WNBA playoffs: Lynx, Aces, Valkyries clinch berths
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- Minnesota Lynx became the first team to clinch a playoff berth on Aug. 9, beating Dallas to reach 27-7 with 11 games remaining, even as Napheesa Collier was still recovering from offseason ankle surgery on both ankles.
- Las Vegas Aces clinched the second playoff spot on Aug. 13 by beating the Mystics, moving to 24-11 with nine games left, behind A'ja Wilson's league-best 26.1 points per game on 52.3% shooting.
- Golden State Valkyries secured the third postseason berth with a Monday home win over Dallas, reaching 25-9 with 10 games remaining and now owning the WNBA's longest active win streak at six games.
- A'ja Wilson has scored in double digits in every game this season and set a new single-season high with 33 three-pointers, surpassing her previous mark of 31 set in 2022.
- Kayla McBride scored a career-high 43 points and tied or broke the WNBA single-game record with 10 three-pointers in the Aug. 9 win that clinched Minnesota's playoff spot.
- Olivia Miles, the No. 2 draft pick in April, is averaging 19.9 PPG and 6.1 APG as a rookie, putting together one of the most impressive debut seasons in WNBA history.
- Napheesa Collier made her season debut July 22; the Lynx are 8-1 since her return, and she's averaging 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Why it matters: The Minnesota Lynx (27-7) have gone 8-1 since Napheesa Collier returned, the defending champion Aces sit behind A'ja Wilson's league-best 26.1 PPG, and the Valkyries — the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in their inaugural season — are back in year two. Final seeding remains unsettled with the regular season ending Sept. 24.
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