The WNBA playoffs tip off Sunday with Seattle among the eight teams competing for the title.
All four series begin on opening day: Minnesota faces Golden State, Las Vegas takes on Seattle, Atlanta matches up with Indiana, and Phoenix plays New York.
The postseason features some of the league’s top veterans even as several younger stars will be absent. Caitlin Clark is out with a groin injury, and Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers also miss the playoffs.
Las Vegas enters the postseason on a historic roll. The Aces have won 16 straight games, tying the second-longest streak in league history, and will try to capture their third championship in four years. Two-time AP Player of the Year A’ja Wilson leads Las Vegas.
Former Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd, now coming off the bench for the Aces, has become a key factor.
The Storm, who beat Las Vegas by 20 points early in the season but otherwise lost three close contests by single-digit margins, rely on veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins.
Rookie Dominique Malonga, a 6-foot-6 center from France, has shown steady improvement and could pose matchup challenges for the Aces.
Minnesota will lean on Napheesa Collier, who put together one of the best shooting seasons in WNBA history. She topped 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line — becoming just the second player to hit those marks after Elena Delle Donne.
The Lynx are seeking redemption after falling in overtime of last year’s decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals to New York.
The Liberty enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed after injuries derailed their hot 9-0 start. Still, the team went unbeaten in games where Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu all started and finished together.
Their opening series will be a test against Phoenix, where Alyssa Thomas set a new single-season assist record while also leading the league in triple-doubles.
In Atlanta, the Dream finished with a franchise-best 30 wins to secure the third seed. They face Indiana, which has been hit hard by injuries.
Along with Clark, four other Fever players are sidelined for the season.
Still, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston anchor the lineup as Indiana looks to slow down Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. Atlanta will try to earn its first playoff series win since 2016.
Golden State made history by reaching the playoffs in its first year of existence, the first expansion team to do so.
The Valkyries slipped to the No. 8 seed after losing their season finale to Minnesota. Their home-court advantage has been strong with every game sold out, but a scheduling conflict at Chase Center will force Game 2 to be played in San Jose because of a long-booked tennis tournament.
©2025 Cox Media Group
