We're about three-quarters of the way through the WNBA season, but the potential playoff matchups are coming into focus. The Lynx are the only team that has guaranteed themselves a playoff spot so far, and there are still four teams in realistic contention for the final two seeds.
While seeding will almost certainly change and teams at the bottom could be swapped in and out, we can see a snapshot of what the WNBA playoffs could look like. And if the season ended today, we'd be guaranteed some incredible matchups.
Who would make the WNBA Playoffs if the season ended today?
In: Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, Golden State Valkyries, Seattle Storm
Out: Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun
The biggest news here, in the simple in and out of the playoffs, would be the Valkyries in and the Sparks out. The Valkyries would become the first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs and finish above 0.500 in their inaugural season.
The Sparks, meanwhile, would probably be the biggest disappointment. They have made a push over the past few weeks, but Cameron Brink was only back in the lineup for a few games before an ankle injury popped up. After having lured Kelsey Plum in free agency, missing out on the postseason entirely would be a huge letdown — especially with Plum heading back into free agency this summer.
What would the first-round matchups be if the season ended today?
- Seattle Storm (8) vs. Minnesota Lynx (1)
- Golden State Valkyries (7) vs. Atlanta Dream (2)
- Indiana Fever (6) vs. New York Liberty (3)
- Las Vegas Aces (5) vs. Phoenix Mercury (4)
From the standpoint of competitiveness and narrative, these first-round matchups are about as good as fans could hope for. The Fever, and a hopefully healthy Caitlin Clark, get to test themselves against the defending champion New York Liberty. The upstart Valkyries, and their tough, physical defense, get thrown against the run-and-gun Dream. The top-seeded Lynx would face the Storm, who have been sliding of late, but were 16-11 and tied for the No. 4 seed as recently as the last day in July.
And in perhaps the most intriguing matchup, we get a remade contender (the Mercury) against a fading one (Aces) both of whom could be a real challenge for the Lynx in the second round.
The last day of the regular season is Sept. 11, with the playoffs beginning on Sept. 14.