Over half of the teams for the 2024 WNBA playoffs have been determined, with the New York Liberty securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday.
The remaining playoff matchups will be decided as the regular season comes to a close on Thursday.
The Liberty, who fell short in last year’s WNBA Finals, earned home-court advantage throughout the playoffs for the second time by defeating the Washington Mystics. New York, one of the original franchises in the league, is still chasing their first WNBA title.
“It was a goal we set out for ourselves,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello on clinching the top seed. “We still have work to do in the playoffs, but having home court advantage is important to us. We have a great arena and amazing fans that we want to play in front of as much as possible.”
The Minnesota Lynx secured the second seed with a win over the Connecticut Sun. They have been on a hot streak, winning 13 of their last 14 games since the league’s break for the Paris Olympics. The Lynx will face the Phoenix Mercury in the opening round of the playoffs on Sunday.
The Sun currently hold the third seed with a one-game lead over the Las Vegas Aces, who clinched at least the fourth seed with a win over the Seattle Storm. The Storm are locked into the fifth seed, while the Indiana Fever, led by rookie guard Caitlin Clark, are in sixth and will face either the Aces or the Sun in the first round.
The eighth and final playoff spot is still up for grabs. The Atlanta Dream currently hold the spot after defeating the Chicago Sky, with the Mystics and Sky both trailing by a game.
Thursday’s games will determine the final playoff team, with the Dream facing the Liberty, the Fever facing the Mystics, and the Sky facing the Sun.
The Dream need a win or losses by both the Mystics and Sky to advance. The Mystics need a win and a loss by the Dream. The Sky must win and have both the Dream and Mystics lose to secure a playoff spot.
