WNBA standings, playoff picture, schedule: Fever solidify hold on sixth, four-way race for eighth heating up

As the calendar turns to September, the 2024 WNBA fashionable season is winding down, and the playoff spots are filling up. The Unusual York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx and Connecticut Solar were joined by the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm on Friday, leaving appropriate three postseason berths accessible. Restful, no groups dangle formally been eradicated. 

There were five games on Sunday. Early on, we seen the Solar beat the Storm to abet their retain on 2nd predicament over the Lynx, who were also in motion. They held off the Sky, who misplaced for the sixth time in a row and are no doubt clinging to the eighth and final playoff predicament. Somewhere else, the Fever beat the Wings to solidify their retain on sixth, whereas the Aces overwhelmed the Mercury to pass a fats sport determined of the Storm within the speed for fourth. 

The league will snatch Labor Day with out work on Monday, before returning for four games on Tuesday. 

As a refresher, the prime eight groups, irrespective of conference affiliation, get dangle of the playoffs within the WNBA. Below the most traditional playoff layout, the groups are positioned into a feeble bracket with the No. 1 seed playing No. 8 within the first round, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so forth. Teams will play a simplest-of-three collection within the first round and simplest-of-five collection within the semifinals and finals. Particularly, the first round is a 2-1 layout, which arrangement the increased seed will get the first two games at home, whereas the decrease seed will get the deciding Sport 3 at home need to the collection slouch that a ways. In the semifinals and Finals, it is a feeble 2-2-1 layout, with the increased seed facts superhighway web hosting Video games 1, 2 and 5, if main.

Right here’s all the pieces you are going to want to know in regards to the most traditional playoff image, at the side of the standings and key tiebreakers:

Standings

1. Unusual York Liberty (27-6) — Playoff predicament clinched
2. Connecticut Solar (24-8) — Playoff predicament clinched
3. Minnesota Lynx (24-9) — Playoff predicament clinched
4. Las Vegas Aces (20-12) — Playoff predicament clinched
5. Seattle Storm (19-13) — Playoff predicament clinched
6. Indiana Fever (17-16)
7. Phoenix Mercury (16-17)
8. Chicago Sky (11-22)
9. Atlanta Dream (11-21)
10. Washington Mystics (9-23)
11. Dallas Wings (9-23)
12. Los Angeles Sparks (7-25)

Gift: Two-group ties are determined first by head-to-head legend and then, if main, higher legend in opposition to .500+ groups. Ties between higher than two groups are positive by mixed head-to-head legend in opposition to the varied groups. 

Liberty alone at the prime

1. Unusual York Liberty (27-6)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Lynx (1-1); vs. Solar (3-1)

All is properly again for the Liberty, who primitive an out of this world 2nd half of to drag a ways from the Storm and get dangle of back within the glean column on Friday. They dwell 2.5 games ahead of the Solar, and likewise have the tiebreaker between the golf equipment, and three games up on the Lynx. With appropriate seven games closing, it would snatch a fundamental give arrangement for the Liberty to head away out out on the No. 1 seed. 

Key closing games: vs. Lynx, Sept. 15

Solar reclaim 2nd from Lynx

2. Connecticut Solar (24-8)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Liberty (1-3); vs. Lynx (2-0); vs. Storm (1-1); vs. Aces (0-1)

The Solar bought back within the glean column this weekend with back-to-back victories over the Mystics and Storm, and are no doubt a half of sport up on the Lynx within the speed for the No. 2 seed. They face but every other worthy stretch ahead with the Storm and Aces up subsequent on the time table. 

Key closing games: vs. Storm, Sept. 3; vs. Aces, Sept. 6; at Aces, Sept. 15; vs. Lynx, Sept. 17

3. Minnesota Lynx (24-9)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Liberty (1-1); vs. Solar (0-2); vs. Storm (3-1); vs. Aces (3-1)

The Lynx’s seven-sport winning chase came to an end on Friday with a surprise defeat to the Wings, who are out of the blue playing terrific basketball. They were in a situation to leap back and defeat the Sky on Sunday despite Alanna Smith’s absence, but still dwell half of a sport back of the Solar. 

Key closing games: at Liberty, Sept. 15; at Solar, Sept. 17

Aces and Storm fighting over fourth

4. Las Vegas Aces (20-12)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Solar (1-0); vs. Lynx (1-3); vs. Storm (2-1)

A’ja Wilson put collectively but every other terrific performance on Friday to e-book the Aces previous the Dream. As a consequence, they clinched a predicament within the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season and leapfrogged the Storm again for fourth predicament. The worthy question now for the defending champs is whether or no longer or no longer they will assemble any form of momentum. 

Key closing games: at Solar, Sept. 6; at Liberty, Sept. 8; vs. Solar, Sept. 15; at Storm, Sept. 17

5. Seattle Storm (19-13)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Solar (1-0); vs. Lynx (1-3); vs. Aces (1-2)

The Storm were unable to assemble off their dramatic glean over the Dream earlier this week and fell to the first-predicament Liberty on Friday. Now appropriate 2-4 since the season restarted, they’ve fallen back down to fifth predicament within the perpetual tussle with the Aces for the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage within the first round. On the intellectual facet, they dangle got clinched a playoff predicament.

Key closing games: at Solar, Sept. 1; at Solar, Sept. 3; at Liberty, Sept. 5; vs. Aces, Sept. 17

Surging Fever solidify retain on sixth

6. Indiana Fever (17-16) 

• Tiebreakers: vs. Mercury (3-0); vs. Sky (3-1); vs. Dream (3-0)

The Fever kept issues rolling on Sunday with an out of this world glean over the Wings attributable to but every other worthy evening from Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. They’re 6-1 since the Olympic ruin, which is the finest legend within the league in that span, and are no doubt a fats sport up on the Mercury. Add within the tiebreaker and that’s basically a two-sport advantage. Quickly, they will clinch their first playoff appearance since 2016.  

Key closing games: vs. Dream, Sept. 8

7. Phoenix Mercury (16-17)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Fever (0-3); vs. Sky (2-0)

The Mercury’s heart-broken assemble post-Olympic ruin persisted with a loss to the Aces on Sunday to fall beneath .500 for the first time since July 1. They’re no doubt one sport back of the Fever within the speed for sixth, and dangle misplaced the tiebreaker, making that in point of fact a two-sport hole. To get dangle of matters worse, Natasha Cloud will be suspended for his or her subsequent sport after reaching the technical slouch restrict. 

Key closing games: N/A

Sky, Dream, Mystics, Wings struggling with for final predicament

8. Chicago Sky (11-21) 

• Tiebreakers: vs. Dream (2-1); vs. Mystics (1-2); vs. Wings (2-1)

Chennedy Carter stays within the league’s health and security protocols, and the Sky leer woeful with out her and Marina Mabrey. They were beaten on Sunday by the Lynx to speed their dropping chase to 6 games. They’re no doubt clinging to the final playoff predicament by capacity of a tiebreaker over the Dream. As of now, it be laborious to look them placing on. 

Key closing games: vs. Mystics, September 11; vs. Mercury, Sept. 15; at Dream, Sept. 17

9. Atlanta Dream (11-21)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sky (1-2); vs. Mystics (1-1); vs. Wings (1-1)

The Dream within the ruin bought back within the glean column by beating the lowly Sparks on Sunday. They have not taken fats benefit of the Sky’s free fall, but dangle now at the least drawn even by capacity of facts. The Sky currently lead the tiebreaker, nonetheless, so the Dream are still stuck in ninth within the period in-between. 

Key closing games: at Fever, Sept. 8; vs. Mystics, Sept. 13; at Mystics, Sept. 15; vs. Sky, Sept. 17

10. Washington Mystics (9-23)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sky (2-1); vs. Dream (1-1); vs. Wings (2-0)

The Mystics’ three-sport winning chase came to an end Saturday in opposition to the Solar. They dwell two games out of the eighth and final playoff predicament, and would dangle to soar both the Dream and Sky, but they dangle got three mixed games closing in opposition to these groups, so it be no longer very no longer likely. 

Key closing games: at Sky, September 11; at Dream, Sept. 13; vs. Dream, Sept. 15

11. Dallas Wings (9-23)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sky (1-2); vs. Dream (1-1); vs. Mystics (0-2)

The Wings’ have three-sport winning chase changed into once also halted this weekend after they misplaced to the Fever. Also they’re two games back of the Sky, and dangle three groups ahead of them, which makes their job interesting. This week, although, they play all three of the Mystics, Dream and Sky, and this stretch would possibly get dangle of or ruin their season. 

Key closing games: vs Mystics, Sept. 3; at Dream, Sept. 6, at Sky, Sept. 8

A clear hole at the underside

12. Los Angeles Sparks (7-25)

The Sparks misplaced to the Dream on Sunday, which arrangement they still dangle no longer gained back-to-back games since early June. They dwell in final predicament, and almost in the present day it will likely be back to the lottery for a fourth time in a row, the longest such chase in franchise history.