WNBA standings, playoff picture, schedule: Sun, Lynx get big wins as battle for No. 2 seed continues

Less than a month remains in the 2024 WNBA regular season. So far, the New York Liberty are the only team to clinch a playoff spot, and no teams have officially been eliminated from contention. There’s still plenty to play for down the stretch. 

There was all sorts of action on Friday, including a number of crucial playoff battles. Early on, the Mercury got some revenge on the Dream after their game earlier in the week, while the Sun pulled off a dramatic victory over the Sky. In the evening’s finale, the Lynx beat the Aces for the second time in three days. 

As a refresher, the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, make the playoffs in the WNBA. Under the current playoff format, the teams are placed into a standard bracket with the No. 1 seed playing No. 8 in the first round, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on. Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round and best-of-five series in the semifinals and Finals. Notably, the first round is a 2-1 format, which means the higher seed gets the first two games at home, while the lower seed gets the deciding Game 3 at home should the series go that far. In the semifinals and Finals, it is a standard 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5, if necessary.

Here’s everything you need to know about the current playoff picture, including the standings and key tiebreakers:

Standings

1. New York Liberty (25-4) — Playoff spot clinched
2. Connecticut Sun (21-7)
3. Minnesota Lynx (21-8)
4. Seattle Storm (18-10)
5. Las Vegas Aces (17-11)
6. Phoenix Mercury (16-14)
7. Indiana Fever (13-15)
8. Chicago Sky (11-17)
9. Atlanta Dream (10-18)
10. Washington Mystics (7-22)
11. Dallas Wings (6-22)
12. Los Angeles Sparks (6-23)

Note: Two-team ties are decided first by head-to-head record and then, if necessary, better record against .500+ teams. Ties between more than two teams are determined by combined head-to-head record against the other teams. 

Liberty alone at the top

1. New York Liberty (25-4)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sun (3-0)

The Liberty have been the best team in the league this season and have already clinched a playoff spot. The took care of the Wings on Thursday to extend their winning streak to eight games. Only the Sun are within 3.5 games of them, and the Liberty have already won the season series between the clubs, making it essentially a 4.5-game advantage. 

Key remaining games: vs. Sun, Aug. 24

A four-team battle in the middle of the pack

2. Connecticut Sun (21-7)

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

The Sun haven’t been super convincing in their last few games, but they keep picking up big wins. Most recently, they took down the Sky thanks to some last-second free throws by Alyssa Thomas. For now, they’re doing just enough to hold off the red-hot Lynx. 

Key remaining games: at Liberty, Aug. 24; vs. Storm, Sept. 1; vs. Storm, Sept. 3; vs. Aces, Sept. 6; at Aces, Sept. 15; vs. Lynx, Sept. 17

3. Minnesota Lynx (21-8)

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

The Lynx kept on rolling on Friday with a second win over the defending champion Aces in three days. Napheesa Collier, who went off for 27 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, has been incredible recently. The Lynx have now won five games in a row. 

Key remaining games: at Sun, Sept. 17

4. Seattle Storm (18-10)

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

The Storm finally got back in the win column on Tuesday, as they held off the Mystics behind 24 points from Nneka Ogwumike. That was a big response from the Storm after two bad losses to resume the season. They are now percentage points behind the Aces for fourth. 

Key remaining games: vs. Liberty, Aug. 30; at Sun, Sept. 1; at Sun, Sept. 3; at Liberty, Sept. 5; vs. Aces, Sept. 17

5. Las Vegas Aces (17-11)

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

The Aces’ struggles continued on Friday with a second consecutive loss to the Lynx. The defending champs have now lost four of their last five on either side of the Olympic break and are closer to sixth place than they are to second. This group has never looked as vulnerable as it does right now. 

Key remaining games: at Lynx, Aug. 23; at Sun, Sept. 6; at Liberty, Sept. 8; vs. Sun, Sept. 15; at Storm, Sept. 17

Mercury starting to feel the pressure

6. Phoenix Mercury (16-14)

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

The Mercury got a much-needed win on Friday over the Dream to push their advantage over the Fever back up to two games. They have a tough remaining schedule, though, and the Fever own the tiebreaker between the clubs, so there’s still plenty of pressure on them. 

Key remaining games: at Sky, Sept. 15

Fever, Sky in control of final two spots

7. Indiana Fever (13-15) 

• Tiebreakers: vs. Mercury (3-0); vs. Sky (2-1); vs. Dream (2-0)

The Fever got off to a 2-9 start thanks to a diabolical schedule that saw them play 11 games — the majority of which were against title contenders — in 20 days. Since then, they’ve gone 11-6 and have climbed into seventh place. They’ve beaten the Mercury and Storm since play resumed and Caitlin Clark set the new rookie assist record. 

Key remaining games: at Dream, Aug. 26; at Sky, Aug. 30; vs. Dream, Sept. 8

8. Chicago Sky (11-17) 

• Tiebreakers: vs. Mercury (0-2); vs. Fever (1-2); vs. Dream (2-1)

The Sky’s difficult start to the second half of the season continued Friday with a narrow loss to the Sun. They’re now 1-3 since the season got back underway, their their lead over the Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot is down to just one game. 

Key remaining games: vs. Fever, Aug. 30; vs. Mercury, Sept. 15; at Dream, Sept. 17

Dream suddenly in the mix

9. Atlanta Dream (10-18)

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

The Dream’s three-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night with a narrow loss to the Mercury. They remain just one game behind the Sky for the eighth and final playoff spot, and are suddenly right back in the mix, which seemed unthinkable during their eight-game losing streak before the break. 

Key remaining games: vs Fever, Aug. 26; at Fever, Sept. 8; vs. Sky, Sept. 17

A clear gap at the bottom

10. Washington Mystics (7-22)

The Mystics finally got back in the win column by beating the lowly Sparks, but that’s too little, too late. As frustrating as this season has been, a trip to the lottery is in the franchise’s best interests long term. 

11. Dallas Wings (6-22)

A number of teams have been hurt by injuries this summer, but none more so than the Wings, who are enduring a season from hell. Satou Sabally, Natasha Howard, Maddy Siegrist and Jaelyn Brown all missed extended time prior to the break. While the Wings are finally getting healthy, that hasn’t translated into wins. They’re 0-3 since play resumed. 

12. Los Angeles Sparks (6-23)

The Sparks suffered another defeat Friday, this time to the Mystics. They’ve lost all five games since play resumed and six games in a row overall. Now six games back of a playoff spot, it’s time for them to start hoping for some more good luck in the lottery.