Lynx Clinch No. 1 Seed for 2026 WNBA Playoffs as Title Favorites — SkimNews
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- Minnesota Lynx clinched the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the 2026 WNBA playoffs after the Golden State Valkyries lost in overtime to the Portland Fire, ending Valkyries' six-game winning streak and their hopes of catching Minnesota.
- Lynx lost 96-79 to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night, trailing by as many as 29 in the first half before coach Cheryl Reeve benched her starters at halftime; MVP candidate Olivia Miles sat out with a calf injury.
- Lynx are the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year and the first time since 2016-17 they've held that honor in back-to-back seasons, after last year's semifinal exit despite a 34-10 regular-season record.
- Minnesota overcame massive offseason turnover — losing six rotation players between the Portland/Toronto expansion draft and free agency — to start 10-2, hold first place since July 12, and post a plus-8.2 net rating (second in the WNBA).
- DraftKings lists the Lynx as -110 title favorites, well ahead of the Aces (+650), Valkyries (+700), Dream (+750), Fever (+950), and Liberty (+1400).
- Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick, is the likely unanimous Rookie of the Year, though she trails A'ja Wilson (-7000) heavily in MVP odds at FanDuel (+2700).
- Napheesa Collier required surgery on both ankles during the offseason but returned July 22, with Natasha Howard earning her first All-Star nod since 2022 by carrying the frontcourt in Collier's absence.
Why it matters: The Lynx entered the summer with low external expectations after jettisoning six rotation players and seeing their best player undergo double ankle surgery, yet still ran away with the league's best record and now carry the shortest title odds on the board — meaning second-seeded title contenders like the Aces and Valkyries will likely need to win multiple road games to dethrone them.
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