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WNBA Playoff Field Is Complete After Storm's Dramatic Comeback Win vs. Valkyries

Seattle took down Golden State thanks to some final minute heroics by Erica Wheeler on both ends of the floor.

Dan Lyons

The Storm captured the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoff field with a narrow win over the Valkyries on Tuesday night.
The Storm captured the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoff field with a narrow win over the Valkyries on Tuesday night. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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It required an impressive fourth-quarter comeback and some final-second heroics from guard Erica Wheeler, but the Storm clinched the eighth and final playoff berth with a 74–73 win over the Valkyries on Tuesday night.

Entering the final frame down 61–53, Seattle dominated the final 10 minutes, outscoring Golden State 21–12. Even so, a three-pointer by Iliana Rupert put the Valkyries up 73–72 with just over 37 seconds remaining in the game. Nneka Ogwumike missed a layup on the ensuing possession, but corralled her own offensive rebound. The Storm reset, and ultimately it was Wheeler who called her own number, going iso against Veronica Burton and hitting a pull-up jumper from the foul line to give Seattle a one-point lead.

Wheeler came up big once again on the defensive end just seconds later, snatching a loose ball off of a missed corner three by Golden State's Janelle Salaun and pushing the ball up court to run out the clock and seal the win—and a playoff berth for the Storm.

The win pushes Seattle to 23–21 on the season, and eliminates the Sparks—the only other team alive for a playoff berth—who sit at 21–22 after an 88–83 win over the Mercury on Tuesday night.

Full WNBA Playoff Field and Standings As of Tuesday Night

With five regular season games left to be played on Wednesday and Thursday night, here is what the playoff field looks like after the Storm's victory.

Seed

Team

Record

1

Lynx

33–10

2

Aces

29–14

3

Dream

29–14

4

Mercury

27–16

5

Liberty

26–17

6

Fever

24–20

7

Valkyries

23–20

8

Storm

23–21

The WNBA playoffs begin on Sept. 14, with the WNBA Finals scheduled to begin on Oct. 3.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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