WNBA playoff bracket coming into focus: Dream lock in 4-seed, Liberty are No. 8 — SkimNews
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- Atlanta Dream locked up the No. 4 seed with a Wednesday win over the New York Liberty, pushing New York to No. 8 and the Dallas Wings to No. 7 in the reshuffled bracket.
- Minnesota Lynx clinched the No. 1 seed and have gone 8-1 since Napheesa Collier returned July 22 from offseason ankle surgery, with rookie point guard Olivia Miles (19.9 PPG, 6.1 APG) earning praise for one of the most impressive rookie seasons in WNBA history.
- Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell set a WNBA record by scoring 20 or more points in 21 consecutive games, while the team topped 100 points a league-record 16 times this season en route to their third straight playoff berth.
- Dallas Wings clinched their first playoff appearance since 2023 behind Paige Bueckers (20.6 PPG), who scored 54 points over her last two games, though the team lost No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd for the season to a knee injury.
- Angel Reese recorded a career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Dream's clincher, reaching 26 double-doubles on the season and joining Dallas's Jessica Shepard as the only two WNBA players currently averaging a double-double.
- New York Liberty finished 10-3 over their last 13 games under first-year coach Chris DeMarco, with Breanna Stewart shooting a career-best 46.8% from the field since 2022 ahead of the 8-seed's first-round matchup.
- Golden State Valkyries entered the playoffs carrying the league's longest active win streak (six straight) and the best defense (fewest points allowed), chasing back-to-back appearances after becoming the first WNBA expansion franchise to make the postseason in year one.
Why it matters: The Dream's 4-seed and the Liberty's 8-seed reshuffle the bracket — Atlanta likely avoids the league's top seed while New York, a defending contender, gets the toughest first-round path. For Dallas, Paige Bueckers' playoff debut comes without injured No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and marks the Wings' first postseason since 2023.
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