With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, every game takes on added importance when it comes to reaching the postseason and securing playoff position.

We continue our series of players to watch with another mix of superstars and x-factors that will help determine their team’s fate.

Stats, rankings and standings through games played on Aug. 28, 2025

1. Minnesota: Alanna Smith & DiJonai Carrington

Despite Thursday’s loss to Seattle, the Lynx remain on track to lock up the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs. Napheesa Collier’s return from an ankle injury is huge, as is the play of fellow All-Stars Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams (who we highlighted last week). Two more key players on this deep squad are starting center Alanna Smith and newcomer DiJonai Carrington off the bench. Both were All-Defensive Team selections last season (Smith alongside Collier in Minny, while Carrington was in Connecticut) and have helped the Lynx to a league’s best 97.7 defensive rating. Smith joins Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson as the only players averaging 2+ blocks and 1+ steals this season.

2. Las Vegas: A’ja Wilson

The reigning MVP is making a run for her fourth such honor with a post All-Star tear that has coincided with Vegas’ 12-game win streak to race up the standings. Wilson and the Aces are off until next Thursday when they host the Lynx in a clash of the top two teams in the standings and the top two scorers in the league. Wilson is averaging 26.8 points with six 30+ point games during Las Vegas’ win streak, boosting her season average to 23.4 ppg, just 0.2 ppg  behind Collier in the race for the scoring title. Wilson also ranks second in rebounding (10.1), first in blocks (2.2) and eighth in steals (1.6). 

3. Atlanta: Allisha Gray

No player in the WNBA has played more total minutes this season than Gray’s 1,337. The ironwoman has appeared in all 38 of Atlanta’s games (after playing all 40 last season). Only two players have splashed more 3-pointers than Gray’s 92 as the 3-time All-Star is averaging a career-best 2.4 triples per game on 38.8% shooting – her highest mark in three seasons with the Dream and second-highest in her nine-year career. She’s on pace to set career-best marks in points (18.7), rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.6) and has Atlanta in contention for a top-four playoff berth.

4. Phoenix: Kahleah Copper & Satou Sabally

Copper played only five games in June after missing the first month of the season with a knee injury. She played only five games in July due to a rib injury. In August, she has played 12 games, averaging 16.7 ppg, including Thursday’s 28-point performance against Chicago. As for Sabally, who is averaging a team-high 16.7 ppg – keep an eye on her points column. When she scores over 15 points, the Mercury are 11-4 this season, compared to 9-9 when she scores 15 or less.

5. New York: Breanna Stewart

After missing a month with a bone bruise in her right knee that cost her 13 games, Stewart returned to the court this past week. With a minutes restriction keeping her under 25 minutes in her first two games back, Stewart still averaged 15.5 points and seven rebounds in a pair of New York wins. How will her knee respond to an increase in minutes and an increase in pressure once the Liberty begin their title defense in the postseason? With key members of the roster out – Sabrina Ionescu (toe), Jonquel Jones (illness), Natasha Cloud (nose) and Nyara Sabally – can Stewart and the rest of the Liberty maintain their playoff position over these closing weeks?

6. Indiana: Aliyah Boston & Odyssey Sims

In Tuesday’s win, the Fever got 20+ point games from Boston, Sims and Kelsey Mitchell (who we discussed last week) as Indy avoided a three-game skid. Boston has been a constant for the Fever – a top 20 scorer, a top 10 rebounder and shot blocker – while racking up the 4th most double-doubles in the league (15). Sims, on the other hand, has had to strike fast. Working on her third 7-day contract with a Fever team ravaged by guard injuries, Sims has averaged 9.8 points, 4.2 assists and 38.5% 3-point shooting over six games, with a top-20 assist/turnover ratio (2.48), giving the Fever a veteran presence in the backcourt.

7. Seattle: Gabby Williams

In Thursday’s comeback win over the Lynx, Williams put up 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, one steal and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes. It was the type of stuff-the-box-score performance that earned Williams the nickname “French Army Knife” from her head coach Noelle Quinn. The All-Star’s versatility can be seen in her season averages – 12.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.3 apg and 2.3 spg – marks that have only been hit by two other players in WNBA history: Tamika Catchings in 2007 and Angel McCoughtry in 2013. And neither of them averaged Williams’ 1.2 3-pointers per game.

8. Golden State: Tiffany Hayes & Iliana Rupert

Already wearing a mask to protect a broken nose, Hayes went down with a knee injury during a collision with Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper last week. She’s listed as day-to-day with seven games to play. Her return will be critical as Golden State finds itself in a four-team battle for the final three spots in the playoff picture. With the Valkyries potentially making history as the first WNBA expansion franchise to reach the playoffs, getting Hayes back on court, and continued production and shooting from Rupert will be key. Rupert – a 6-foot-4 center from France, is the WNBA leader in 3-point percentage (31-of-67, 46.3%), giving Golden State a proven stretch five.

9. Los Angeles: Dearica Hamby & Azurá Stevens

When looking at this year’s season leaders across seven key categories – averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, as well as field goal percentage and 3-point percentage – only seven players appear in the top 10 in at least three categories:

• 5 Categories: Napheesa Collier
• 4 Categories: A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Dearica Hamby
• 3 Categories: Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Azurá Stevens

Two of those seven players – and the only teammates on this list – are Hamby (18,1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 57.5 FG%) and Stevens (7.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 41.0 3P%) – who have both used their diverse talents to keep the Sparks in the hunt for a playoff berth.

10. Washington: Shakira Austin

On Sunday, Austin put up a career-best 30 points (10-15 FG, 10-10 FT) with five boards and four blocks, but her effort was thwarted by Nneka Ogwumike’s game-winning buzzer-beater for Seattle. In her fourth season after being selected 3rd overall in 2022, Austin’s scoring has risen each year, up to this season’s 12.9 ppg to go with 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks. Can Austin help Washington snap its five-game losing streak and avoid playoff elimination this weekend when the Mystics visit Golden State and Los Angeles?

11. Connecticut: Tina Charles & Marina Mabrey

Last week, we highlighted a pair of promising rookies for the Sun. This week, it’s time to show some love to the vets. Tina Charles enters the weekend needing 19 field goals to pass Diana Taurasi (3,341) for the most in WNBA history. Averaging 5.9 buckets per game, Charles is on pace to break the record in four games. Meanwhile, Mabrey has been key to Connecticut’s late season resurgence. The Sun are 7-9 since she returned from injury on July 24 after going 3-19 prior.

12. Chicago: Kamilla Cardoso

After discussing Angel Reese last week, it’s time to add Cardoso to the watch list. I’m particularly intrigued by watching more of Cardoso and Reese sharing the court and playing off one another. So far this season, Cardoso has assisted Reese 18 times, while Reese has returned the favor 23 times. While Chicago has been eliminated from the playoffs, the development of this front line tandem is key to the Sky’s future success.

13. Dallas: Maddy Siegrist

With eight players listed on the injury report ahead of Friday’s game in Atlanta, Siegrist will have the opportunity to build on her already career-best numbers — 12.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks — when the Wings face the Dream. Siegrist, the third overall pick in the 2023 Draft, is averaging 15.3 points on 56.2% shooting over 10 games in August. Can she close out the month strong as the season winds down?