First Round Series Preview: 2025 WNBA Playoffs

Brian Martin

After the first 44-game season in WNBA history, the playoff field is set with eight teams vying for the 2025 WNBA championship.

The field features seven of the eight teams from the 2024 playoffs, including the defending champion Liberty, the top-seeded Lynx and the scorching-hot Aces, who bring a 16-game win streak into the playoffs.

The one new addition to the playoff field is historic as the Valkyries became the first expansion team to reach the postseason in their inaugural season.

Before we dive into each team and series, a few reminders on changes for the 2025 playoffs. After two decades of the WNBA Finals being decided in a best-of-five, the series will now feature a best-of-seven to determine the champion. The opening round remains a best-of-three, but will feature a 1-1-1 format, guaranteeing all teams will host at least one playoff game. Playoff Schedule & FAQ

(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (8) Golden State Valkyries

Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx drives toward the hoop against Janelle Salaun #13 of the Golden State Valkyries

Minnesota (34-10): After losing in the 2024 Finals in heartbreaking fashion on the road, the Lynx played the 2025 season with a chip on their shoulder as they rolled to the best record in the league, securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Led by MVP candidate Napheesa Coller – who just posted the second-ever 50-40-90 season in league history – the Lynx are seeking their record fifth championship and first since 2017.

Golden State (23-21): In a season full of historic moments, the Valkyries will make more on Sunday when they tip off their first-ever playoff game in their inaugural season. Golden State has defied the odds all season long thanks to breakout seasons from players like Veronica Burton, Ilana Rupert and rookie Janelle Salaün along with veteran Tiffany Hayes, who brings a team-high 33 games of playoff experience but has been ruled out for Game 1 (knee).

Season Series: Lynx 4-0

June 1: Lynx 86, Valkyries 75
July 5: Lynx 82, Valkyries 71
Sept. 6: Lynx 78, Valkyries 72
Sept. 11: Lynx 72, Valkyries 53

The Matchup: In an ironic twist of fate, this 1 vs. 8 matchup was solidified in the final week of the regular season as the Valkyries lost two games to the Lynx as part of a three-game losing streak that dropped Golden State from the sixth to the eighth seed. Now, the Valkyries will try to find a way to solve the Lynx with the stakes at their highest. This matchup features two of the top three defenses in the WNBA, but Minnesota also touts the league’s top offense, while Golden State ranks 10th.

(2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (7) Seattle Storm

A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces shoots a layup against Dominique Malonga #14 of the Seattle Storm

Las Vegas (30-14): No team in WNBA history has come into a postseason run on a hotter streak than the Aces, who won their final 16 regular season games (by an average of 12.4 points) to earn the No. 2 seed. Sitting at .500 (11-11) at the season’s midpoint, Las Vegas went 19-3 behind the extraordinary play of A’ja Wilson, the two-way brilliance of Jackie Young, the addition of NaLyssa Smith and Jewell Loyd thriving in a reserve role. And don’t forget about the Point Gawd – former Finals MVP Chelsea Gray – running the show.

Seattle (23-21): With Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams and trade deadline addition Brittney Sykes, the Storm feature a league-high four 2025 All-Stars, but needed a win in their final regular season game to secure a playoff berth after going just 9-12 following the All-Star break – the lowest win percentage of any playoff team. The Storm boast a top-four defense and led the WNBA in steals and points off turnovers. That defense will be tested as Vegas, which has averaged 88.6 points per game during their win streak.

Season Series: Tied 2-2

May 25: Storm 102, Aces 82
June 1: Aces 75, Storm 70
June 20: Storm 90, Aces 83
Aug. 8: Aces 94, Storm 90

The Matchup: These teams meet in the first round for the second straight postseason after Las Vegas eliminated Seattle 2-0 a year ago. That Storm team featured Loyd, who requested and was granted a trade in the offseason after spending her first decade (and winning two titles) in Seattle. The teams split their season series 2-2 with three of the four games decided by seven points or less. While both teams finished with a league-high 14 wins in games featuring clutch time – score within five points in final five minutes – the Aces went 14-5 in such games compared to the Storm’s 14-15 mark.

(3) Atlanta Dream vs. (6) Indiana Fever

Allisha Gray #15 of the Atlanta Dream passes the ball during the game against the Indiana Fever

Atlanta (30-14): The Dream doubled their win total from last year, shattered the team record for wins in a season (30) and finished with their highest win percentage (.682) in franchise history. Powered by the All-Star trio of Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones, the Dream are the hottest team outside of Vegas entering the postseason – winning 15 of their last 18 games, including their final six games. Under first-year coach Karl Smesko, the Dream finished second in both offensive and defensive efficiency – after finishing 12th and 6th, respectively, last season.

Indiana (24-20): The Fever earning the No. 6 seed is a testament to the team’s ability to overcome adversity all season long. Indiana saw Caitlin Clark limited to just 13 games (she last played on July 15), the midseason departure of DeWanna Bonner and five players with season-ending injuries that forced the Fever to sign and incorporate multiple players at the end of the season. Helping keep Indy afloat were All-Stars Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, who will each have to continue to play a major role if the Fever hope to advance.

Season Series: Tied 2-2

May 20: Dream 91, Fever 90
May 22: Fever 81, Dream 76
June 10: Dream 77, Fever 58
July 11: Fever 99, Dream 82

The Matchup: One of these two teams will win their first playoff series in a decade – the Dream last won a series in 2016, while the Fever’s last series win came during their 2015 run to the Finals. Atlanta and Indy split their season series, but Sunday’s Game 1 will be their first meeting in over two months – that July 11 game featured four of the five players Indy lost to season-ending injuries. This matchup features the second- and third-ranked offenses in the WNBA in Atlanta (108.2) holding a slight edge on Indy (106.2), which means this series may come down to which defense steps up the most.

(4) Phoenix Mercury vs. (5) New York Liberty

Satou Sabally #0 of the Phoenix Mercury looks to pass the ball as Breanna Stewart #30 of the New York Liberty plays defense during the game

Phoenix (27-17): After being swept by the Lynx in last year’s first round, the Mercury underwent a roster overhaul – returning only two players in Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack, while adding MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas, former No. 2 pick Satou Sabally and nine more new players. In early July, they added former Mercury champion DeWanna Bonner following her exit from Indiana. With Thomas orchestrating the offense (racking up a league-high eight triple-doubles) and a top-five defense, the Mercury enjoyed their best season (.614 win percentage) since their last title run in 2014.

New York (27-17): The Liberty opened their first title defense by going 9-0 out of the gate, looking like a well-oiled machine. But injuries struck – first to Jonquel Jones and followed by Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud – which disrupted the team’s flow and saw New York drop to fifth in the standings. One silver lining has been the addition of Emma Meesseman, who was signed to help fill the void left by Stewart, giving New York three former Finals MVPs (Stewart in 2018 and 2020, Meesseman in 2019, Jones in 2024). With everyone healthy to open the playoffs, can the Liberty make another title run?

Season Series: Mercury 3-1

June 19: Mercury 89, Liberty 81
June 27: Mercury 106, Liberty 91
July 25: Liberty 89, Mercury 76
Aug. 30: Mercury 80, Liberty 63

The Matchup: The Mercury and Liberty finished with matching 27-17 records, with Phoenix earning home-court advantage by winning the season series 3-1. Between the matching records and the tale of the tape – NY fifth in offense and sixth in defense, Phoenix seventh in offense and fifth in defense, both teams top four in pace – this is shaping up to be a tight series. One key person in this matchup won’t be in uniform. It’s Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who returns to Phoenix, where she led the Mercury to eight straight playoff appearances, including the 2014 title run and 2021 Finals run – the latter includes Phoenix’s last playoff victory.

Playoff Power Rankings

Each week throughout the regular season, I power ranked all 13 teams to go beyond the simple win-loss record and give a more complete look at each team’s overall strength and performance at that time in the season.

I’ll do the same throughout the playoffs at the beginning of each round. With the opening round tipping off today, the red-hot Aces take over the top spot after closing the regular season on a 16-game win streak. Las Vegas has not lost a game since Aug. 2.

The other team to get a bump up from their playoff seed is the Liberty, who will begin their title defense with something they haven’t had for months – a healthy roster. After opening the season 9-0, New York was hit by the injury bug as Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud all missed significant time.

The Liberty enter their title defense with the most playoff experience of any team in the field. How much will that experience come into play this postseason?