WNBA Playoff Picture Clears as Liberty Secure Top Seed, Minnesota Second

The WNBA playoff picture is beginning to take shape as more than half of the postseason seeds have been determined. On Tuesday night, the New York Liberty solidified their status as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

With the regular season wrapping up on Thursday night, the remaining playoff matchups will be finalized. The Liberty secured their top seed by defeating the Washington Mystics, marking only the second time in the franchise’s history that they will have homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello acknowledged the significance of this achievement. “It was important for us, one of our goals we set out,” she stated. She emphasized the importance of maintaining focus as they prepare for the playoffs. “We still have to take care of business in the playoffs, but getting home court, we have a great arena and great fans. We want to play in front of our fans as much as we can.”

The Minnesota Lynx claimed the No. 2 seed after their recent victory over the Connecticut Sun. Minnesota is currently riding a hot streak, having won 13 of their last 14 games since the Olympic break. They are poised to face the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the playoffs, which are set to begin on Sunday.

At present, the Sun are positioned third in the standings, with a slim lead over the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces ensured they would be no worse than the fourth seed with a win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Connecticut team.

The Storm’s loss secured them as the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Indiana Fever, led by Caitlin Clark, have clinched the sixth seed and will head on the road to either Connecticut or Las Vegas for their opening playoff match.

As for the final playoff spot, it remains uncertain. The Atlanta Dream currently occupy the eighth spot following a victory against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. The fate of both Washington and Chicago hangs in the balance, as they are just a game behind the Dream.

To conclude the regular season, Atlanta faces New York, while Chicago takes on Connecticut. Washington will host Indiana on the same night. The Dream need to secure a win or hope that both Chicago and Washington lose their games to move on to the playoffs. Conversely, the Mystics require a win and a corresponding loss from Atlanta to advance. The Sky are in a position where they need a victory combined with losses from both Washington and Atlanta.