The Mercury’s identity is rooted in defense, and they’ve adjusted to the new whistle better than most. They average 18.7 personal fouls per game, ranking fourth lowest in the league. Monique Akoa Makani is averaging a career-high 11.1 points across eight games, all starts, while committing about 3.3 fouls per game.
Chicago Sky (4-9) are No. 13 after previously ranking No. 13. After starting 3-1, the Sky have lost eight of their last nine games. Natasha Cloud, who joined the Sky on May 4, is averaging a career-high 3.9 fouls per game through 12 games, including six starts.
Seattle Storm (3-12) sit at No. 14 with a previous rank of No. 14. The Storm are in the middle of an eight-game losing streak and average 20.5 fouls per game. placing them in the middle of the league in fouls called. Stefanie Dolson is averaging 5.4 points in 15 games with 12 starts and leads the team with 3.1 fouls per game.
Connecticut Sun (2-13) close out the list at No. 15, holding the previous position. The Sun are called for the second-most fouls in the league at 23.7, trailing only the Indiana Fever. Leila Lacan has played in six games this season after returning from overseas. but leads the Sun with 4.3 fouls per game.
The pattern that emerges across teams is stark: as officials lean into the freedom-of-movement emphasis. the players most affected aren’t always the ones with the lowest defensive ratings. Some of the league’s defensive anchors—like Minnesota’s Natasha Howard and the Liberty’s Jonquel Jones—are also among the players most likely to rack up fouls and reach trouble spots. showing how difficult it is to defend effectively when the margin for contact is shrinking.
For now, the rankings make one thing clear at the quarter mark: the new whistle isn’t just changing the way teams play—it’s changing who pays for it on the court.
WNBA new whistle fouls power rankings Natasha Howard NaLyssa Smith Jonquel Jones Angel Reese Caitlin Clark Aliyah Boston Myisha Hines-Allen
So they changed the whistle and now everyone’s fouling… cool cool.
I don’t get it, if they want more “freedom of movement” why is it suddenly “tighter contact”?? Sounds like the league is contradicting itself and then acting surprised when players are frustrated by the quarter mark.
Natasha Howard being “central to that” defense thing—yeah but isn’t Minnesota just always good? Like the new whistle didn’t suddenly make them No. 1 lol. Also “fouls count higher” doesn’t mean it’s the whistle’s fault? could be teams playing harder defense. idk.
Man this new whistle sounds like they just said “no more touching” and then act like it’s science. Players brunt at the quarter mark… that’s when tired legs happen too. Plus power rankings every Tuesday like it’s a video game patch update. I swear they rank based on vibes not stats because Minnesota already had the best record.