The stage is set for a thrilling finish to the 2025 regular season with playoff spots and positioning on the line in just about every single game over the final two-plus weeks.
For this week’s rankings, we’re breaking down the field into four groups – each one representing a different race for the teams included. 
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Group 1: Race to clinch No. 1 overall seed
The smallest of these groups belongs solely to the Lynx, who have a magic number of two (Lynx wins or Dream losses) to clinch the No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. How important is home-court? The Lynx are 18-1 at Target Center this season.
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1. Minnesota Lynx (30-7)
Last Week: 1 ↔️
This Week: Thur. vs. SEA, Sat. at CON
The Lynx opened the week with their first consecutive losses of the season – falling at New York and Atlanta – before bouncing back by sweeping a home-and-home with Indiana. Sunday’s game marked the return of Napheesa Collier, who dropped 32 points in her first game after missing three weeks with an ankle injury. Minnesota went 5-2 without the league’s leading scorer and MVP candidate.
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Group 2: Race for home-court advantage in First Round
Next up, we have four teams – the Aces, Dream, Mercury and Liberty – separated by just two games and all seeking a top-four finish in order to secure home-court in the opening round of the playoffs.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-202341" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-74-1536x864.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
2. Las Vegas Aces (24-14)
Last Week: 3 ⬆️
This Week: Mon. at CHI, Wed. at ATL
No team in the league is hotter than the Aces, who won their 10th straight game on Saturday – marking the longest win streak of the Vegas era and the second longest in franchise history (12 by the 2012 Silver Stars). The eighth win of this streak came against the Dream as the Aces rallied back from 10 down in the fourth quarter to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker (lead season series 2-0 with one game to play). Vegas also holds the tiebreaker over Phoenix, but not New York.
3. Atlanta Dream (24-13)
Last Week: 2 ⬇️
This Week: Wed. vs. LVA, Fri. vs. DAL
With only 13 losses on the season – second only to Minnesota – the Dream control their own destiny down the stretch. If they win out, they’ll be the No. 2 seed (assuming Minnesota doesn’t collapse). Atlanta has won nine of its last 11 games with its only loss this week coming at the hands of red-hot Las Vegas. The Dream will look to avenge that loss on Wednesday when they host the Aces in their final meeting of the regular season. While Atlanta does not have the tiebreaker with Vegas, they do hold it over Phoenix and split its season series with New York.
4. Phoenix Mercury (22-14)
Last Week: 5 ⬆️
This Week: Tue. at LAS, Thur. vs. CHI, Sat. vs. NYL
This month, Phoenix has gone 0-4 against Las Vegas and Atlanta, but 6-0 against all other teams. However, dropping two games apiece to the Aces and Dream means that the Mercury lost the head-to-head tiebreakers with both teams, which could hurt them if the race remains this tight down the stretch. Phoenix leads its season series with New York (2-1) and can clinch that tiebreaker in their final meeting on Saturday.
5. New York Liberty (22-15)
Last Week: 4 ⬇️
This Week: Mon. vs. CON, Thur. vs. WAS, Sat. at PHX
The Liberty are 2-5 in their last seven games and 5-9 since losing Breanna Stewart to a bone bruise in her knee on July 26 (I’m including that game in the record since Stewart only played three minutes). Stewart isn&#8217;t the only player the Liberty are missing. Nyara Sabally (knee) remains out for likely another week, while Sabrina Ionescu (foot), Natasha Cloud (nose) and Isabelle Harrison (concussion) are all listed as questionable for Monday&#8217;s game against the suddenly-scorching Sun. Saturday’s game at Phoenix is one to watch as NY can clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win, giving the Liberty two tiebreakers (also over Vegas) in this group.
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Group 3: Race for final three playoff spots
Next up, we have five teams still in the mix for the final three playoff berths, including four teams – the Storm, Valkyries, Fever and Sparks – all with exactly 18 losses entering this week. The Mystics are still alive, but sit four losses behind this group’s lead pack.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-202342" src="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" srcset="https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75.png 2560w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75-300x169.png 300w, https://cdn.wnba.com/sites/4/2025/08/Thumbnail-75-2048x1152.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
6. Seattle Storm (20-18)
Last Week: 9 ⬆️
This Week: Tue. at IND, Thur. at MIN, Sat. vs. CHI
Nneka Ogwumike came through in the clutch on Sunday, knocking down a15-foot fadeaway at the buzzer to seal Seattle’s third straight win and fourth in the last five games as the Storm have bounced back from a six-game losing streak to open August. Can the Storm keep rolling with three teams right on their heels? They’ll have to since Seattle will not hold any head-to-head tiebreakers over this field – Seattle lost its season series with Indiana and must beat Golden State and L.A. in order to even those two series.
7. Golden State Valkyries (19-18)
Last Week: 6 ⬇️
This Week: Sat. vs. WAS, Sun vs. IND
There have only been eight games in WNBA history with a player racking up 24+ points and 13+ assists – Veronica Burton has two of those games in Golden State’s last three outings. Sunday’s win at Dallas snapped a three-game slide for the Valkyries, who remain in the hunt to become the first WNBA expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season. Golden State has tiebreakers on its side, locking up the head-to-head edge over Indiana and Los Angeles and leading Seattle (2-1) with one game to play.
8. Indiana Fever (19-18)
Last Week: 7 ⬇️
This Week: Tue. vs. SEA, Fri. at LAS, Sun. at GSV
This is an important week for the Fever as they face each of the other three teams that open the season’s penultimate week with 18 losses – hosting Seattle on Tuesday before a California road trip to face the Sparks on Friday and Valkyries on Sunday. The Fever enter this crucial point of the schedule having gone just 2-6 in their last eight games following a season-best five-game win streak. As injuries continue to ravage the team – Sophie Cunningham is the latest to be lost for the season – can the Fever fight their way to a top-eight finish? When it comes to tiebreakers, Indy holds it over Seattle, but lost its season series to both L.A. and Golden State.
9. Los Angeles Sparks (17-18)
Last Week: 8 ⬇️
This Week: Tue. vs. PHX, Fri. vs. IND, Sun. vs. WAS
From July 13-Aug. 7, the Sparks went on a run of eight wins over a nine-game span, with win streaks of five and three games. Since then, they have not been able to string together back-to-back wins as they have alternated wins and losses over each of their past six games. In such a tight playoff race, a timely win streak can make all the difference. Coming off a Kelsey Plum game-winner in their only game last week, can the Sparks make it two straight when they host the Mercury on Tuesday? In terms of tiebreakers, the Sparks hold it over the Fever and lead the Storm (2-1 with one game to play), but lost to the Valkyries.
10. Washington Mystics (16-22)
Last Week: 10 ↔️
This Week: Thur. at NYL, Sat. at GSV, Sun. at LAS
Results: L vs. CON 80-69, L at CON 67-56, L vs. LVA 91-81, L vs. SEA 84-82
Notes: lost 4 straight, in danger of playoff elimination
Just like a timely win streak can boost a team during a tight playoff race, an untimely losing streak can be a damaging blow to a team’s playoff hopes. Case in point – the Mystics – who have dropped four straight games to fall four losses behind the pack in the race for the final three playoff spots. Washington has no margin for error down the stretch, including a pair of must-win road games this week at Golden State and Los Angeles.
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Group 4: Officially out of playoff contention
Three teams – the Sun, Sky and Wings – have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with two weeks to play. With each roster featuring young talent, these final games can be useful tools for player development that can carry over to next season.
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11. Connecticut Sun (9-27)
Last Week: 13 ⬆️
This Week: Mon. at NYL, Wed. at DAL, Sat. vs. MIN
Results: W at WAS 80-69, W vs. WAS 67-56, W at CHI 94-84
Notes: won 3 straight, 1st win streak of season, 6-8 since ASG
The Sun enter this week riding their first win streak of the season – having strung together three straight victories over the Mystics (twice) and Sky. Leading the way during the streak has been Tina Charles (19.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Saniya Rivers (12.3 ppg, 1.7 spg) and Marina Mabrey (12.0 ppg, 5.0 apg). Overall, the Sun are 6-8 since All-Star compared to 3-19 prior to the break.
12. Chicago Sky (9-27)
Last Week: 12 ↔️
This Week: Mon vs. LVA, Thur. at PHX, Sat. at SEA
A pair of 20/10 games from Kamila Cardoso (22 pts, career-high 16 reb) and Angel Reese (21 pts, 10 reb) helped the Sky top the Liberty in Brooklyn to snap a five-game losing streak. The Sky open the week hosting the red-hot Aces in the first of three matchups over a 15-day span.
13. Dallas Wings (9-29)
Last Week: 11 ⬇️
This Week: Wed. vs. CON, Fri. at ATL
The Wings have dropped five straight and 10 of their last 11 games to fall to the bottom of the standings this week. Wednesday&#8217;s loss to the Sparks saw Kelsey Plum hit a game-winner to spoil Paige Bueckers’ brilliant 44-point effort – the most points scored in any WNBA game this season and the most ever scored by a rookie in league history. Things don’t get any easier as Dallas faces one of the most difficult remaining schedules, with five of their final six games coming against teams in the playoff hunt. The other? Wednesday against the suddenly-hot Connecticut Sun.

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Latest

Sophie Cunningham

WNBA CAREER
Has appeared in 53 career games, starting in 11 of those contests
Holds career averages of 3.8 points and 1.0 rebounds
Career 88.1 percent (52-for-59) free throw shooter, having missed only seven attempts in her first two seasons
Led all rookies in free-throw shooting percentage in 2019, shooting 88.2 percent (30-of-34)
Scored a career-high 19 points on June 28, 2019 against Indiana…finished a perfect three-for-three from three-point range
Scored a career-high 19 points on June 28, 2019 against Indiana
Grabbed a career-best six rebounds on July 5, 2019 against New York
Has dished a career-high three assists twice (most recent: August 28, 2020)
2020 SEASON
Appeared in 21 games, earning the start in 11 of them
Averaged a career-best 5.0 points and 1.0 rebounds
Missed just three free throws on the season, finishing 22-for-25 (88.0 percent) from the charity stripe
Scored a season-high 15 points on August 12 against Chicago, matching her career high for three-pointers in a game with three…scored 10+ points four times on the season
Grabbed a season-high five rebounds in the Mercury’s season finale on September 11 against Seattle after playing in a career-high 32 minutes
2019 SEASON
Appeared in 32 games, earning the start in five of them
Averaged 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds
Led all rookies in free-throw shooting percentage, shooting 88.2 percent from the charity stripe (30-of-34)
Became just the second rookie in franchise history to shoot over 88 percent from the free-throw line during rookie season (min. 30 FT attempts), joining Bridget Pettis (1997)
Scored a career-high 19 points and matched her career-high in assists (three) in the Mercury’s game on June 28 against Indiana
Finished a perfect three-for-three from three-point range on June 28 against Indiana…registered the seventh ever game in franchise history of at least 19 points and a perfect 100-percent mark from three-point range (min. 3 attempts)…Jennifer GIllom, Penny Taylor, Tangela Smith, Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter (twice) are the only others to do so
Grabbed a career-high six rebounds in her first career start on July 5 against New York
COLLEGE CAREER
Finished her four-year career at Missouri as the program’s all-time leader in points (2,187) and free throws (537), second in three-point field goals (590) and fourth in points per game (17.0)
Led the program to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances after Missouri missed 10-straight appearances in the ‘Big Dance’
2019 All-America Third Team selection following senior season
Three-time All-SEC First Team selection during college career
AP All-America Honorable Mention in both her sophomore and junior seasons
Became first Missouri player since 1994 to earn SEC All-Tournament honors at the SEC Tournament
Only player in the nation to average 17.0 points, grab 200 rebounds and hit 80 three-pointers and 150 free throws during senior season
INTERNATIONAL
Played for the Melbourne Boomers in Australia’s WNBL during the 2019-2020 WNBA offseason&#8230;averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game…shot 57 percent from the field (57-of-100), 33.7 percent from three-point range (29-of-86) and 89.6 percent from the free throw line (43-of-48)
PERSONAL
Born August 16, 1996 to Jim and Paula Cunningham
Favorite WNBA player growing up was Diana Taurasi
Sister, Lindsey, also played basketball at Missouri&#8230;mother (track and field), father (football), aunt (basketball), uncle (football) and grandfather (football) all played at Missouri
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