September brings the end of the regular season and the start of postseason play in the WNBA. The league is kicking off this pivotal month with five games that will impact playoff positioning.
We start with the Connecticut Sun hosting the Seattle Storm at 1 p.m. ET (NBA TV), followed by the Chicago Sky playing the Minnesota Lynx at 3 p.m. ET (League Pass). At 4 p.m. ET, we’ll have two games happening, with the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury competing in Phoenix (League Pass) and the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings playing in Arlington (NBA TV). The action ends in Southern California with the Atlanta Dream taking on the Los Angeles Sparks at 7 p.m. ET (League Pass).
A Storm is coming
With Gabby Williams joining the Storm and the team clinching a playoff berth, they seem primed to be title contenders this year. A victory against the Sun is key, as it can help them leap over the Aces in the standings.
The Sun also need the win as they are just a half-game in front of the Lynx for the second seed. With less than 10 games to go, every game gains even more importance, and neither team can afford to drop games if they want to earn the highest seed possible.
Can the Sky win again?
The Sky have lost five in a row and are suddenly fighting for their postseason lives. They are just one game ahead of the Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Sky’s problem is that they are playing a Lynx team that has won seven of its last 10 games. Napheesa Collier is having a career year, averaging 20.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She’ll be a handful for the Sky bigs to contain, but doing so will give them the best opportunity of coming out of the Target Center with a win.
Fever is rising
The Fever have arrived. They are currently 16-16, sitting as the sixth seed. Since the Olympic break, they’ve won five of their six games and have quality victories against the Sky, Sun and Storm. With Caitlin Clark on an offensive tear, the Fever’s ceiling has risen from potentially being a postseason sleeper to legitimately making noise in the first round.
To keep that momentum going, they’ll have to beat a Dallas team that has a healthy Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally ready to fight for their playoff lives. A victory for Indy will keep them where they stand; a defeat will drop them back down to seventh.
Can A’ja Wilson get help?
A’ja Wilson is averaging 27 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, and seems destined, at minimum, for another MVP; possibly, she’ll be the first player in the WNBA to win it unanimously.
Yet, her team has been struggling, looking not like a dynasty but a team that’s a shell of its former self: no longer able to channel the hunger needed to be great and unable to stay defensively focused enough to take on the best offenses the league has to offer.
Time is running out, and teams like the Liberty, Sun and Lynx are anxiously waiting to watch this titan fall or kill it themselves. On Sunday, the Mercury will take a crack at the champs, hoping to prove they are a sleeper team that fans need to watch. A win will also keep the Fever at bay, since both teams have the same .500 record heading into the first of the month.
Are the playoffs a Dream?
The Sparks are playing for pride and the Dream are playing for hope. With Los Angeles sitting at the bottom of the league, they’d need a miracle to earn their first playoff berth since 2020. The Dream, however, still have a shot at postseason action. A win will bring that dream one step closer to reality, whereas a defeat will remind us why they are 10-21 to begin with.
Game information
Connecticut Sun (23-8) vs. Seattle Storm (19-12)
When: Sunday, September 1 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT
How to watch: NBA TV
Sun injury report: Alyssa Thomas (questionable; right leg)
Storm injury report: none
Minnesota Lynx (23-9) vs. Chicago Sky (11-20)
When: Sunday, September 1 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Lynx injury report: Alanna Smith (questionable; left ankle)
Sky injury report: Elizabeth Williams (out; knee), Chennedy Carter (questionable; health and safety protocols)
Dallas Wings (9-22) vs. Indiana Fever (16-16)
When: Sunday, September 1 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: College Park Center in Arlington, TX
How to watch: NBA TV
Wings injury report: Stephanie Soares (probable; knee)
Fever injury report: none
Phoenix Mercury (16-16) vs. Las Vegas Aces (19-12)
When: Sunday, September 1 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Mercury injury report: Rebecca Allen (out; right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (out; left lower leg)
Aces injury report: none
Los Angeles Sparks (7-24) vs. Atlanta Dream (10-21)
When: Sunday, September 1 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA
How to watch: WNBA League Pass
Sparks injury report: Aari McDonald (probable; right foot), Cameron Brink (out; left knee), Lexie Brown (out; Crohn’s), Layshia Clarendon (out; mental health reasons)
Dream injury report: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (out; knee), Ariel Powers (out; calf)
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