2016 WNBA MVP Race: Week 4

A month has passed in the 2016 WNBA regular season and the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks are still undefeated.

That likely won't change until June 21 when these two powerhouse squads clash for the first time. That game will also feature the inevitable match-up between two of the best players in the league today: Maya Moore and Candace Parker.

Here is Week 4 of the WNBA MVP Race.

1. Maya Moore (Last week: 2)
2. Candace Parker (Last week: 1)
Moore regains hold of the top position as she has the better player efficiency rating (PER) than Parker, 25.6 to 23.3. The Lynx guard also the better win shares, 2.1 to 1.4. Moore averaged 18.3 PPG, 6 RPG, and 3.6 APG in her last three games, while Parker averaged only 5.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5 APG in her last two games. But since Parker is getting more help from her teammates (see no. 6 in this list), she does not need to carry that much load on both ends of the floor (that's also an encouraging sign). But make no mistake, this is still a tight battle for the no. 1 spot.

3. Tina Charles (Last week: 5)
Charles powered the New York Liberty to back to back wins over the past week, helping the squad get second spot in the Eastern Conference. Charles had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in a 90-75 win over the San Antonio Stars, then dropped 28 points in a 91-88 win over the Dallas Wings. The Liberty have improved their record to two games above .500, thanks to Charles' solid play.

 4. Angel McCoughtry (Last week: 3)
Though the Atlanta Dream split their games over the past week, but McCoughtry remained dangerous, averaging 20 PPG, 5 RPG, and 2.5 in the stretch. That was enough to keep the Dream on top of the East.

5. Diana Taurasi (Last week: 10)
Taurasi showed why she is still considered as one of the best players in the world this week, scoring back to back 31-point games while leading the Phoenix Mercury to back to back wins. Taurasi also shot 42.1 percent from three-point area in those wins, and 22-for-23 from the foul line.

The Mercury improved to 4-6 in the season after those wins, good for third in the Western Conference and seventh overall in the league.

6. Nneka Ogwumike (Last week: 8)
 Nneka Ogwumike continued her impressive performance this week, notching three straight double-doubles in wins over the Liberty, Wings, and Chicago Sky.

Ogwumike set a record after having a perfect game against the Wings. She finished with a season-high 32 points on 12-for-12 shooting and 7-for-7 free throws. She even made a three. A few days after, Ogwumike set a record for most consecutive field goal makes at 23.

The Sparks forward also leads the league in win shares (3.3) and has an astounding effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 69.6.

 7. Jewell Loyd (Last week: 4)
The only reason Loyd dropped to no. 7 this week is because the Seattle Storm have lost three out of their last four games. Loyd scored only nine points on 3-for-8 shooting in a loss to the Connecticut Sun, although bounced back with 20 points in a close win over the Indiana Fever. Against the San Antonio Stars, however, Loyd was only 6-for-16 from the field and a minus-12, though she finished with 17 points.

 8. Elena Delle Donne (Last week: 7)
After leading the Sky to four straight wins, Delle Donne struggled in her last two outings. She did average 16.5 PPG in her last two games, but shot only 11-for-27 from the field as the Sky lost on both occasions.

 9. Sylvia Fowles (Last week: NA)
Another key reason behind the Lynx's romp in the regular season is Fowles' solid play inside the paint. Her interior presence has given the Lynx's opponents an even more difficult time to contain a powerhouse squad. Fowles had 21 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury, then dropped 14 and 11 on the Dream, and 18 and seven on the Washington Mystics.

 10. Breanna Stewart (Last week: 6)
Stewart averaged just 8.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG in her last two games which the Storm split; though those numbers aren't exactly bad, we know Stewart can do better.

Outside looking in: Emma Meesseman, Tiffany Hayes,

(For the previous week's rankings, CLICK HERE)

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