Ranking Possible Atlanta Dream Playoff Opponents: Expected Fever Matchup

Who could the Atlanta Dream face in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs?

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) passes around Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) and Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) on Friday, July 11, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With just two days left in the WNBA's 2025 regular season, most teams are getting an idea of where they stand. All eight playoff spots have already been locked up, with the Los Angeles Sparks being the last team eliminated from contention on Tuesday night. Now, teams are focusing on their potential first-round matchups.

So we now have the teams playing in the WNBA playoffs:

Minnesota
Las Vegas
Atlanta
Phoenix
New York
Golden State
Indiana
Seattle

Now it's about who will seal up their seeding this week!

— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) September 10, 2025

The Atlanta Dream have just one regular-season game left on Wednesday night, traveling to face the Connecticut Sun. With a win, the Dream would finish their 2025 campaign with a 30-14 record, shattering their previous franchise record for most wins in a season.

Dream's playoff outcomes

Three teams have locked up their respective playoff seed, with the Minnesota Lynx clinching the No. 1 seed, the Phoenix Mercury securing No. 4, and the New York Liberty finishing with No. 5. The Dream are currently tied for second place heading into their season finale, and there are a handful of potential outcomes for their first-round playoff series.

The Dream are tied with the Las Vegas Aces, but the Aces hold a tie-breaker over them after sweeping their season series 3-0. If both teams win their final game or both lose their final game, then the Aces will finish second and the Dream will be third. However, if the Dream win and the Aces lose, then Atlanta will have sole possession of the No. 2 seed.

The Aces are set to finish their regular season against the Sparks on Thursday.

Aug 27, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) dribbles against Atlanta Dream forward Nia Coffey (12) during the first half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

If the Dream secure the No. 2 seed, then their potential first-round opponents are the Indiana Fever or the Seattle Storm. If they stay at No. 3, which is the more likely outcome, they would face either the Golden State Valkyries or the Fever.

If the Valkyries beat the Lynx on Thursday, then the final three spots would be, in order, the Valkyries, the Fever, and the Storm. If the Valkyries lose, however, then the final three spots would be the Fever, the Storm, and then the Valkyries.

Who do the Dream want to play?

There is a scenario where the Dream are matched up against any of those three teams, but who do they actually want to face in the best-of-three first-round series?

For the #2 seed, the Atlanta Dream must win tomorrow at Connecticut AND needs Las Vegas to lose Thursday at the Sparks.

Both teams are 29-14, but Las Vegas holds the season-series tiebreaker with a 3-0 record vs. Atlanta.

— Brendan Glasheen (@BrendanGlasheen) September 10, 2025

The most favorable first-round for the Dream would be to face the Valkyries. While the Valkyries have had a historic season, becoming the first WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, the Dream would be able to test Golden State's limits in a playoff series.

The two Coach of the Year frontrunners going at it in the playoffs would be great, but Atlanta simply out-talents Golden State. On top of that, the Valkyries will not be playing a true home game in the first round due to scheduling conflicts at the Chase Center, which could hurt their home-court advantage.

The Storm would be the next best matchup for the Dream. While the two teams split their season series 2-2, the Dream put together some incredible games against Seattle. Atlanta's star duo of Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard seemed to enjoy playing against the Storm, including an early-season matchup where they combined for 61 points.

Atlanta's dynamic duo combined for 61 PTS in the Dream's comeback win over the Storm 🙌

Allisha Gray: 28 PTS (career-high), 4 REB, 3 3PM
Rhyne Howard: 33 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, DAGGER#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/BQu3J5Z6QH

— WNBA (@WNBA) May 31, 2025

Of course, the Storm are still a dangerous team, led by Skylar Diggins, but the Dream could still overpower them in a best-of-three series.

The most dangerous potential matchup for the Dream seems to be the Fever. Despite playing without Caitlin Clark, as well as four other Fever players who have suffered season-ending injuries, Indiana continues to win games.

The Dream have not matched up against the Fever since early July, so they are not used to this new-look Indiana team. While the Fever have certainly taken a hit with their injuries, Kelsey Mitchell is still one of the WNBA's top players, and this is a feisty team that nobody really wants to face in the playoffs.

By likelihood, the Dream's potential first-round matchups are ranked: The Indiana Fever as the most likely, then the Golden State Valkyries, and finally the Seattle Storm being the least likely.

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