August has come to an end and the WNBA playoffs are in sight. As the regular season speeds to a close, teams are either pushing for playoff positions or looking for luck in the draft lottery.
The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces are struggling despite superhuman play from A’ja Wilson, the Dallas Wings look like a force to be reckoned with after seeing several of their players return from injury, the Atlanta Dream have been rudely awakened, and no amount of Tylenol can stop Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
With all of that in play, let’s check out how things currently stand on the league level.
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12. L.A. Sparks (7-24)
Last Week: 11 | Upcoming: ATL (9/1), IND (9/4), CHI (9/6)
After a brief slump, Dearica Hamby is back to her MVP-esque self as of late, helping to power the Sparks to their first win since July. Rickea Jackson has been forged in the fire this season and has handled it with aplomb. She’s knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor and has cemented herself as a real piece for the future with this rebuilding Sparks team.
11. Atlanta Dream (10-20)
Last Week: 5 | Upcoming: LAS (9/1), PHX (9/3), DAL (9/6)
With every dream comes an awakening and for Atlanta it was as rude as Stephanie Tanner. The Dream looked like a team revived, slaying a slew of tough opponents to make a splash in the playoff race, but, since then, they have lost three straight, albeit all within 5 points.
At this point of the season, Atlanta cannot afford to lose since as they traded their 2025 first-round pick and need a playoff berth to mitigate the sting of losing out on another potential franchise cornerstone to play alongside Rhyne Howard.
10. Chicago Sky (11-19)
Last Week: 9 | Upcoming: MIN (9/1), LVA (9/3), LAS (9/6)
The Chicago Sky have not won a game since they beat the Sparks the day after the season resumed from the Olympic break, but outside of two lopsided losses to Phoenix, the squad has been fairly competitive.
Yet, the Marina Mabrey trade still may be having an impact on the team with inconsistent lineups plaguing the flow of the team. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are unstoppable on the boards and have formed a double-double duo down low. Chennedy Carter continues to be a bright spot for the Sky, including battling the champion Aces to the end in a faceoff that required a Wilson game-winner, although her absence against the Mystics because of illness was a massive loss for a squad hoping to secure the eighth playoff seed.
9. Phoenix Mercury (16-16)
Last Week: 8 | Upcoming: LVA (9/1), ATL (9/3), WSH (9/5), SEA (9/7)
Phoenix was poised to make a name for itself after the break but ended up on the back foot with an injury to Bec Allen, one of the team’s key shooters and defenders.
The Mercury have been trying to work their way into the league’s top rung and have the pieces to do so with a lockdown defender in Britney Griner, an explosive scorer in Kahleah Copper, and an assist magnet in Natasha Cloud. But the team is prone to scoring droughts outside of Griner, who is one of the most effective scorers in the league.
The lack of accuracy from deep has severely hindered Phoenix. Consider, for example, how the Mercury outscored the Liberty at the rim and in fast-break points but were buried by the Liberty’s 12 made threes to Phoenix’s 5.
8. Las Vegas Aces (18-12)
Last Week: 4 | Upcoming: PHX (9/1), CHI (9/3), CON (9/6)
Despite the indomitable play of Wilson, the Las Vegas Aces are having a rough time on their route to a three-peat. The Aces have won only 2 games since returning from the break, both against the struggling Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks.
Wilson had a masterful game against the Wings, dropping 42 points. but couldn’t match the trio of Ogunbowale, Sabally and Howard who all dropped 20+ points while the Aces’ next-highest scorer was Chelsea Gray with 15. Vegas’ dearth of depth has become even more apparent when its starters, outside of the presumptive MVP Wilson, have struggled to produce lately.
7. Dallas Wings (8-22)
Last Week: 10 | Upcoming: IND (9/1), WAS (9/3), ATL (9/6)
Dallas will be left wondering “what if” all offseason, and while the team’s paltry record makes it impossible to get back in the playoff race, getting healthy after the break has done wonders for the Wings. Satou Sabally has come back with a vengeance, averaging 20 points, 6 boards and nearly 5 assists in her return.
Alongside Sabally, the Wings saw the return of Maddy Siegrist, who was in most improved conversations before her injury, and Kalani Brown. With a full team back in tow, the Wings may not be able to get into the playoffs, but they can still have an impact on the standings if they continue to coalesce until the season’s end.
6. Washington Mystics (9-22)
Last Week: 12 | Upcoming: DAL (9/3), PHX (9/5)
The recent turnaround for Washington has been nothing short of mystifying. Since the beginning of the season, Washington has boasted a top-tier offensive scheme that will let it fly from deep, but the team hasn’t been able to close out games. But, if for only a brief moment in time, the Mystics seem to have figured it out.
Brittney Sykes has been the driving force for the Mystics’ resurgence, dropping a season-high 28 against the Sparks and then 20 and game-winning free throws against the Seattle Storm. Stefanie Dolson has also been a key factor as the most accurate three-point shooter in the league for a team that hoists the longball quite often.
5. Seattle Storm (19-11)
Last Week: 7 | Upcoming: CON (9/1), CON (9/3), NYL (9/5), PHX (9/7)
The West’s newest contender had an up-and-down week with a narrow win against Atlanta and an equally narrow loss against the inspired Mystics, but there is more optimism for the Storm with the addition of Gabby Williams, who starred in the 2024 Olympics. Williams’ shot hasn’t been falling, but her stout defense helped the team eke out a win against the Atlanta Dream.
Seattle’s admirable defense has played a huge role in its wins this season, but an additional scoring punch alongside Jewell Loyd could help the squad take a leap for the postseason.
4. Indiana Fever (15-16)
Last Week: 6 | Upcoming: DAL (9/1), LAS (9/4), MIN (9/6)
Indiana has a Fever and the only prescription is more Caitlin Clark. The Eastern Conference Player of the Week averaged 25 points and 9 assists coming from the break and has the team humming on offense.
The entire Indiana team has reached a new level as its connection on the court has grown. Aliyah Boston is efficient at the rim, a deterrent on defense and a skillful passer, NaLyssa Smith battles on the boards while also being a crafty bucket-getter and veteran Kelsey Mitchell acts as a release valve for Caitlin with her own brand of dynamic scoring that perfectly accommodates Clark’s speedy style of play.
Add in Lexie Hull to the starting lineup, a dogged defender and improved shooter, and the Fever have forged a young squad that looks ready to take on the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
3. Connecticut Sun (22-8)
Last Week: 3 | Upcoming: SEA (9/1), SEA (9/3), LVA (9/6)
Though Connecticut took a loss to the rising Fever squad, the Sun were coming off a three-win streak that included a big win over the league-leading New York Liberty. The trade for Marina Mabrey continues to pay dividends for Connecticut as her 15 points helped lead the way to that New York victory for the first time this season. Her shooting requires constant attention on the defensive end, adding an extra layer to the team, but it might not be enough, as demonstrated by the loss against Indiana.
Connecticut’s defense is as staunch as ever thanks to Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, who limited reigning MVP Breanna Stewart to 15 points in the win over the Liberty, but the Fever knocked down 13 threes to Connecticut’s eight in the loss to Indiana.
2. New York Liberty (26-6)
Last Week: 1 | Upcoming: SEA (9/5)
The New York Liberty had a tumultuous but positive week that can be chalked up to rust on Sabrina Ionescu after missing back-to-back games against the Dallas Wings thanks to a neck injury and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finally returning to the court after having knee surgery before the break. Ionescu’s post-injury shooting has fallen off, going 8-of-36 from deep over the last three games while Laney-Hamilton is ramping back up to her usual two-way star standards as the team eyes the postseason.
As the team gains two key members back, it loses one with Jonquel Jones’ playing status unknown after missing the game against the Sparks with an illness. Stewart has returned to form after being held to 15 points against the Sun and came back to drop 21 on the Phoenix Mercury and then 32 on the Sparks in a close loss.
1. Minnesota Lynx (23-8)
Last Week: 2 | Upcoming: CHI (9/1), IND (9/6)
Bolstered by reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Napheesa Collier, the Minnesota Lynx have the longest winning streak in the W at the time of writing. Collier’s all-around play has her at the top of nearly all counting stats and firmly entrenched in the running for MVP and DPOY.
However, it isn’t all Collier that keeps this Lynx team pouncing on their prey. Minnesota has the most depth in the league with passing and shooting at each position, as well as staunch team defense anchored by the most improved candidate Alanna Smith. Minnesota has three of the league’s most accurate shooters, led by All-Star Kayla McBride who, at the time of this article, leads the WNBA in made threes with 90.
Beyond that, Minnesota has only gotten sharper with the addition of Myisha Hines-Allen from the Washington Mystics. Hines-Allen had been performing at a Player of the Year level for the rebuilding team.