With the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup break underway, teams and fans have time to reflect on what has happened during the WNBA regular season. All eight playoff teams have been decided, but the last regular season games will lock in the seeding.
At the top of the standings are the Minnesota Lynx, entering the break with a 31-9 record. Following Olivia Miles’ generational rookie season and the return of Napheesa Collier, the Lynx have combined consistency, defense and scoring throughout the season, making them the safest championship pick entering the playoffs. Their biggest concern may just be staying healthy, and Olivia Miles’ inexperience in a professional playoff setting.
Right behind Minnesota are the Golden State Valkyries, being one of the most impressive storylines this season. At 29-11, Golden State has gone from an expansion team to a real championship contender in the franchise’s second year. Their record makes it clear their success is not a stroke of luck. The team’s roster may look incomplete at times when Veronica Burton is relied on too heavily to create plays. Offensive struggles from efficiency beyond the arc to creation in the paint make the Valkyries look as though a deep run may not be possible.
A team with A’ja Wilson on its roster can never be counted out. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces also sit comfortably in the championship conversation. At 27-13, Vegas has the experience and power necessary for a deep postseason run. The Aces’ presence makes it impossible for any other contending team to get too comfortable or complacent.
The middle of the playoff field is much harder to predict. Atlanta and Indiana both sit at 26-14; while New York, Washington and Dallas are all 24-16. Any of those teams could potentially make a run, but they also have more obvious weaknesses than the top three.
New York is particularly hard to read. Coaching issues and injury have made the New York Liberty unable to reproduce their 2024 dominance. Their situation became even more difficult when Satou Sabally was ruled out for the remainder of the season and playoffs with a concussion. That removes an important piece from an already challenging title defense. Many Liberty players are competing in the FIBA World Cup as well, making them likely to return more fatigued than their counterparts. They are still one of the most talented rosters in the league, making it difficult to predict an outcome for them.
Indiana has been one of the most intriguing teams in the league. The Fever have secured a playoff spot and earned one of the league’s better records, but the postseason will test whether their regular season success can translate against elite competition. Atlanta has also quietly put together an impressive season, although its record against other playoff teams suggests that it may have more difficulty against the strongest opponents.
Dallas claimed the final playoff spot at 24-16. As the eighth seed, Dallas will have the toughest possible road, making a run unlikely.
If there is one team that could surprise in the WNBA postseason, it would be the Washington Mystics. The biggest reason to believe in Washington is the development of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Both players were All-Stars this season, giving the Mystics two young players who have already established themselves as serious competition in the league. This combination gives Washington high-level playmaking and defensive ability.
The Mystics also have solid depth, so opponents can’t focus their defensive game plan only on Citron and Iriafen.
Minnesota, Golden State and Las Vegas enter the postseason as the championship favorites. But with several strong teams packed closely behind them, the 2026 playoffs should be anything but predictable.
