Moral in some unspecified time in the way forward for video video games stays inside the thrilling and historical 2023 WNBA odd season. On Sunday, all 12 groups will likely be in motion, even though there might presumably not be the leisure to play for furthermore seeding after the Chicago Sky secured the eighth and ultimate playoff pronounce on Friday evening time with a win over the Minnesota Lynx.
On the halt of the standings, the Aces grasp a one-game lead over the Liberty inside the path for the No. 1 seed, and can wrap up the halt pronounce in the event that they beat the final-pronounce Mercury at dwelling. In the event that they lose and the Liberty win their finale, the groups will likely be tied and first pronounce will fling to a tiebreaker. For the rationale that Aces and Liberty went 2-2 towards each diversified this season, this can skedaddle to the Second tiebreaker, which is handiest epic towards groups with a .500 epic or higher. Sunday’s motion will likely be important to resolve which staff can grasp the edge, should aloof the tiebreaker be essential.
Beneath them, the Connecticut Solar are actually locked into the No. 3 seed, whereas the Dallas Wings grasp secured the fourth pronounce and the Sky are locked into eighth pronounce. Peaceable up for grabs are spots 5-7, which might come acceptable right down to the Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics.
The lottery will function the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks, who grasp all been eradicated. By advantage of getting the worst combined epic inside the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the Fever grasp the best odds to win the No. 1 total determine inside the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Proper here is a more in-depth search for at how issues stand:
Most fashionable standings
- Las Vegas Aces (33-6) — Playoff pronounce clinched
- Modern York Liberty (32-7) — Playoff pronounce clinched
- Connecticut Solar (27-12) — Clinched No. 3 seed
- Dallas Wings (21-18) — Clinched No. 4 seed
- Atlanta Dream (19-20) — Playoff pronounce clinched
- Minnesota Lynx (19-20) — Playoff pronounce clinched
- Washington Mystics (18-21) — Playoff pronounce clinched
- Chicago Sky (17-22) — Clinched No. 8 seed
- Los Angeles Sparks (16-23) — Eradicated
- Indiana Fever (12-27) — Eradicated
- Seattle Storm (11-28) — Eradicated
- Phoenix Mercury (9-30) — Eradicated
Expose: Two-workers ties are determined first by head-to-head epic after which, if essential, higher epic towards .500+ groups. Ties between larger than two groups are determined by combined head-to-head epic towards the diversified groups.
Aces and Liberty sure on the halt
1. Las Vegas Aces (33-6)
- Tiebreakers: vs. Liberty: season sequence tied 2-2
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 8 Chicago Sky
- Final sport: vs. Mercury (Sept.10)
After their first trek of the season in slack August, the Aces grasp bounced attend with three consecutive wins to close in on the No. 1 total seed. All they want is a win over the final-pronounce Mercury at dwelling on Sunday, they usually’ll clinch first pronounce and homecourt benefit all through the playoffs.
2. Modern York Liberty (32-7)
- Tiebreakers: vs. Aces: season sequence tied 2-2
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 7 Washington Mystics
- Final sport: vs. Mystics (Sept.10)
The Liberty pulled off a in depth Second-half comeback on Thursday to develop their successful sprint to eight video video games and supplies themselves an alternative choice to win the Aces for the halt pronounce. Nonetheless, they’re going to want some not going attend from the lowly Mercury to even grasp an alternate, and are more than likely looking for on the No. 2 seed.
Solar locked into third
3. Connecticut Solar (27-12)
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 6 Minnesota Lynx
- Final sport: vs. Sky (Sept. 10)
No particular person anticipated the Solar to be this upright this season with out Jonquel Jones, nonetheless they’ve clearly established themselves as a result of the “handiest of the leisure” inside the attend of the Aces and Liberty. They’ve clinched a playoff pronounce, and are actually utilizing the closing week to work themselves actual right into a rhythm.
Wings safe fourth
4. Dallas Wings (21-18)
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 5 Minnesota Lynx
- Final sport: at Dream (Sept. 10)
The Wings are going attend to the playoffs for the third consecutive season, and grasp their first 20-win marketing campaign since 2008, once they aloof performed in Detroit. They haven’t been huge fastened over the ultimate month, nonetheless once they’re at their handiest they’re going to beat anyone, and that gives them an alternate in transient sequence.
Let the seeding battles start up
5. Atlanta Dream (19-20)
- Tiebreakers: vs. Wings: misplaced season sequence 0-2; vs. Lynx: acquired season sequence 2-1; vs. Sparks: season sequence tied 2-2; vs. Mystics: acquired season sequence 3-1; vs. Sky: acquired season sequence 4-0
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 3 Dallas Wings
- Final sport: vs. Wings (Sept. 10)
This has been a curler coaster season for the Dream. Once they’re upright, they’re if actuality be informed upright, nonetheless once they’re snide, they’re if actuality be informed snide. They’ve had successful streaks of seven and three video video games, nonetheless additionally 4 diversified three-game shedding streaks. Via all of it, they’ve formally clinched their first playoff berth since 2018 after their win over the Storm on Sept. 6. With a win on Sunday they’re going to clinch the No. 5 seed and a .500 epic.
6. Minnesota Lynx (19-20)
- Tiebreakers: vs. Wings: season sequence tied 2-2; vs. Dream: misplaced season sequence 1-2; vs. Sparks: acquired season sequence 4-0; vs. Mystics: acquired season sequence 2-1; vs. Sky: misplaced season sequence 1-2
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 3 Connecticut Solar
- Final sport: at Fever (Sept. 10)
The Lynx are appropriate the Second staff in WNBA historic earlier to make the playoffs after starting the season 0-6, becoming a member of the 2015 Sparks, nonetheless their seed is aloof to be determined. In the event that they win their ultimate sport on Sunday they’re going to grasp at worst the No. 6 seed, and if that occurs alongside with a Dream defeat they’re going to grasp the No. 5 seed.
7. Washington Mystics (18-21)
- Tiebreakers: vs. Wings: misplaced season sequence 1-3; vs. Lynx: misplaced season sequence 1-2; vs. Dream: misplaced season sequence 1-3; vs. Sparks: misplaced season sequence 1-2; vs. Sky: acquired season sequence 4-0
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 2 Modern York Liberty
- Final sport: at Liberty (Sept. 10)
The Mystics appropriate grasp not been in a construct of dwelling to win a injury on the subject of accidents. Kristi Toliver, who went down with a torn ACL, was once the newest predominant casualty. They’ve clinched a playoff pronounce, nonetheless their seed is aloof to be determined primarily based absolutely on the discontinuance results of Sunday’s sport in Modern York, plus the outcomes of the Wings-Dream and Lynx-Fever contests.
8. Chicago Sky (17-22)
- Most fashionable first-spherical matchup: vs. No. 1 Las Vegas Aces
- Final sport: at Solar (Sept. 10)
Possibly no staff inside the league was once as enthusiastic to make the playoffs as a result of the Sky, who attain not grasp a fundamental-spherical determine inside the 2024 draft as a result of regular head coach and GM James Wade’s short-sighted offseason. It was once looking for grim on that entrance a few weeks inside the previous, nonetheless with a 92-87 win over the Lynx on Friday they can’t decrease than specific they’re heading to the postseason.
Eradicated
9. Los Angeles Sparks (16-23)
The Sparks had been formally eradicated from the playoffs on Friday with the Sky’s win over the Lynx. In consequence, they’re going to omit out for the third consecutive season, which is a model up to date franchise-worst playoff drought. Irrespective of a slack-season surge, the Sparks had been merely unable to overcome your complete accidents they confronted this season, which left them taking half in shorthanded virtually each single evening time.
10. Indiana Fever (12-27)
The Fever had been knocked out of the playoffs on Sept. 1 with their defeat to the Wings. However whereas they’re going to be inside the lottery for a seventh consecutive season, that’s not the comparable ragged Fever. They’ve acquired extra video video games this summer time season than they did in 2021 and 2022 combined, they usually’ve a gifted younger core in Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith and Kelsey Mitchell.
11. Seattle Storm (11-28)
The Storm had been formally eradicated from the playoffs after their loss to the Sky on Sept. 3, ending a seven-yr postseason sprint. This was once sadly to be anticipated given the departures of Breanna Stewart and Sue Chook inside the offseason, and a go to to the lottery will attend the Storm reset for the lengthy flee.
12. Phoenix Mercury (9-30)
The Mercury’s declare to the longest lively postseason sprint inside the league is not any extra. For the primary time since 2012, that they had been eradicated from the playoffs with their defeat towards the Wings on Sept 3. This crew desires a peculiar infusion of ability, even though, so heading to the lottery is for the best.
