The biggest WNBA season in the 29-year history of the league has come to a close as the first-ever 44-game season is in the books. It now readies for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, which begin on Sunday. The eight teams with the best regular-season records, regardless of conference, qualified for the postseason, with them also seeded without regard to their conference.
The first round is a best-of-three format, with the better-seeded team hosting Games 1 and 3. The semifinals will then be a best-of-five, with the 2025 WNBA Finals being the first of its kind, and that’s a best-of-seven. However, before we get there, let’s look at the four matchups that comprise the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
1. Minnesota Lynx (34–10) vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries (23–21)
The Lynx won four WNBA titles during the 2010s, but this could be their most complete team ever. They led the league in both offensive and defensive rating en route to tying the league’s record for wins in a single season. They are both the favorite to win the championship and have the MVP favorite in Napheesa Collier, as Minnesota swept Golden State in four regular-season games.
If the Lynx have a weakness, it’s their style of play, which isn’t conducive to getting to the line. Minnesota ranks dead last in made free throws and is second-to-last in free throw percentage, which could rear its head late in games. The team’s efficiency both inside and outside the arc has mitigated its lack of free throws, but a team like the Valkyries could exploit this weakness. The Golden State is the first-ever team to make the WNBA postseason in their inaugural season, so it has nothing to lose, and the Valkyries allow both the fewest points per game and force opponents into the lowest field-goal percentage in the WNBA.
2. Las Vegas Aces (30–14) vs. No. 7 Seattle Storm (23–21)
The Aces, who have made at least the WNBA semifinals in six straight years, enter the playoffs on a 16-game win streak that is tied for the second-longest in history. The three other teams who had a win streak of at least 15 games all won the WNBA title that season, so Vegas is peaking at the perfect time. The Aces have the league’s best player in A’ja Wilson and went 2-2 versus Seattle in the regular season, including a 20-point loss to the Storm in May.
Wilson’s performance against a swarming Seattle defense will be the focal point of the series, as the Storm led the WNBA in both steals and blocks. Wilson uncharacteristically struggled in last year’s semifinal exit in the playoffs, as the MVP’s points per game dropped by nearly seven points in the postseason, compared to the regular season, despite her playing more minutes per game in the playoffs. With five of the Storm’s top seven players being 31 or older, the team is battle-tested, and while most see Vegas prevailing, it won’t be a shock if the Storm end the Aces’ lengthy win streak in the series.
3. Atlanta Dream (30–14) vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever (24–20)
Boosted by the addition of Brittney Griner, Atlanta doubled its win total from 2024 and set a franchise record for victories in the process. Griner has adjusted to her new bench role as Atlanta has a highly efficient style of play that doesn’t allow easy points, as it both commits the fewest turnovers and the fewest personal fouls.
This series can’t be discussed without mentioning that Indiana is without Caitlin Clark for the rest of the season, and what a difference her absence makes. In the three Fever games this year versus Atlanta with Clark, Indiana won two of them and lost the other by a single point. In the one Fever vs. Dream game without Clark, Atlanta won by 19 points. Indiana has fought valiantly simply to make the playoffs without Clark and several other injured contributors, but the Dream are poised to take their next step after being bounced in the first round each of the last two years.
4. Phoenix Mercury (27–17) vs. No. 5 New York Liberty (27–17)
This is the only series where the lower-seeded team is favored, and that’s a perk of being the defending WNBA champion. The Liberty started the year 9-0 and looked poised to repeat, but they finished the year just one game over .500 over their last 35 games (18-17 record). Meanwhile, Phoenix took care of business versus non-playoff teams and those seeded sixth or worse in the postseason, with a 22-7 record against them. But against the top five seeds—which includes the Liberty—the Mercury went just 5-10, including losing three of four to New York.
The Liberty are arguably the best-shooting team in basketball, leading the league in free throw percentage and ranking second in 3-point percentage. But Phoenix may have the best all-around player in the sport in Alyssa Thomas. Her eight triple-doubles this season are twice as many as any other WNBA player has in their entire career. Phoenix having home-court advantage cannot be understated in this matchup as the Liberty are just 10-12 away from home, which is the second-worst record of any playoff team.
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