The postseason picture is nearly complete. The Washington Mystics secured the No. 5 seed Thursday with a victory paired with an Indiana Fever loss, relegating the Fever to the No. 6 spot.
The only remaining question: Will the defending champion Las Vegas Aces or the Golden State Valkyries capture the No. 2 seed?
While all eight playoff berths were decided in August, the final seeding hierarchy remained unsettled until the regular season concluded Thursday.
Below is a breakdown of the postseason field, ordered by the date each team clinched its berth.
The WNBA playoffs tip off Sunday with four opening-round games.
Playoff seed: No. 1; will face New York in the first round
How they got here: Minnesota became the first team to punch its postseason ticket on Aug. 9, defeating Dallas to reach 27-7 with 11 games remaining. Preseason skepticism surrounded the Lynx after Napheesa Collier’s double-ankle surgery and key free-agent departures, yet Minnesota has resided atop the standings for much of the summer. The club rattled off an eight-game winning streak in May and June, followed by a 10-game surge from July 8 to Aug. 2.
Rookie point guard Olivia Miles (19.9 PPG, 6.1 APG), the No. 2 overall pick, has adapted seamlessly, authoring one of the most remarkable freshman campaigns in league history. Guard Kayla McBride (18.2 PPG, 42.3% 3PT) has delivered highlight-reel performances, including a career-high 43 points and a WNBA single-game record 10 three-pointers in that Aug. 9 clincher. Forward Natasha Howard anchored the frontcourt during Collier’s absence, averaging 15.1 points and 7.8 rebounds on 58.7% shooting. Guard Courtney Williams (14.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.2 APG), another every-game starter, has provided steady production all season.
Key stat: Twenty-seven. Collier debuted on July 22, by which time the Lynx were 21-6 and had completed 61% of their schedule—establishing themselves as the league’s best team without the perennial MVP candidate. Since her return, Minnesota is 8-1. Collier posted 24 points and 10 rebounds in her first game back and is averaging 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals. (Stats through games as of Aug. 16.)
Playoff seed: TBD
How they got here: Las Vegas clinched the second playoff spot on Aug. 13 with a win over Washington, improving to 24-11 with nine games left. After requiring a second-half turnaround to capture the franchise’s third title last year, the Aces remain powered by A’ja Wilson, who leads the league with 26.1 points to go with 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals on 52.3% shooting. The supporting cast remains elite: Jackie Young (18.4 PPG, 6.7 APG) and Chelsea Gray (12.3 PPG, 7.1 APG) orchestrate the backcourt alongside Jewell Loyd (8.1 PPG), who continues to thrive in a reserve role. Forward NaLyssa Smith (12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG) rounds out the double-digit scorers.
Key stat: Wilson has scored in double figures every game this season, dipping to 15 or fewer points only twice. Last year she became the first player to win four regular-season MVPs (adding a second Finals MVP). This season she has drained 33 three-pointers, a new single-season high (31 in 2022). (Stats through games as of Aug. 16.)
Playoff seed: TBD
How they got here: A year after becoming the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, Golden State returned to the postseason with a home victory over Dallas on Monday, becoming the third team to clinch in 2026. The Valkyries secured their berth with 10 games remaining and a 25-9 record, built on a league-best scoring defense and exceptional depth. Free-agent addition Gabby Williams (14.6 PPG, 1.6 SPG) has been among the league’s most impactful newcomers. Sixth Player of the Year favorite Janelle Salaun contributes 13.1 PPG off the bench, while guard Veronica Burton adds 12.3 PPG.
Key stat: Golden State is 19-4 since June 9 after a 6-5 start. The Valkyries have won six straight—the longest active streak in the WNBA. (Stats through games as of Aug. 17.)
Playoff seed: No. 6, opponent TBD
How they got here: Indiana’s five-game winning streak ended with a Thursday loss to Dallas, but the Fever clinched a playoff spot Friday when Portland fell to Toronto. Guard Kelsey Mitchell (24.6 PPG) has been historic, scoring 20+ points in a WNBA-record 21 consecutive games. On Thursday, she logged her third career game with 35+ points and 5+ assists on 50% shooting—tying A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi and Kelsey Plum for the most ever. Before the streak snapped, Caitlin Clark (21.7 PPG, 8.3 APG) set a league record with seven straight games of 20+ points and 5+ assists. Aliyah Boston rounds out the core with 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Key stat: The Fever have eclipsed 100 points in a WNBA-record 16 games this season—five more than any other team in history. Indiana is headed to its third consecutive playoff appearance after missing the postseason for seven straight years prior to 2024. (Stats through games as of Aug. 21.)
Playoff seed: No. 4, will face Washington in the first round
How they got here: Atlanta clinched on Saturday behind Angel Reese’s career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds—her third straight 20-point, 10-rebound outing. This season Reese has 10 such games (she had 10 total in her first two seasons combined) and 26 double-doubles overall. Allisha Gray (19.4 PPG) leads the team in scoring, followed by Rhyne Howard (18.2 PPG). The All-Star trio fuels the league’s third-highest scoring offense, which has twice broken the franchise single-game scoring record this year (124 points vs. Los Angeles on Thursday). Guard Jordin Canada averages 7.4 assists, third in the WNBA.
Key Stat: Only two players league-wide average a double-double: Reese (16.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG) and Dallas’ Jessica Shepard (14.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG). (Stats through games as of Aug. 23.)
Playoff seed: No. 8; will face Minnesota in the first round
How they got here: New York clinched Sunday when Chicago lost. After a bumpy start to Chris DeMarco’s first season—4-4 in late May, 13-11 in mid-July—the Liberty have won 10 of 13. Breanna Stewart (20.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.3 APG) remains elite, shooting a career-best 46.8% since 2022. Sabrina Ionescu (15.9 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.0 RPG) missed 13 games to injury, while All-Star center Jonquel Jones adds 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. The return of Leonie Fiebich arrives at an ideal time; New York went 9-7 without her, but she posted 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in her comeback win over Indiana Saturday.
Key Stat: The Liberty boast remarkable depth. Excluding Satou Sabally (15 games, none since June 23 due to concussion symptoms), six players average at least 9.0 points and 20 minutes, including Marine Johannes (9.0 PPG) and Pauline Astier (9.3 PPG, 3.4 APG). (Stats through games as of Aug. 24.)
Playoff seed: No. 5, will face Atlanta in the first round
How they got here: Washington clinched Sunday; its win over Chicago combined with Atlanta’s loss that night made the Mystics the seventh team to secure a berth. In that 105-100 victory, Shakira Austin erupted for a career-high 31 points and her first career 30-point, 10-rebound game. Austin (17.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG) leads the team in scoring, closely followed by guard Sonia Citron (16.9 PPG). Kiki Iriafen (15.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG) has recorded three consecutive double-doubles.
Key Stat: The league’s youngest roster returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2023. (Stats through games as of Aug. 24.)
Playoff seed: No. 7, opponent TBD
How they got here: Paige Bueckers (20.6 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.1 RPG), who poured in 54 points over her last two games, propelled Dallas to its first postseason appearance since 2023. The Wings clinched the final spot Tuesday behind double-digit scoring from all five starters. Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 pick, leads Dallas in scoring and assists in her playoff debut. Jessica Shepard (14.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG) has been one of the league’s most impactful newcomers, joining Reese as the only players averaging a double-double. Arike Ogunbowale chips in 15.1 PPG. The Wings lost 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd (13.1 PPG) to a season-ending knee injury earlier this month. Emerging post player Awak Kuier (5.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG) may be peaking at the right time, posting 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks Tuesday.
Key stat: Dallas improved to 23-16 Tuesday, the franchise’s most wins since 2007 (when the team was still in Detroit). The Wings have logged 20 games with 90+ points, a single-season franchise record. (Stats through games as of Aug. 25.)
