The WNBA season is wrapping up soon, and teams are furiously jockeying for playoff position. Though Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx are on the hunt for a title, sometimes the hunters can become the prey.
The sizzling Las Vegas Aces are hot on their tail, riding a 12-game winning streak all the way up to second in the standings ahead of the 2024 champion New York Liberty.
With the playoffs on the horizon, let’s see where teams stand.
Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty shoots while defended by Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun during the first half at Barclays Center on August 25, 2025, in New York City.
Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty shoots while defended by Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun during the first half at Barclays Center on August 25, 2025, in New York City.
Jordan Bank/Getty Images
13. Dallas Wings (9-30)
Last: 13 | Upcoming: ATL (8/29), MIN (9/1), GSV (9/4)
The Wings have flown into turbulent winds all season. They have been battling through injury, with Li Yueru, JJ Quinerly and Tyasha Harris all out for the season. Star Arike Ogunbowale was diagnosed with knee tendinitis with no timetable to return, and given where we are in the season, it is possible she might not suit up for any of the remaining games. Adding to that list is record-breaking rookie Paige Bueckers, who sat out the game against Connecticut with an illness.
12.Chicago Sky (9-29)
Last: 12 | Upcoming: SEA (8/30), CON (9/3), IND (9/5)
Chicago’s sky has gotten drearier as the season heads to a close. With no playoffs to look forward to and no draft pick, the club seem rudderless.
That doesn’t stop superstar Angel Reese from giving maximum effort on the court every night, though. In a close matchup with the elite Phoenix Mercury, Reese pulled down 20 boards. With over 800 rebounds in 2 seasons, she has already become one of the franchise’s top five rebounders.
11. Washington Mystics (16-23)
Last: 11 | Upcoming: GSV (8/30), LAS (8/31), PHX (9/4)
The magic is fading for the Mystics, who are now on the outside of the playoff race.
The ‘Stics were once a bright spot making a play for a postseason berth, but since trading Brittney Sykes, they have almost fallen out completely. Though they may not make the playoffs this year, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are among the most promising players in the league.
10. Connecticut Sun (10-28)
Last: 10 | Upcoming: MIN (8/30), ATL (9/1), CHI (9/3)
The Connecticut Sun have quietly shown improvement despite the down season. Saniya Rivers is one of the league’s top defenders and a candidate for one of the all-rookie slots. Tina Charles is still a master of her craft, so much so that she earned player of the week honors for leading the Sun to a 3-0 week.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (17-19)
Last: 6 | Upcoming: IND (8/29), WAS (8/31), SEA (9/1), ATL (9/3), ATL (9/5)
The girls in gold have found their spark as one of the highest-scoring teams in the WNBA. They have two genuine most improved player candidates in Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens, who have stepped up during this major turnaround.
That doesn’t mean everything is golden, though. The Sparks put up a ton of buckets, but they give up just as many, meaning they’ll have to lock in defensively for the rest of the season if they want to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
8. Golden State Valkyries (19-18)
Last: 7 | Upcoming: WAS (8/30), IND (8/31), NYL (9/2), DAL (9/4)
Like their namesake warriors, the Valkyries are still battling.
Golden State fell in back-to-back games to the Phoenix Mercury but bounced back in a hard-fought effort against Paige Bueckers and the Wings, where they held the record-breaking rookie to just nine points. Veronica Burton has leaped out as one of the most improved candidates after her 25-point, 13-assist night.
7. Indiana Fever (20-18)
Last: 9 | Upcoming: LAS (8/29), GSV (8/31), PHX (9/2), CHI (9/5)
Despite injuries, the Fever just finds ways to get it done. Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard are steady presences, even when the team around them is in flux from injury.
It’s also worth remembering that Indiana will be all the more dangerous once Caitlin Clark, and her new signature Nike logo, return to the court.
6. Seattle Storm (21-19)
Last: 8 | Upcoming: CHI (8/30), LAS (9/1), NYL (9/5)
Seattle had a thundering streak going until they ran into the Aliyah Boston-led Indiana Fever.
But after that hiccup, the Storm bounced back in the ultimate way by taking down the league-leading Lynx. Skylar Diggins-Smith led a furious comeback in the third quarter as her four 3-pointers turned a 21-point deficit into a 14-point victory. The comeback was the second largest in franchise history.
5. Atlanta Dream (24-14)
Last: 2 | Upcoming: DAL (8/29), CON (9/1), LAS (9/3), LAS (9/5)
The Dream have officially thrown their hat into the ring as contenders. Atlanta’s last few matchups have come against elite teams and they’ve gone 2-2 in that span, with both losses coming to the red-hot Las Vegas Aces by a combined eight points. Their wins, however, came over the No.1-seeded Lynx and the reigning champion New York Liberty.
After toppling the top-seeded teams, is it time to consider that Atlanta’s dream of a championship may become reality?
4. Minnesota Lynx (30-8)
Last: 4 | Upcoming: CON (8/30), DAL (9/1), LVA (9/4)
Napheesa Collier is back for the top-seeded Lynx, and she showed why she’s the MVP favorite in her 32-point outing against the Fever. However, her return hasn’t fixed everything for the Lynx. They gave up a double-digit lead against the Seattle Storm for their second home loss of the season.
3. New York Liberty (21-15)
Last: 3 | Upcoming: PHX (8/30), GSV (9/2), SEA (9/5)
Stew York, Stew York.
After a monthlong absence, Breanna Stewart returned to the court for the Libs, but the injury woes haven’t stopped piling up. Right as the team was poised to get healthy for the stretch run, Natasha Cloud went down with a fractured nose and Sabrina Ionescu suffered a toe injury. Luckily, Isabelle Harrison returned to the lineup as well, chipping in 16 points to help lead them past the Mystics.
2. Phoenix Mercury (24-14)
Last: 5 | Upcoming: NYL (8/30), IND (9/2), WAS (9/4)
The engine keeps rolling, and Alyssa Thomas keeps rewriting the history books.
She broke her own record for the most triple-doubles in a season with seven, and her ability to get everyone involved, plus the deep Phoenix bench, gives the team one of the highest-powered offenses in the league.
1. Las Vegas Aces (26-14)
Last: 1 | Upcoming: MIN (9/4)
Twelve straight wins have the Las Vegas Aces playing with house money. In a victory against the Atlanta Dream, A’ja Wilson received “MVP” chants from the crowd while vaulting them in the standings. Jackie Young has been locked in on both ends and even notched her second triple-double of the season.