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Sixteen days left within the WNBA common season. Two playoff berths secured. Three groups eradicated. The 2025 WNBA playoff image is taking form.
The highest groups within the league — the Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty — are preventing for playoff seeding and home-court benefit. However elsewhere within the WNBA standings, 5 groups, all inside 4 video games of one another, are realistically vying for the ultimate three spots.
If the playoffs began Tuesday, the Seattle Storm (10.5 video games behind the league-leading Lynx), Golden State Valkyries (11) and Indiana Fever (11) can be the sixth via eighth seeds within the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Sparks (12) and Washington Mystics (14.5) narrowly lacking the lower.
ESPN breaks down what it’s essential to learn about every of those playoff hopefuls and their remaining path to clinching a spot within the postseason.
Likelihood to make the playoffs: 95.1% (per ESPN’s WNBA BPI)
Playoff outlook: Seattle has largely been outlined by its inconsistencies this season, and a six-game dropping streak to begin August — a stretch wherein every sport was determined by 10 factors or fewer and the crew fell beneath .500 — put the Storm in peril of falling out of the playoff image. However the crew has recovered with 4 wins in its previous 5 video games, together with its victory over Washington punctuated by Nneka Ogwumike’s buzzer beater.
At No. 6 within the standings, the Storm may look secure for now. However they’ll wish to keep away from dropping additional and touchdown a matchup in opposition to the likes of the Lynx or red-hot Aces to have a greater likelihood to win their first playoff sequence since 2022. The Storm have notably been higher on the street (12-8) than at residence (8-10), a pattern they will look to buck after they shut the season with 4 consecutive contests at Local weather Pledge Enviornment.
Pivotal participant: Dominique Malonga has been a brilliant spot in Seattle’s up-and-down season. The 19-year-old has emerged as an indispensable a part of the Storm’s rotation in current weeks, with three 20-point performances and three double-doubles in August. Malonga might need one of many highest ceilings of anybody within the league.
Remaining video games (6): @ IND (Aug. 26), @ MIN (Aug. 28), vs. CHI (Aug. 30), vs. LA (Sept. 1), vs. NY (Sept. 5), vs. GS (Sept. 9)
Collection information: 1-2 vs. GS; 0-2 vs. IND; 1-2 vs. LA; 1-2 vs. WAS
Likelihood to make the playoffs: 88.2%
Playoff outlook: With Caitlin Clark restricted to 13 video games and three different guards now out for the season, accidents have lowered the Fever’s ceiling as they search consecutive playoff appearances for the primary time since 2015-16. The crew has prided itself on its resolve within the face of adversity however has received solely two video games (vs. Chicago and Connecticut in extra time) since Aug. 5 — begging the query of whether or not the Fever is perhaps reaching a breaking level.
New additions Odyssey Sims, Shey Peddy and Aerial Powers cannot totally make up for the losses of Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham (and continued absence of Clark), however they carry veteran expertise that may very well be useful in these kinds of high-stakes conditions.
Not serving to issues: Indiana’s upcoming schedule is not very forgiving, with almost all the Fever’s remaining video games in opposition to groups which can be preventing for both a postseason berth or seeding.
Pivotal participant: Clark hasn’t performed since July 15 however participated in shootaround Sunday morning, her first time understanding with the crew in some capability throughout her prolonged absence. How rapidly will Indiana be capable to get her again into the combo, and the way will she look as soon as she’s again on the ground? And may a continued slide within the standings imply her return finally ends up being too little, too late?
Remaining video games (7): vs. SEA (Aug. 26), @ LA (Aug. 29), @ GS (Aug. 31), @ PHX (Sept. 2), vs. CHI (Sept. 5), @ WAS (Sept. 7), vs. MIN (Sept. 9)
Collection information: 2-0 vs. SEA; 0-2 vs. GS; 0-3 vs. LA; 1-2 vs. WAS
Likelihood to make the playoffs: 76.8%
Playoff outlook: The Valkyries have far surpassed preseason expectations, already setting a WNBA document for probably the most wins by an growth crew of their inaugural season after they notched No. 18 earlier this month. Now they’re inside attain of changing into the primary WNBA growth franchise to make the playoffs in its debut season. All of the extra exceptional is that the Valkyries have managed to remain afloat whereas coping with a bunch of accidents, significantly after dropping All-Star Kayla Thornton (knee) for the remainder of the 12 months.
Golden State has led the league in attendance this summer season and can look to capitalize on its home-court benefit when it hosts 5 straight contests over the following two weeks earlier than ending the common season on the street.
Pivotal participant: Veronica Burton has been a revelation for the Valkyries, rising as a number one candidate for WNBA Most Improved Participant after extra restricted roles in earlier stops in Dallas and Connecticut. She leads energetic Golden State gamers in scoring, assists and steals, tasked with much more after Thornton went down together with her harm. However she has shined with at the very least 24 factors in three of the previous six video games and a 24-point, 14-assist, zero-turnover efficiency final week. She’ll need to proceed her stellar two-way play, particularly her productiveness on the offensive finish, for the Valkyries to make extra historical past within the coming weeks.
Remaining video games (7): vs. WAS (Aug. 30), vs. IND (Aug. 31), vs. NY (Sept. 2), vs. DAL (Sept. 4), vs. MIN (Sept. 6), @ SEA (Sept. 9), @ MIN (Sept. 11)
Collection information: 2-1 vs. SEA; 2-0 vs. IND; 3-1 vs. LA; 3-0 vs. WAS
Likelihood to make the playoffs: 39.3%
Playoff outlook: The brand new-look Sparks have been clear about their aim all 12 months: make the playoffs. Not solely has Los Angeles missed the postseason annually since 2020, however after buying and selling away its No. 2 choose for Kelsey Plum, returning to the playoffs in 2025 grew to become much more paramount. L.A. picked up steam across the All-Star break, profitable eight of 9 video games in a single stretch. However since then, the Sparks have alternated wins and losses, stopping them from reaching a greater place within the standings.
Of all of the groups left jockeying for the ultimate few playoff berths, the Sparks have probably the most video games remaining (9), together with six within the closing 11 days of the common season. And to remain within the hunt, they will need to do what Kelsey Plum commanded of them within the moments following their thrilling win over Dallas final week: “Play some f—ing protection.”
Pivotal participant: 5 – 6 gamers can attain double figures within the Sparks’ high-octane offense, however Rickea Jackson has been significantly essential on this current surge for Los Angeles. Main as much as the Sparks’ sizzling streak in mid-July, she averaged 12.1 factors per sport. That is as much as 17.3 PPG within the 15 video games since. The Sparks’ greatest guess of happening a run hinges on them piling on the scoring in opposition to their opponents, and Jackson performs an enormous position there.
Remaining video games (9): vs. PHX (Aug. 26), vs. IND (Aug. 29), vs. WAS (Aug. 31), @ SEA (Sept. 1), @ ATL (Sept. 3), @ ATL (Sept. 5), vs. DAL (Sept. 7), @ PHX (Sept. 9), vs. LV (Sept. 11)
Collection information: 2-1 vs. SEA; 1-3 vs. GS; 3-0 vs. IND; 2-1 vs. WAS
Likelihood to make the playoffs: 0.6%
Playoff outlook: The Mystics are one of many nice surprises of the WNBA season behind the rookie All-Star tandem of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. However after sending Brittney Sykes to Seattle earlier than the commerce deadline, it seems they will miss the playoffs. They’ve dropped within the standings after dropping 9 of their previous 12 (together with 4 straight) and are sitting 3.5 video games out of eighth place with simply six video games remaining. However in 12 months 2 of its rebuild, Washington is perhaps content material with lacking the postseason and touchdown again within the lottery.
Pivotal gamers: Citron and Iriafen are the go-to gamers in D.C., however Shakira Austin is one other more and more necessary high possibility, shining just lately with a 30-point (on 67% taking pictures), 5-rebound, 4-block sport. The Mystics will want these three firing on all cylinders in the event that they wish to make a late playoff push and move the likes of Indiana and L.A. within the standings.
Remaining video games (6): @ NY (Aug. 28), @ GS (Aug. 30), @ LA (Aug. 31), vs. PHX (Sept. 4), vs. IND (Sept. 7), @ NY (Sept. 9)
Collection information: 2-1 vs. SEA; 0-3 vs. GS; 2-1 vs. IND; 1-2 vs. LA
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