The 7 Biggest Regular-Season Matchups After Wings Clinched Final WNBA Playoff Spot
With the Dallas Wings’ 96-78 win against the Portland Fire, the eight playoff teams are officially decided. Dallas, as well as the Washington Mystics, New York Liberty, Indiana Fever, Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, Golden State Valkyries, and Minnesota Lynx, will have a chance to compete for this year’s championship.
While the playoff teams are already decided, there are plenty of matchups left that matter greatly for postseason seeding and lottery odds.
Atlanta Dream vs. New York Liberty, September 21 and September 23
The Dream and Liberty are very close in the standings. These two games will decide the head-to-head tiebreaker between the teams. They’ve only played once so far in June, and New York won that game. The outcomes could also impact the Aces, Fever, and Mystics since all of those teams are separated by just 2.5 games.
Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever, September 22 and September 24
Minnesota is the only playoff team Indiana hasn’t beaten this season. The Lynx took the only game so far 108-100. Beating the Lynx at least once and close to the playoffs would be a statement win for a Fever team hoping to compete for a championship. Moreover, if the Fever cannot figure out how to take down the Lynx, those two losses could make the difference between going into the playoffs with home-court advantage or having to grind out a first-round series on the road.
New York Liberty vs. Golden State Valkyries, August 27
New York is the most confusing team in the playoff picture. Despite Satou Sabally’s injury trouble, the Liberty should have enough firepower with their big three to compete with the best—they have done that at times, beating every playoff team except for the Valkyries at least once. Nevertheless, they are currently in sixth place. Beating the Valkyries could help the Liberty move up in the standings—every win matters with how close the standings are—or at least inspire some confidence for a potential first-round matchup. They could face off in the 2-7 or 3-6 first-round matchup.
Atlanta Dream vs. Minnesota Lynx, August 30
The Dream’s hold on fourth place is dangerously fickle. They cannot afford any losses, but beating Minnesota is easier said than done. Losing this game could hurt the Dream in the standings and would put all the more pressure on them to beat the Liberty twice in a row, which is a challenge in its own right.
New York Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx, September 18
The reasoning for this one is very similar to the Dream-Lynx matchup to close out August. New York has a tough remaining schedule with the Valkyries, Lynx, and Dream waiting. Losing to Minnesota could push them down the standings and would definitely up the pressure for the two Dream matchups to close out the season. A team with as much injury trouble as the Liberty should want to rest its stars before the playoffs. That won’t be possible with the Lynx and Dream in three of their last four games.
Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever, September 20
The Fever have a 1.5-game lead over the seventh-placed Mystics, but that lead can evaporate quickly, considering that the Fever close out the season with the two games against the most dangerous opponent and the Mystics have a relatively easy schedule left. So, securing the head-to-head tiebreaker over Washington would be an advantage.
Washington Mystics vs. Chicago Sky, September 17 and September 24
These two matchups could impact the Mystics’ playoff seeding, but the lottery implications are much more interesting. The Sky currently have the third-best odds at the number-one pick in 2027, but that pick belongs to the Mystics because of the Ariel Atkins trade. If the Mystics can hand the Sky two extra losses, it increases their odds at the top pick. Washington is already a very, very good team. Now, imagine what Sydney Johnson could do with Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, AND JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker, or Hannah Hidalgo.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.