The Minnesota Lynx secured a spot in the WNBA playoffs after the Indiana Fever went down 81-80 to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night, potentially setting up a repeat of last year's Championship match against the Liberty. But before the Lynx can get there, seven other WNBA teams need to earn their own spot — and the Los Angeles Sparks could end up sneaking on to the list.
There's still a month to go before things are said and done, but at this point it's reasonable to expect that top four teams will be rounded out by the Liberty, the Dream, and the Mercury. That leaves five teams — the Aces, Fever, the Valkyries, the Storm, and the Sparks — vying for the middle four, and it's exactly there that things are getting extremely interesting.
The Aces are recognizable again
After a season beginning that seemed to spell the beginning of the end for the 2022 and 2023 champs, the Aces have steadily — and quietly — started to turn their season around and are currently ranked fifth in the league with a solid 18-14 record. Las Vegas will next face the Liberty at home Wednesday night, a match that could give the Aces the boost the team needs to continue to trend upward.
The Fever are resilient
It's not a stretch to say the Indiana Fever have not enjoyed the season the team was once forecast to have, but that doesn't mean they aren't fighting for the result they want. The Fever has been absolutely plagued by injuries this season and most recently have suffered the loss of all three point guards (Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson). But every time the Fever has been down this season the team has managed to find a way to bounce back, and it would be more surprising than not if they aren't among the playoff teams.
Golden State has every opportunity to do something incredible
If there was an award for most impressive team, the Valkyries would surely secure it. The team came into the 2025 season with nearly every expectation stacked against them and have steadily chipped away at every shred of doubt since. Taking an expansion team to the playoffs would force Natalie Nakase's strong bid for Coach of Year — and would set the bar for the Tempo and Fire extremely high.
The Sparks and the Storm will battle for the final spot
Eight teams make the playoffs, and it's likely the final spot will go to either the Sparks or the Storm — and to be frank, things aren't looking good for the Storm right now. The team has weathered allegations of harassment and bullying in the past (and rumors that Alysha Clark wanted out this season due to verbal altercations in the locker room aren't helping anything), and hasn't played with a consistency that makes it feel like they can be counted on this season.
But Los Angeles? The Sparks are cooking right now. The team was dead last in 2024, and the decisions to bring in Lynne Roberts and sign Kelsey Plum have more than played out in their favor since. Cameron Brink's return to the floor coupled with Rickea Jackson and Dearica Hamby's consistent prowess has all added up to a compelling season for LA — and one that could end with a playoff run of their own.