WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx Continue Domination as Playoff Picture Solidifies
There won't be much suspense surrounding the WNBA playoff cutline this season.
As of Aug. 24, seven teams have already booked their ticket to the postseason. The Dallas Wings are on the verge of claiming that final playoff berth, almost certainly depriving the WNBA of the "will they, won't they?" drama that typically defines the final month of the season.
There's not much room for movement at the very top of the mountain, either. The Minnesota Lynx hold a five-game cushion atop the standings and can officially clinch the No. 1 seed with a win over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night.
Instead, the real fun lies somewhere in the middle. Only 1.5 games separate the second-through-fifth-place teams, setting up a fascinating race for the No. 2 seed -- and a weekly headache when it comes time to rank them in our WNBA power rankings.
1. Minnesota Lynx (31-7, W6)
Previous Ranking: 1 (--)
What more can be said about the Lynx? After extending their winning streak to six games on Friday, the WNBA title favorites are on a spectacular 19-1 stretch that dates back to July 8.
This latest heater features a decisive 77-66 win over the Valkyries and two victories over the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. Olivia Miles has been at the center of it all, reaching the 20-point mark in seven of eight August games. An MVP award could very well be in play for the 2026 No. 2 overall pick, with coach Cheryl Reeve making the case for her rookie phenom over the weekend.
The Spectacle has VISION 🥽
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 22, 2026
What a dime from Olivia Miles! pic.twitter.com/WRKUAGMK0i
Then again, that's small potatoes compared to the trophy that Miles and the Lynx will chase in October. After three-and-a-half months of utter domination, Minnesota can officially clinch the No. 1 seed -- and a favorable path this postseason -- with a win over Golden State on Monday. Not that they seem to need any extra help.
2. Atlanta Dream (24-13, W3)
Previous Ranking: 6 (+4)
Minnesota owns the best record in August, but many metrics have the Atlanta Dream as the league's best team this month. The Dream own the highest average scoring differential (+10.1) and best NET rating (+12.2) through nine games, going 6-3 in that span. Only one of those wins has come against a team in playoff position, but that win was a convincing 97-82 victory over the Aces.
Ultimately, the play of Atlanta's big three -- Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Angel Reese -- has this squad trending in the right direction. Howard is back to her elite ways after a rocky close to July, and Gray remains the steady foundation that drives this offense. Reese put up a career-high 31 points in Saturday's win over Phoenix, making 14-of-21 from the field and pulling down 14 boards.
Angel Reese this week:
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) August 23, 2026
21 PTS - 10 RBS - 4 AST - 4 STL
20 PTS - 10 RBS - 8 AST - 3 STL
31 PTS - 14 RBS - 2 AST - 4 STL
Team Record: (3-0)
Reese averaged (24.0) points, (11.3) rebounds, (4.7) assists, and (3.7) steals this week! 😮💨✨ pic.twitter.com/YxXLseE5b1
It's hard not to buy into this group's upside. All the ingredients for a successful playoff team seem to be in place, especially with improved play on the defensive end.
3. Indiana Fever (25-14, W1)
Previous Ranking: 3 (--)
The Indiana Fever didn't escape their five-game road stretch without blemish, but a 3-2 record in that span is nothing to sneeze at. The Fever lost back-to-back games to the Wings and New York Liberty before getting back in the win column against the Chicago Sky, wrapping up a particularly rough stretch of three games in four days, all in different road cities.
Caitlin Clark with some transparency:
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) August 22, 2026
“This stretch is hard. My body is sore. I’m tired. Everybody is, it’s not an excuse” pic.twitter.com/QgNgLy6OCm
They're merely the latest team forced to navigate this often-challenging WNBA schedule. Indiana seems to be a lightning rod for overreactions, but there's no need for one here. The offense remained effective, even on short rest, and Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell only seem to be getting better as the season wears on.
With Aliyah Boston out of the lineup Sunday, Clark exploded for 37 points and 10 assists, drilling a career-best eight three-pointers in the process. Mitchell wasn't far behind, notching 30 points with six threes of her own. The duo helped Indiana set a franchise record with 18 three-pointers made as part of a 113-point showing.
The Fever don't play a flawless brand of basketball, but they sure are tough to keep up with. And if Lexie Hull's 14-point effort against the Sky is a sign of things to come, they'll be even more dangerous come postseason.
4. Golden State Valkyries (25-11, L2)
Previous Ranking: 2 (-3)
Golden State nearly dipped further in our power rankings after falling to Chicago on Friday. Still, it's worth remembering that a six-game winning streak preceded this two-game skid. That's enough to keep them in the top four for now.
A Sydney Taylor buzzer-beater finished off a Sky comeback win, but an 11-point loss to the Lynx on Wednesday might carry more weight in the big picture. The Valkyries are 0-3 against Minnesota this season with one more regular-season contest left against them: a highly-anticipated rematch Monday night.
Coach Natalie Nakase doesn't have to prove that her system works, but a sweep at the hands of the Lynx could suggest something about Golden State's ceiling this year.
5. Las Vegas Aces (26-13, W2)
Previous Ranking: 4 (--)
I'll be the first to admit that this feels a little too low for an Aces team that claimed another championship last year, largely with the same group. The truth is, No. 5 feels too low for any of the teams listed above. Atlanta, Indiana, Golden State, and Las Vegas all have top-four resumes and championship upside.
This week, the Aces draw the short stick -- though that's not necessarily a reflection of how I think they'll fare this postseason.
They haven't been particularly dominant since the All-Star break. With back-to-back wins against the Connecticut Sun and Toronto Tempo, the Aces are in the midst of a win-two, lose-two stretch, dating back to Aug. 3. The losing couplets might be noteworthy.
Las Vegas dropped two straight to the Lynx and Liberty on the weekend of Aug. 8-9. They bounced back with two straight wins against Washington but fell again to Minnesota on Aug. 15 and lost by 15 to Atlanta last Tuesday.
Another winning swing keeps the Aces just a half-game behind the Valkyries for second place, keeping the No. 2 seed very much in play. They've got the easiest remaining schedule in the WNBA, but NaLyssa Smith could be out long-term after suffering a non-contact injury Sunday -- and Golden State has three games in hand, for what it's worth.
6. New York Liberty (23-15, W1)
Previous Ranking: 7 (+1)
There's reason to buy stock in the Liberty after a sharp 109-102 victory over the Fever on Saturday -- one that featured a standout performance from Leonie Fiebich in her return from a left leg injury.
Making her first appearance since July 3, Fiebich posted 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes and drew praise from Clark afterward. Her versatility on the wing is a game-changer for New York defensively, especially with her 6-foot-4 frame.
I’m running out of ways to describe how big of a fan of Leonie Fiebich I am.
— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) August 23, 2026
What an awesome player. Versatility cheat code in a 6’4 package.
The Liberty can't bank on getting Satou Sabally back this season, so keeping Fiebich on the floor is paramount.
7. Washington Mystics (22-15, W1)
Previous Ranking: 5 (-2)
Under second-year coach Sydney Johnson, the Mystics are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2023.
Washington has cooled off a bit since its seven-game winning streak from July 20 to Aug. 9, though losses to the Aces and Lynx aren't exactly cause for alarm. The Mystics' offense is trending up in August, and they're dominant on the glass.
It would take an impressive surge over their final seven games to secure home-court advantage in a playoff round, but the race is tight enough that it's still in the cards.
8. Dallas Wings (22-16, W2)
Previous Ranking: 8 (--)
Losing 2026 No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd to a season-ending knee injury is certainly a big blow for this Dallas roster, but they've managed to win two straight games, including a 91-85 win over Indiana. Arike Ogunbowale put up 32 points against the Fever on Thursday, only for Paige Bueckers to match that total in Sunday's 92-70 win over the Seattle Storm.
The Wings can clinch a playoff berth Tuesday with a win over Portland Fire -- and with a 6.5-game lead over Portland, they've all but locked up that final playoff spot. What they'll be able to do once they get there is more up in the air. Fudd's a big loss, but Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Jessica Shepard comprise an effective top trio. It'll help if they can escape the No. 8 seed (and a first-round matchup with Minnesota), but in all likelihood, it's going to be an uphill climb regardless.
9. Chicago Sky (15-23, L1)
Previous Ranking: 11 (+2)
Chicago has something special in Sydney Taylor. In the Sky's 73-70 win over the Valkyries -- the club's third straight win -- the undrafted rookie nailed a game-tying three-pointer with 34.4 seconds left and then delivered the game-winner with 0.6 seconds left, draining a go-ahead three in the face of Veronica Burton.
Sydney Taylor made rookie history in the clutch 🎯
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 23, 2026
On Aug. 1, she knocked down the game-winning three with 0.9 seconds left against Las Vegas. Just 20 days later, she did it again with 0.6 seconds remaining against Golden State, becoming the first rookie in WNBA history with… pic.twitter.com/nnb1oOun6h
The Sky fell to Indiana on Sunday, officially eliminating them from playoff contention, but they've arguably been the most competitive non-playoff team since the All-Star break. Natasha Cloud posted a career-best 35 points against her former Liberty squad last Tuesday, helping Chicago to a 93-86 win.
Cloud's played well of late and it's helped Chicago be a thorn in the side of teams that have a lot more on the line down the stretch.
10. Portland Fire (15-22, L2)
Previous Ranking: 9 (-1)
Portland is the only team below the playoff cutline that's still alive at the moment -- though that could change as early as Tuesday. Back-to-back losses against Toronto and Washington have the Fire on the brink of elimination, and an upcoming three-game stretch against Dallas, Atlanta, and Golden State should all but seal their fate.
They should take some pride in being the last non-playoff team left standing, especially as an expansion squad (and the less impressive of the two, on paper). And Carla Leite is certainly giving fans something to cheer for, fresh off a 27-point, 11-assist gem against Washington. That's the stuff that could really matter for this franchise in the long run.
11. Phoenix Mercury (13-24, L2)
Previous Ranking: 10 (-1)
The Phoenix Mercury have lost five of their last six and will be without Kelsey Plum for at least one more game when they play Washington on Tuesday. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, cementing a jarring plummet just one season after making it all the way to the WNBA Finals.
Kahleah Copper had 38 of their 89 points in Saturday's 10-point loss to Atlanta, and the Mercury have since willingly parted with DeWanna Bonner, who started 26 of her 37 games this season. Phoenix agreed to buy out the remainder of her contract, giving the 17-year WNBA veteran a chance to chase her third title after bringing two to Arizona in 2009 and 2014.
12. Los Angeles Sparks (13-24, W1)
Previous Ranking: 12 (--)
The Los Angeles Sparks snapped a six-game skid on Saturday, defeating the Connecticut Sun 77-68. It marked just their third win since July 13, a rough 3-13 stretch that's dropped them to 11th place in the standings.
These last few seasons haven't lived up to expectations, and now their big free-agent addition, Nneka Ogwumike, is set to retire after an illustrious 15-year WNBA career. Los Angeles might be best served by blowing everything up and embracing a full-on rebuild this offseason.
13. Connecticut Sun (9-27, L2)
Previous Ranking: 13 (--)
Connecticut's offensive woes have returned in August. The Sun are averaging a league-worst 73.3 points through seven games this month -- more than 10 points per game below the second-lowest offense in that span, Golden State.
The Sun mustered just 68 points Saturday against a bad Sparks defense and have only reached the 80-point mark once this month. A hard-fought seven-point loss against New York on Aug. 15 is a recent bright spot, as is an eight point win over Los Angeles last Tuesday, but it's largely been a tough go of late.
14. Toronto Tempo (11-26, L1)
Previous Ranking: 15 (+1)
Marina Mabrey is just the latest Tempo player to join an injury report that rivals a CVS receipt. The WNBA's sixth-leading scorer missed Toronto last's three games, and it's unclear if she'll be able to return this season.
A little lost in the sauce with all the season ending updates, but Brondello also said during pregame that Marina Mabrey will continue to be evaluated for her injury, and could potentially miss the rest of the season as well, but we’ll see.
— chelsea leite (@chelsealeite) August 23, 2026
Despite its many injuries, Toronto snapped a 12-game losing streak Friday with an 82-79 win over Portland. They managed to stay within 10 points of Las Vegas on Sunday despite missing Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, and Aneesah Morrow, among others. Morrow and Sykes are not expected to return before the end of the regular season, according to Tempo PR.
It's a shame injuries have left such a prominent mark on Toronto's inaugural season. At full strength, this squad might have been able to make some noise near the cutline, especially in a particularly weak bottom half of the WNBA this season.
15. Seattle Storm (7-31, L3)
Previous Ranking: 14 (-1)
Since July 9, the Storm are 1-14, with the lone win coming Aug. 10 against Chicago. Seattle played Portland and Chicago tight last weekend, falling by two points in both games, before dropping a third straight Sunday to Dallas in a 92-70 rout. I'm a big believer in their long-term future. A tough season like this will be worth it if this group reaches its ceiling down the road.
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Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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