High Post Hoops
Fansided

Los Angeles Sparks top WNBA AP Preseason Poll

By Russell Steinberg

Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) hits the game winning shot in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) hits the game winning shot in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) hits the game winning shot in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) hits the game winning shot in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx in game five of the WNBA Finals. at Target Center. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 77-76. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2016 WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks are favorites again, according to the league’s preseason AP Poll released on Tuesday.

The Sparks received 11 of 16 total first-place votes, putting them atop the poll just ahead of the Minnesota Lynx, who received the other five.

The New York Liberty, who have finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference the last two years, placed third in the poll, followed by the Washington Mystics.

The complete poll can be found below. First-place votes are in parentheses:

  1. Los Angeles Sparks (11)
  2. Minnesota Lynx (5)
  3. New York Liberty
  4. Washington Mystics
  5. Seattle Storm
  6. Phoenix Mercury
  7. Indiana Fever
  8. Atlanta Dream
  9. Dallas Wings
  10. Chicago Sky
  11. Connecticut Sun
  12. San Antonio Stars

In addition, the AP also released its preseason all-WNBA team. Minnesota’s Maya Moore is the preseason player of the year (and the best player in the WNBA, according to our own David Vertsberger). The rest of the team consists of Tina Charles (Liberty), Elena Delle Donne (Washington), Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles), and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix).

No. 1 WNBA Draft Pick Kelsey Plum (San Antonio) is the unanimous preseason rookie of the year.

The AP will release its first regular season poll on May 23.

Home/Los Angeles Sparks