WNBA: Alyssa Thomas, Mercury need a win over the Storm

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With less than a month left in the 2025 WNBA regular season and only four and a half games separating the No. 2 seed from the No. 8 seed, many of Sunday’s five games have serious playoff implications.

However, there are three in particular that all fans should be keeping an eye on.

Can Alyssa Thomas keep the Mercury afloat?

Alyssa Thomas is having an MVP-caliber season, but the Mercury are slipping, having lost their last two games. They are currently No. 4 in the league standings, but the Las Vegas Aces are right behind them, just decimal points worse in terms of winning percentage.

To maintain some distance against Las Vegas and the rest of the league, Phoenix will have to beat the Seattle Storm on Sunday (6 p.m. ET, League Pass).

The Storm had lost six straight, until they beat the Dream 80-78 on Friday. Seattle’s new “Big 3” of Nneka Ogwumike, Brittney Sykes and Skylar Diggins will have the advantage of being at home, but this will likely be a tightly-contested game. The season series is currently 2-1 in the Mercury’s favor, and with this being the last game between these two teams, Phoenix can secure the tiebreaker with a win.

Will the Valkyries make the playoffs?

The Golden State Valkyries already have the record for the most wins by an expansion team in WNBA history with 18 and counting. Now, they’re looking to cap off year one by making the playoffs.

They are currently the No. 6 seed, but are only two games ahead of the No. 9 spot, meaning they are far from safe.

To stay in front, they’ll have to beat a red-hot Atlanta Dream team that is currently just ahead of the New York Liberty for the second-best record in the WNBA. A win against Atlanta would be enormous for Golden State, but they’ll be the underdogs, even at home, due to the quality the Dream possesses.

Atlanta is having a standout season, largely due to Allisha Gray. She is averaging 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, all career-highs for the nine-year guard. The Dream desire a win just as much as the Valkyries. They want to hang onto the No. 2 spot and need to keep winning to hold off the Liberty.

Can the Sparks or Mystics get in?

While the aforementioned teams are jockeying for position, the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics are just outside of a playoff spot. However, both teams are knocking on the door. LA is a half game behind Seattle, and Washington is a game and a half behind the No. 8 seed.

When the teams meet in DC on Sunday, both sides will be aiming to gain some ground and also prove which one is truly still in the hunt. The Sparks have been on a roll, having won five of their last seven, while the Mystics have gone the other way, having lost five of their previous seven contests. If the Sparks win, they secure the tiebreaker, making this game crucial if the two teams finish even.

Vegas, Indy better not waste “easy wins”

In the two remaining matchups, there is a bit of distance between the two teams. The Aces are taking on the Dallas Wings, who are clearly out of the playoff hunt. The Indiana Fever will be playing against the Connecticut Sun, the worst team in the league with only six wins.

For Las Vegas and Indiana, Sunday is an opportunity to earn an “easy win,” and with how tight the playoff race is this season, those are games you have to take advantage of.