WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx look to gain control of No. 1 seed as regular season enters the fourth quarter
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- Minnesota Lynx built a 3.5-game lead over the Valkyries and a 5-game lead over the Aces for the No. 1 seed, winning 14 of their last 15 games, and can effectively lock up the top seed with a Wednesday win at Golden State that seals the season series.
- Indiana Fever escaped Atlanta with an overtime win on Sunday, moving within half a game of the Aces for third place and boosting their top-four seed odds to 63%, up from a hypothetical 24% with a loss, and crucially own the tiebreaker over Las Vegas.
- The eight WNBA playoff teams are largely set, with the Dallas Wings holding a five-game cushion over the Portland Fire for the eighth and final spot despite losing six of eight, while Azzi Fudd has been sidelined since Aug. 5 with a knee injury.
- Diana Taurasi had her No. 3 jersey raised to the rafters by the Phoenix Mercury alongside Penny Taylor's No. 13 during Sunday's game, marking a career milestone for the league's all-time leading scorer.
- The Seattle Storm (7-30) and Connecticut Sun were officially eliminated from playoff contention, with the Sun missing the postseason in back-to-back years for just the third time since relocating to Connecticut in 2003.
- The 2026 regular season runs until Sept. 24, but the Aug. 31–Sept. 16 FIBA Women's World Cup break in Berlin means the season is functionally more than three-quarters complete.
Why it matters: The Lynx's 3.5-game cushion — combined with Wednesday's head-to-head at Golden State — puts home-court advantage throughout the playoffs effectively in Minnesota's hands. The middle of the bracket is also tightening, with just two games separating the No. 3 Aces from the No. 7 Liberty, meaning seeding in the 3-7 range could shift dramatically in the next two weeks.
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