Overview
- The eight playoff teams are set and each has four regular-season games left that will determine final seeds and first-round matchups.
- Minnesota leads at 31-9 and controls the path to the No. 1 seed, needing two wins to guarantee top spot and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over Golden State.
- Golden State (29-11) can reach No. 1 only by winning all four games while Minnesota falters, and Las Vegas (27-13) has a realistic path to move up because both it and Golden State face only eliminated teams.
- The World Cup just ended with Team USA winning and several WNBA players and coaches returning quickly, which raises fatigue and roster-management questions as teams resume play on Thursday, Sept. 17 and finish the regular season on Sept. 24.
- Key, season-defining matchups include Indiana’s two quick games with Minnesota that could decide the top seed and Liberty–Dream meetings that could reshuffle the middle of the bracket, while Las Vegas added Kalani Brown after NaLyssa Smith’s season-ending injury and benefits from A’ja Wilson’s extra rest.