WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx Clinch Berth, Four Records Fall
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- Minnesota Lynx (27-7) became the first team to officially clinch a 2026 WNBA playoff berth, while Seattle became the first officially eliminated; every other team has 10 to 13 games left in the 44-game regular season.
- Kayla McBride scored a career-high 43 points with a WNBA single-game record 10 three-pointers in the Lynx's 13-point Sunday win over Dallas.
- Kelsey Mitchell posted a league-record 16th consecutive 20-plus-point game, and Caitlin Clark registered her WNBA single-season-record sixth game of 25-plus points and 10-plus assists in the Fever's win over Chicago.
- Angel Reese recorded her Atlanta Dream franchise single-season-record 22nd double-double, which leads the WNBA this season.
- Washington Mystics extended a 7-game win streak that ties a single-season franchise record and now own the league's second-best scoring defense (82.6 points per game).
- Dallas Wings lost their third straight and six of eight to sit at the No. 8 seed (19-14), with Portland 5.5 games back and not a single team on the outside of the playoff picture carrying a winning record over its past 10 games.
- Golden State Valkyries (23-9) have eight of their final 12 games against teams outside the current playoff picture and none remaining against the Aces, Fever, Mystics or Dream.
Why it matters: Standings are so tightly bunched that every team from No. 2 (Las Vegas, 22-11) through No. 7 (New York, 20-13) sits within 1.5 games of the next neighbor, meaning a single week's results could reorder the entire 2-through-7 seed structure. With Dallas's eighth seed holding only a 5.5-game cushion over Portland and the Valkyries facing a soft closing schedule, this final stretch will largely determine matchups and whether teams like Golden State can chase down Minnesota for the No. 1 seed.
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