The end of the WNBA regular season is quickly approaching. With only one playoff seed clinched, the next two days could get chaotic. Two teams are trying to avoid being the No. 8 seed; finishing the season strong has never been more important.
The Minnesota Lynx are officially the top seed — but things have not been going their way as of late. The Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever are still fighting for the fourth and final home-court advantage spot. There's still plenty left to discuss, so here are the current WNBA standings. Plus some key takeaways.
WNBA standings as of Sept. 23
TEAM | W-L (PCT) | GAMES BACK | AVG. POINT DIFF. |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Minnesota Lynx | 32-11 (.744) | --- | +6.9 |
2. Golden State Valkyries | 31-12 (.721) | 1 | +7.2 |
3. Las Vegas Aces | 30-13 (.698) | 2 | +5.4 |
4. Atlanta Dream | 29-14 (.674) | 3 | +6.6 |
5. Indiana Fever | 28-15 (.651) | 4 | +6.2 |
6. Washington Mystics | 27-16 (.628) | 5 | +1.1 |
7. Dallas Wings | 26-17 (.605) | 6 | +4.0 |
8. New York Liberty | 26-17 (.605) | 6 | +3.6 |
9. Portland Fire | 17-27 (.386) | 15.5 | -4.8 |
10. Phoenix Mercury | 16-27 (.372) | 16 | -2.9 |
11. Chicago Sky | 16-27 (.372) | 16 | -3.8 |
12. Los Angeles Sparks | 16-27 (.372) | 16 | -4.4 |
13. Toronto Tempo | 11-32 (.256) | 21 | -8.5 |
14. Connecticut Sun | 10-33 (.233) | 22 | -9.7 |
15. Seattle Storm | 8-35 (.186) | 24 | -6.6 |
Minnesota's woes saved by Golden State upset
If you're a Minnesota Lynx fan, you likely woke up with some conflicting feelings. Unfortunately, we can't be the ones to tell you not to worry — there's plenty to be nervous about. A month ago, the Lynx were the favorite to win it all and were having one of their best seasons in recent years. Now, they've gone 1-4 over their last five outings.
A few weeks ago, if you had told me Cheryl Reeve benched her starters after the first half, I would've assumed it was because they were blowing out their opponent. Last night, that couldn't have been further from the truth. They quickly found themselves down by over 20 points at the half. Reeve decided that it'd be better for her starters to rest their legs instead of attempting to claw back in a game that was essentially done for. It's also important to note that Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles was unavailable due to an injury. Who knows how much of an impact her presence would've made in a game that got out of hand fairly quickly — but it's Olivia Miles, so honestly, it could've made a world of difference.
However, there's a silver lining. Even after losing to the Fever last night, the Lynx still hold the best record in the league, earning them the No. 1 playoff seed. Minnesota fans: go ahead and send Bridget Carleton a thank-you note today. Last night, the Fire upset the Valkyries in an overtime thriller. With that loss, the Valkyries are now unable to surpass the Lynx in the standings.
Even with that little win last night, the Lynx have a lot to think about before the postseason kicks off on Sunday. The last thing they want is this incredibly promising season to be tainted by a first-round boot against an eighth seed.
What is going on in Indiana?
Yeah, the win over the Lynx last night looked promising and I'm sure it put some confidence back into the Fever's cups — but they cannot let it distract them from what happened against the Washington Mystics over the weekend.
At halftime, Indiana was shooting at less than 25 percent from the field. They turned it up a bit in the second half but were unable to overcome the hole they found themselves in. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, once again, combined for over half of the Fever's total points. The sentiment is simple: Mitchell and Clark need help from their supporting cast. Specifically, Aliyah Boston. She put up 7 points against Washington. Per Scott Agness, Head Coach Stephanie White told the media, "I'm concerned — we gotta get AB going. We gotta find a way to get her some touches. She's gotta be a focal point of everything that we do."
That will be something for WNBA fans to watch as we approach the postseason. If the current standings hold up, the Fever will face the Atlanta Dream in the first round. Atlanta is second in the league in rebounds per game. Indy will have to find Boston some production quickly.
Our next biggest indicator of where Minnesota and Indiana really stand will present itself on Thursday when the two squads face off again in the regular season finale. Since the Lynx have already secured the top seed, it's unclear whether they'll risk putting Miles back on the court before the playoffs. But watch for how the rest of the Lynx starters respond to a performance that Napheesa Collier called "embarrassing," per Kareem Copeland.
The scariest teams heading into postseason
Atlanta Dream
The Dream have won eight of their last nine outings, including two recent wins over the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Angel Reese, specifically, has been playing the best basketball of her WNBA career. We can assume that as she embarks on her first WNBA postseason, the energy and production will not slow down.
When all of the Atlanta starters are contributing — including Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada — they quickly become the scariest team in the league. Against New York, Canada put up a team-high 19 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Reese, Howard and Gray all scored in double figures, as well. Things are clicking in Atlanta.
Plus, DeWanna Bonner may have been the Dream's best decision. Against New York, Bonner put up 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. She's not only bringing an electric spark off the bench to the playoffs, but she's also bringing unbeatable postseason experience that will ultimately impact the entire locker room.
Washington Mystics
I'm not sure a lot of people expected this young, pesky Mystics squad to be in the playoffs this season — but now, they've become one of the top teams no one wants to face in the first round. Much like the Dream, things are simply clicking at the right time for the Mystics. They've won six of their last seven matchups — including that dominant performance against the Fever.
Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin have quickly become one of the best frontcourt duos across the league. Against Indiana, the two combined for 41 points and 24 rebounds. Even rookie Lauren Betts made her presence known, specifically on defense. She recorded 3 steals and 2 blocks against the Fever. If Washington's starting guards, Georgia Amoore and Sonia Citron, continue to keep up and contribute to their frontcourt's dominance, we might see the Mystics make a little postseason run.
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