Overview

• Regular-season champion Minnesota opens a best-of-three against expansion Golden State on Sunday, riding two seasons of elite form and eyeing redemption after last year’s Finals loss.
• Las Vegas enters hot after a long win streak, with A'ja Wilson in MVP form and Jewell Loyd’s sixth-woman role identified as a pivotal postseason lever.
• Defending champion New York arrives as the fifth seed after a bumpy, injury-hit year, with Natasha Cloud’s defensive pressure framed as the swing factor in a title defense bid.
• Phoenix’s overhaul—adding Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas, then DeWanna Bonner midseason—puts focus on Kahleah Copper’s two-way impact as the Mercury chase payoff on aggressive roster moves.
• Underdog storylines include Indiana’s resilience despite five season-ending injuries (with Lexie Hull cited as a spark), Atlanta’s bench punch from Brittney Griner, Seattle’s uphill No. 8 seed draw versus Minnesota, and Golden State’s credible upset potential in its debut season.