WNBA playoff picture: 6 spicy storylines as postseason nears

The WNBA playoff picture is getting really spicy. Buckle up, folks, we're in for a ride.

The 2025 season comes to a close on September 11, and chaos, a.k.a. the playoffs, begin September 14. That means we're less than a month away from the most wonderful or most painful time of the year for fans. If you're here, you might be wondering: What does the WNBA playoff picture look like? What should I be paying attention to? Don't worry. We've got you covered.

Currently, only the Minnesota Lynx, the top team in the standings, have locked up a playoff spot, and every other team is fighting for its playoff life. Not to be dramatic, but the standings are changing almost daily as the postseason nears (nothing looks the same from the WNBA midseason report), and spots two through five and six through 10 are in flux.

Here are seven spicy WNBA playoff picture storylines to keep a pulse on:

1. The Indiana Fever's championship hopes are disappearing

The Fever are a scrappy and resilient bunch (hello, Kelsey Mitchell!), but injuries are threatening to derail their entire season. Superstar guard Caitlin Clark has been out with a groin injury since July 15, and Indiana is also without guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald, who suffered season-ending injuries. That's left head coach Stephanie White's squad pretty thin depth-wise, and now, there's a possible Sophie Cunningham injury to worry about, too. *Gulp*

The Fever, who currently sit sixth in the standings, aren't out of the playoff picture yet, but they've got the Golden State Valkyries threatening to push them down further. Even if Clark comes back before the end of the regular season, that's no guarantee she should be able to propel the team to the WNBA Finals.

2. Will the New York Liberty repeat as WNBA champions?

The question all season long has been: Can the Liberty win back-to-back titles? The Liberty looked like a well-oiled machine early, but they, too, have faced their fair share of injuries threatening their postseason success. First, it was 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones missing time with an ankle injury, then forward Kennedy Burke went out with a calf strain. Now, forward Breanna Stewart (knee) has been sidelined since July 26. (Forward Nyara Sabally is also still out with a knee injury, and forward Isabelle Harrison is currently in concussion protocol. Oof.)

Not having several key players hasn't helped New York stay firmly in the top two spots like it was for so many weeks. The team is four and six in its last six games, despite guard Sabrina Ionescu and forward Emma Meeseman's best efforts. Even if Stewart comes back, that's no guarantee it will fix the team's woes. There's a world that potentially exists where the Liberty *gasp* miss the WNBA Finals altogether and fall short in its repeat bid.

3. The Los Angeles Sparks or the Washington Mystics could push a team out of the WNBA playoffs

We've reached the part of the season where someone might sneak into the WNBA playoffs. The Valkyries were that team for a while, but they currently have a very good chance of making the postseason. So, then, we have to start asking, who else could elbow their way into the playoffs and push a team out? Might I interest you in the Sparks or Mystics?

Both teams currently sit at 16-18 and in spots nine and 10 in the standings, respectively. Los Angeles is 6-4 in its last ten games, and Washington, while 4-6 in its last ten matchups, is quietly pushing its way up the rankings. There's a real chance that the Sparks (shoutout to center Cameron Brink's return and forward Rickea Jackson finding her groove) or the Mystics (push the Sonia Citron agenda!) could send a team packing. *stares intensely at Seattle*

4. Seattle's talent might not be enough to make WNBA playoffs

The Seattle Storm's starting lineup is stacked. Skylar Diggins. Nneka Ogwumike. Gabby Williams. Brittney Sykes. Ezi Magbegor. That's some serious heat and a whole bunch of WNBA experience, and yet, it's not enough to get Seattle out of whatever misery it's currently in. Despite recently breaking a six-game losing streak, the Storm have not won consecutive games since July 3. That's not a typo.

The team has consistently found itself in situations it can't get out of. Whether it's giving up back-breaking shots from the perimeter, blowing a lead or being unable to complete a comeback, the people are probably ― wait for it ― sleepless in Seattle. (I'll show myself out. Sorry.) It's becoming a very real possibility that Seattle could miss the playoffs, and that feels tragic. Pull it together, Storm.

5. The Las Vegas Aces could play WNBA playoff bracket spoilers

Admittedly, my preseason prediction that the Las Vegas Aces would win a WNBA championship did not look good before August. (Who let me pick the Aces like that? That was a hot take, wasn't it?) However, letting the Minnesota Lynx bully them in a 53-point August 2 loss seems to have turned the lights back on in Vegas. The Aces have won *checks notes* seven straight and have gone from the bottom of the standings to fifth place.

Forward A'ja Wilson was doing a lot of the early heavy lifting just to get the Aces in playoff consideration, but now she's getting help from guard Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Plus, in a wild twist of events, guard Jewell Loyd is coming off the bench ... and it works? Wild times. Hold on to your hats, party people. The Aces might push into the top four spots, shifting the playoff picture. That is not a sentence I expected to be typing in August. My Aces prediction from the preseason is still trash. It just looks less trashy now.

6. The Atlanta Dream are dark-horse WNBA title contenders

If you haven't been paying attention to what coach Karl Smesko and his team are doing, now is the time. *loudly plays Welcome to Atlanta* (That's 100 percent corny behavior, but let me cook for a minute.) The Dream are currently second in the WNBA standings, and not many, myself included, likely had that scenario on their 2025 WNBA season bingo card. Smesko is a rookie WNBA head coach, and nearly half his team, including center Brittney Griner and forward Bri Jones, weren't with the organization last season.

Atlanta has surpassed its win total from last season (15) with 22 wins and counting, and is a legitimate WNBA title contender that could win the whole thing. Behind its MVP candidate, guard Allisha Gray and Sixth Player of the Year frontrunner Naz Hillmon, the Dream are building a case to make a deep playoff run. If Atlanta gets to the WNBA Finals in their first season under Smesko, the city will not know peace (in the best way possible). You've been warned.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: WNBA playoff picture 2025: 6 storylines as postseason nears