Every WNBA teams has approximately 10 games remaining in the 2025 WNBA season, the final sprint of this first-ever 44-game gauntlet. While the league-leading Minnesota Lynx appear poised to cruise to the No. 1 seed, whether with or without the services of maybe-MVP Napheesa Collier, who is still sidelined with a sprained ankle, the rest of the potential playoff field remains unresolved.
Here are five top-of-the-mind questions about how things will shake out:
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1. Are the Aces really back?
The Las Vegas Aces, certainly, are back, surging from the fringes of the playoff picture to No. 5 in the standings courtesy of a seven-game winning streak driven by the excellence of A’ja Wilson. Over the course of the winning streak, Wilson is averaging better than 26 points and 13 rebounds per game, in addition to almost two steals and nearly a block and a half. The team has been electric offensively, with a rating of 117.3. The defense has improved enough, registering a 104.0 rating.
But, are the Aces back back? Are they back to being considered true threats to win the 2025 WNBA title? The leading indicator in that regard is Chelsea Gray, who has begun to disabuse her doubters as she has rediscovered her Point Gawd form. Most recently, Gray tied her career high with 14 assists, looking like the title-winning floor general that she is.
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While the Aces have taken advantage of their recent home-heavy schedule, their closing slate also remains favorable, suggesting securing a top-four seed is not out of the question. They will face one true test of their title-worthiness on September 4. That’s when Minnesota returns to the scene of the 53-point massacre.
2. Have the Liberty lost it?
Seemingly, the erstwhile superteam rivals have experienced some sort swap. The Aces’ rise has been accompanied by the New York Liberty’s fall, with the defending champs’ 9-0 start to the season now feeling like a long-lost memory.
The absence of Breanna Stewart can excuse the Liberty’s issues—but only to a certain extent. The talent on this team is better than their 8-9 post-All-Star break mark. It’s also better than too often sloppy, undisciplined play they’ve recently demonstrated.
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With their forth and final game against the Lynx on Tuesday to be followed by a visit to the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, the Liberty have an opportunity to score two statement wins ahead of Stewart’s projected return, potentially setting them up to close the season how they started it—with championship-caliber dominance.
3. How dangerous are the Valkyries?
Despite ever-increasing evidence, the expectation persists that the Golden State Valkyries will, eventually, fade. The expansion team is in a strong position to make the playoffs, but seeing them enter with a seed superior to the eighth and final spot would still feel like a surprise, even if it shouldn’t.
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Instead, everything the Valks have shown suggests other teams should be wary of a first-round matchup against the no-fear, nothing-to-lose upstarts from the Bay. A Game 2 in Ballhalla is a trip that no contender should be excited to undertake, especially with head coach Natalie Nakase likely scheming up a defensive game plan that disrupts their opponent’s best offensive intentions.
While Golden State does close the season with more home dates than road ones, their schedule is mostly filled with teams also jockeying for playoff positioning, indicating that, wherever the Valkyries end up in the postseason field, they will have earned it.
4. Will the Dream continue?
For Atlanta sports partisans, success comes with a sense of unease. Something will go wrong, and often in catastrophically embarrassing fashion.
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The desire to believe in the 2025 Atlanta Dream is tempered by the city’s history of sports traumas. Surely, at the season’s most crucial moments, the 3-pointers will not fall, bunnies will be blown, passes will sail to no one, defensive rotations will be missed, dumb fouls will be committed and mindless mistakes will accumulate. The dread looms. Except, maybe this time will be different? Maybe, the Dream are, in fact, for real.
An upcoming Las Vegas-Minnesota-New York-Las Vegas schedule stretch could confirm the worst fears, or continue to inspire cautious optimism.
5. Can the Storm salvage things?
The Seattle Storm snapped their six-game losing streak in Vancouver on Friday night, only to fall back below .500 with a loss to the Phoenix Mercury on StateSue Sunday.
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Through the first half of the season, Seattle seemed like a team where, if everything broke just right, they could advance to the Finals and potentially steal the title. Now, it looks like they’re replaying last season, when a second-half slide preceded a quick first-round exit out of the playoffs. And just like last year, their dip has been on the defensive end, even as their trade deadline acquisition of Brittney Sykes seemed like a strong defensive, and more questionable offensive, fit.
Their upcoming five-game road will either prove to be the “get right” challenge they need, or serve to guarantee that this season will have a sad end.