Latest WNBA Standings After Dream Win, Wings Loss Shake Up Playoff Race

The WNBA playoff picture is still taking shape.

Sep 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the game between the Wings and the Mercury at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The WNBA playoff picture is getting clearer but remains fuzzy. However, some developments Monday night did change potential seeding and first-round matchup scenarios.

First, the Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty in Brooklyn. This gave the Dream a strong grip on the fourth seed with one game remaining, also against the Liberty. Atlanta would need to drop that contest and for the Indiana Fever to beat the Minnesota Lynx twice in order to fall to fifth. They could theoretically still jump to third but that would require the Las Vegas Aces to lose out to the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury.

Then later, the Dallas Wings unexpectedly dropped a contest against the Mercury. This ensured the Fever can finish no worse than sixth if they are able to win at least one of their last two games versus the Lynx. Minnesota is just one game ahead of the Golden State Valkyries for the No. 1 overall seed, but hold the tiebreaker. So for the Valkyries to pass them, they would have to win out and the Lynx would have to lose out. The Fever could still move into fourth but that would require them sweeping the Lynx and the Dream losing their final game to the Liberty.

The surging Washington Mystics can set a date with the Dream if they close out with wins over the Connecticut Sun and Chicago Sky and the Fever lose at least once. As of now, it would be Fever versus Dream in the first round, but if Indiana winds up in sixth they would most likely take on the defending-champion Aces.

The Wings and the Liberty both lost tonight.

HUGE for the Mystics playoff implications‼️

Mystics clinch #6 seed with:
✅ win at home vs. Sun
✅ win at home vs. Sky

+ Mystics clinch #5 seed with:
❌ 2 wins + Fever loss (b2b vs. Lynx)

Remarkable for a team that started 12-12 👏 pic.twitter.com/v536fSMs7o

— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) September 22, 2026

Liberty in 8th if Season Ended Today

After their dual losses the Liberty currently occupy the eighth seed despite a tie record wise with the Wings. However, that can still change.

If Dallas ends with a win over the Seattle Storm and the Mystics win out, the Wings stay in seventh. They could still drop to eighth even with a win if other results don't work in their favor, which would need to include the Liberty beating the Dream as one factor.

There is also a path to the Wings finishing in sixth, or even fifth, but the latter is extraordinarily unlikely.

Of course, the results of the playoffs will matter much more, but the remaining games in the regular season still carry intrigue given how much parity there is between the top teams in the WNBA.