The 2024 WNBA regular season is winding down to the final two weeks, and the playoff picture is taking shape. Seven teams have clinched a postseason berth, while on Friday the Los Angeles Sparks officially became the first team eliminated from playoff contention. That leaves four teams, the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings battling for the final spot.
Friday night was a busy one across the league, with four games on the docket. Early on, the Dream pulled off a huge comeback to stun the Wings in overtime, the Lynx cooled off the red-hot Fever and the Aces picked up a big win over the Sun. In the finale, the Sky made easy work of the Sparks.
As a refresher, the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, make the playoffs in the WNBA. Under the current playoff format, the teams are placed into a standard bracket with the No. 1 seed playing No. 8 in the first round, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on. Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round and best-of-five series in the semifinals and finals. Notably, the first round is a 2-1 format, which means the higher seed gets the first two games at home, while the lower seed gets the deciding Game 3 at home should the series go that far. In the semifinals and finals, it is a standard 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5, if necessary.
Here’s everything you need to know about the current playoff picture, including the standings and key tiebreakers:
Standings
New York Liberty (28-6) — Playoff spot clinched
Minnesota Lynx (25-9) — Playoff spot clinched
Connecticut Sun (24-10) — Playoff spot clinched
Las Vegas Aces (22-12) — Playoff spot clinched
Seattle Storm (20-14) — Playoff spot clinched
Indiana Fever (18-17) — Playoff spot clinched
Phoenix Mercury (17-18) — Playoff spot clinched
Chicago Sky (12-22)
Atlanta Dream (12-22)
Washington Mystics (11-23)
Dallas Wings (9-25)
Los Angeles Sparks (7-27) — Eliminated
Note: Two-team ties are decided first by head-to-head record and then, if necessary, better record against .500+ teams. Ties between more than two teams are determined by combined head-to-head record against the other teams.
Liberty alone at the top
1. New York Liberty (28-6)
Tiebreakers: vs. Lynx (1-1); vs. Sun (3-1)
The Liberty won again on Thursday, as they held off the Storm in the fourth quarter. They are now three games ahead of the Lynx and four games up on the Sun. With just six games remaining, it would take a major collapse for the Liberty to miss out on the No. 1 seed.
Key remaining games: vs. Lynx, Sept. 15
Lynx leapfrog Sun for second
2. Minnesota Lynx (25-9)
Tiebreakers: vs. Liberty (1-1); vs. Sun (0-2); vs. Storm (3-1); vs. Aces (3-1)
The Lynx had nearly a week off before Friday night’s matchup with the Fever, and they seemed well rested, as they dominated the second half en route to a crucial win. Their result, coupled with the Sun’s loss to the Aces, means they are now a full game up in the race for the No. 2 seed and now control their own destiny.
Key remaining games: at Liberty, Sept. 15; at Sun, Sept. 17
