With the WNBA postseason beginning on Sept. 14, the combat for playoff spots and seeding will solely ratchet up within the coming weeks. One of many greatest elements in who makes it in and who will get home-court benefit is the remaining schedule. The uneven nature of the 2025 slate implies that the groups who’re touring and going through high groups within the house stretch could have a harder time.
The WNBA playoffs are structured otherwise from the NBA. The highest eight groups, no matter convention, transfer into the postseason. The remainder of the format is acquainted, with the workforce with the perfect file getting the highest seed and home-court benefit all through.
There will likely be two modifications within the playoffs this 12 months. The finals will improve from 5 to seven video games, with a 2-2-1-1-1 format, which means the upper seed would host the primary two video games, and the decrease seed would get the following two, after which they may commute with the upper seed attending to host a possible Sport 7.
The primary spherical will function a 1-1-1 construction, so the upper seed will host the primary and, if wanted, third sport. (Within the earlier playoff format, the lower-seeded workforce wouldnt get any video games at house until they took one of many first two video games, which had been on the highway.)
The brand new format for the primary spherical means getting home-court benefit isnt fairly as vital, as groups will now have to journey for at the least one sport, whatever the seed. Nonetheless, groups will need to make it into the highest 4 only for the possibility to play extra video games at house, so lets check out the groups preventing for that all-important fourth playoff spot.
Present file and standing: 16-9; third
Most vital sport: Aug. 17 at Seattle
Outlook: The excellent news for Phoenix is that they’ve the simplest remaining schedule based mostly on their opponents profitable share. Most of their remaining video games are in opposition to groups additional down the standings, and their remaining three video games of the season are in opposition to the Solar, Sparks and Wings, all groups at the moment out of the playoff image. Phoenix has struggled with accidents this season their massive three of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Saballly and Kahleah Copper has not performed collectively a lot so a better schedule might enable the Mercury to present their starters a break within the run-up to the playoffs.
Present file and standing: 16-11, 4th
Most vital sport: Sept. 5 at house vs. New York
Outlook: The Storm have the fourth-toughest remaining schedule within the league. Along with their August video games in opposition to the Dream and Mercury, they may play the Lynx twice, the Liberty as soon as, and finish the common season in opposition to the Valkyries, who might be battling to make it into the playoffs of their first season. The Storm will want their stars, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins, to paved the way Diggins put up her first profession triple-double in a blowout win over the Solar on Sunday.
Present file and standing: 15-11; fifth
Most vital video games: Aug. 13 and 15, away after which house in opposition to Seattle
Outlook: Atlanta is only a smidge behind Phoenix with the second-easiest remaining power of schedule, however they do have a tough stretch in mid-August the place they face Phoenix, Seattle twice, Golden State, Las Vegas, Minnesota and New York. If they will emerge from this run across the No. 4 spot, they’ve a great shot to carry on and earn home-court benefit via the primary spherical as they play their remaining 5 video games in opposition to Los Angeles and Connecticut.
Whereas the Mercury, Storm and Dream are preventing for home-court within the first spherical, they’re all however assured a spot within the postseason. The Aces, Mystics and Valkyries are preventing for playoff spots, interval heres how their schedules have an effect on them:
Present file and standing: 14-13; seventh
Most vital sport: Aug. 23 at Washington
Outlook: It feels a bit surreal to suppose that the Aces the workforce that received back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, the workforce with 4 Olympic gold medalists, together with three-time MVP Aja Wilson won’t make the playoffs in 2025. But when they cant navigate the remainder of the season with extra consistency, it might occur. Their power of schedule is true in the midst of the highway in comparison with the remainder of the league, however the Aces do have some robust video games within the schedules remaining six weeks, together with video games in opposition to the Liberty and Lynx. The ultimate three video games of the season do provide some promise for the Aces, nonetheless, because the workforce will play the Sky twice and the Sparks as soon as.
Present file and standing: 13-13; eighth
Most vital sport: Aug. 30 at Golden State
Outlook: The younger Mystics are in a great place to make it to the playoffs in Sydney Johnsons first 12 months because the groups head coach, particularly as a result of they’ve a reasonably simple schedule (third-easiest within the league). It’s not a cupcake, because the Mystics should play the Lynx as soon as and the Liberty twice, all on the highway, however they may proceed to shock with their rookie duo, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, serving to lead the cost.
Present file and standing: 12-13; ninth
Most vital sport: Aug. 30 vs. the Mystics
Outlook: Among the finest WNBA tales this season is the Valkyries, who might make the postseason of their first 12 months in existence, all with out a celebrity. However it is not going to be simple for Golden State to interrupt into the leagues high eight with the sixth-toughest remaining schedule within the league. Its not simply that the Valks should face the Mercury and Lynx twice and the Liberty as soon as. Its their sheer variety of video games within the subsequent six weeks. A very unforgiving stretch begins Aug. 9 and ends Aug. 19, with Golden State taking part in each different day. They then finish the season on the highway with video games at Seattle and Minnesota. But when they make it via that with a postseason berth, they are going to be well-prepared for the playoffs behind head coach Natalie Nakase, a former assistant with the Aces.