After a record 44-game regular season, it’s finally time for the 2025 WNBA playoffs. Starting with a four-game slate Sunday, eight teams will vie for the title. The field includes the defending champion New York Liberty, the current No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx and the red-hot Las Vegas Aces, who are riding a 16-game winning streak.

New York beat Minnesota in a five-game WNBA Finals last year, but the championship series has expanded to best-of-seven this season. The first-round format also has changed to 1-1-1, allowing every team in the playoffs to get at least one home game.

That means the Indiana Fever, who ended a seven-year playoff drought last year, will host their first playoff game since 2016 next week. Fever sensation Caitlin Clark, sidelined by injury since July 15, is out for the playoffs, but Indiana has shown the resilience to still be a dangerous foe.

We break down all eight teams in the playoff field, from their best assets to their biggest flaws.

(Note: BPI reflects data through Wednesday’s games.)

Jump to: ATL | GS | IND | LV | MIN | NY | PHO | SEA

First-round opponent: Golden State Valkyries (89.1% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 49.7%

What’s on the line: After losing in the 2024 WNBA Finals, Minnesota (34-10) has been atop the league standings all season and looks to win its fifth championship in franchise history and first since 2017.

Projected starters: G Courtney Williams (13.9 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, 4.9 rebounds per game), G Kayla McBride (14.9 PPG, 3.5 APG, 40.9% 3-point percentage), F Napheesa Collier (23.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.6 blocks per game), F Alanna Smith (9.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG), F Bridget Carleton (6.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG)

Why they could win: Despite being the league’s best team all year, the Lynx are playing with a chip on their shoulder. Losing in last year’s Finals was painful, especially how the series ended — in a winner-take-all Game 5 after which the Lynx questioned the officiating. Last year’s disappointment gives Minnesota extra motivation.

Collier, a top-two favorite for this year’s MVP (which would be her first), ranks second in the league in scoring with 23.0 points per game . On Thursday she became just the second WNBA player (joining Elena Delle Donne) to register a 50-40-90 season, shooting 53% from the field, 40% on 3-pointers and 91% from the free throw line. Minnesota averages the most points per game (86.4) in the WNBA and has the best offensive and defensive ratings in the league.

With players such as Williams, McBride, Smith and Natisha Hiedeman, the Lynx boast some of the WNBA’s best depth, which helped them keep a winning record (5-2) even when Collier was injured for three weeks in August. Opponents face an unrelenting rotation of players throughout the game, and it all helped result in a dominant regular season.

Fatal flaw: Last year, the Lynx struggled with the Liberty’s size in the Finals, and Minnesota’s roster didn’t get any bigger this season. With Smith at center and Collier at power forward, bigger teams can give them trouble. Their defense remains among the league’s best, but facing teams with devastating combos in the post — Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner, who helped Atlanta beat Minnesota twice this season, come to mind — could present challenges in the postseason. — Kendra Andrews

First-round opponent: Seattle Storm (61.1% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 8.1%

What’s on the line: The Aces are looking to get back to the finals for the first time since back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

Projected starters: G Jackie Young (16.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.5 RPG), G Chelsea Gray (11.2 PPG, 5.4 APG), C A’ja Wilson (23.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG), F NaLyssa Smith (8.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG), F Kierstan Bell (4.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG)

Why they could win: The Aces (30-14) ride a 16-game winning streak into the playoffs, a run that began after a 53-point rout by Minnesota on Aug. 2. That loss dropped Las Vegas to 14-14, but it was an enormous motivator. Wilson played well all season but found an even higher gear in the second half — one that might have propelled her to a fourth MVP award. Guard Jewell Loyd, in her first season with the Aces after 10 in Seattle, moved to a reserve role in late July that seemed to spark both her and the team. She is scoring 11.2 PPG, the lowest average since her rookie season. But she is playing with purpose and energy — setting good screens, making hustle plays, committing all-in on defense — that have helped fuel Las Vegas’ dramatic turnaround.

It took the Aces almost half the season to fully adjust to the absence of guard Kelsey Plum, a starter on their two title teams who was traded to Los Angeles. But once all the pieces came together, they began to look more like a championship team. And with this win streak, the Aces’ confidence is soaring.

Fatal flaw: During the Aces’ low moments earlier in the season, coach Becky Hammon questioned their effort and defense. Both have been addressed, and there isn’t likely to be a letdown in effort at this point. But can opponents find some cracks in the defense? Not with Wilson, who could once again be Defensive Player of the Year. But she will need everyone around her to play as well as they have done in the past month. — Michael Voepel

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A’ja Wilson: Embarrassing 53-point loss fueled Aces’ turnaround

A’ja Wilson explains how the Aces’ 53-point loss to the Lynx helped fueled their turnaround this season.

First-round opponent: Indiana Fever (68.1% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 15.3%

What’s on the line: The Dream (30-14), who won twice as many games this year as they did in the 2024 regular season, seek their first title after losing in sweeps in three previous WNBA Finals appearances (2010, 2011, 2013).

Projected starters: G Allisha Gray (18.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.5 APG), G Rhyne Howard (17.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.6 APG), G Jordin Canada (11.2 PPG, 5.7 APG), F Brionna Jones (12.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG), F Naz Hillmon (8.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG)

Why they could win: While much attention has been paid to Las Vegas’ win streak, the Dream won 15 of their final 18 games, including the last six in a row. Two of the losses in that stretch were to the Aces, the only team Atlanta didn’t defeat at least once this season (0-3). The Dream’s 30 victories were the most by far in franchise history, surpassing a 23-win season in 2018.

Under first-year coach Karl Smesko, the Dream embraced a different identity this season, averaging 84.4 PPG with a 110.5 offensive rating (compared with 77.0 and 99.0 in 2024). Meanwhile, Atlanta continued the defensive prowess it was already known for, finishing with a 100.5 defensive rating, best in the league.

Depth is also key: The Dream earned their top-four finish despite starters Howard and Canada missing a combined 27 games. Hillmon, the front-runner for Sixth Player of the Year, has actually been a starter since August, and center Brittney Griner has adjusted to coming off the bench. Guard Maya Caldwell — a hidden gem in the generally unimpressive 2021 draft class — has filled whatever role the Dream need, even starting 16 games.

Fatal flaw: The Dream’s main strength is their guard play, led by All-Stars Gray and Howard. Atlanta was one of the league’s top 3-point shooting teams, averaging 9.6 per game compared to 6.0 last season. Jones, Hillmon and Griner are good post players, but can they match up throughout the course of a series with the very best in the league? That could be a concern, especially if they get through to the semifinals and face the Aces, the team they struggled against in the regular season. — Voepel

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Rhyne Howard hits 9 3s, scores 37 points in Dream’s win

Rhyne Howard has a big night with 37 points on nine 3-pointers in the Dream’s victory.

First-round opponent: New York Liberty (27.7% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 1.2%

What’s on the line: Phoenix (27-17), which hasn’t won a playoff game since firing Sandy Brondello after a loss in the 2021 WNBA Finals, aspires to get back — but must first get through Brondello’s defending champion Liberty.

Projected starters: G Monique Akoa Makani (7.7 PPG, 2.7 APG), G Kahleah Copper (15.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG), F Satou Sabally (16.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.4 APG), F Alyssa Thomas (15.7 PPG, 9.3 APG, 9.0 RPG), C Natasha Mack (4.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG)

Why they could win: In her first year with the Mercury, Thomas, a six-time WNBA All-Star, has been surrounded by the kind of shooting she never enjoyed in Connecticut. Seven Phoenix players have averaged at least one 3-pointer per game, a total only Golden State can match.

The result has been arguably the best season of Thomas’ Hall of Fame career. She’s shooting a career-high 53.5% and has recorded a WNBA-record eight triple-doubles. The Mercury don’t sacrifice size for shooting, with four starters plus sixth woman DeWanna Bonner all 6-foot-1 or taller, which could make them a tricky matchup for smaller opponents.

Fatal flaw: Phoenix got here in large part by taking care of business against opponents lower in the standings. The Mercury won the season series against every team below them but Seattle (split 2-2). That’s good news against New York with home-court advantage in the first round, but less promising when it comes to an extended playoff run: Phoenix was a combined 2-9 against the top three seeds. — Kevin Pelton

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Alyssa Thomas sets WNBA single-season assist record

Alyssa Thomas records her 338th assist of the season, surpassing Caitlin Clark’s single-season record of 337 set in 2024.

First-round opponent: Phoenix Mercury (72.3% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 19.6%

What’s on the line: As the reigning WNBA champions, the Liberty seek to defend their title and enter the dynastic conversation.

Projected starters: G Natasha Cloud (10.3 PPG, 5.3 APG); G Sabrina Ionescu (18.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 5.5 APG); F Leonie Fiebich (8.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG); F Breanna Stewart (18.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG); C Jonquel Jones (13.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG)

Why they could win: The Liberty have arguably more talent amassed on their roster than any other team in the league. Two former MVPs in Stewart and Jones, one of the top guards in the league in Ionescu and a defensive stalwart in Cloud. The cherry on top was the addition of 2019 WNBA Finals MVP and three-time EuroLeague MVP Emma Meesseman in July after the All-Star break. Superteam seems quaint when looking at the talent on this roster.

Fatal flaw: Two things have plagued the Liberty’s season: injuries and inconsistency. New York opened the season 9-0, looking every bit as dominant as expected, but down the stretch to finish the season, the Liberty are just 5-5. Four of those losses came against other playoff teams. The injuries this season have caused fluctuations in the lineup, at times impeding chemistry.

New York was really only getting a look at what its full team looks like with the Meesseman addition in the waning days of the regular season. If the Liberty can put it all together, they are a formidable force capable of repeating as champions. But “if” is the operative word. — Katie Barnes

First-round opponent: Atlanta Dream (36.3% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 3.1%

What’s on the line: After missing the postseason from 2017 through 2023, Indiana has secured consecutive playoff berths and now looks to win its first playoff game — and series — since 2015. Even after season-ending injuries to Caitlin Clark and five others, the Fever have maintained they want to make some noise in the postseason.

Projected starters: G Odyssey Sims (10.3 PPG, 4.0 APG), G Kelsey Mitchell (20.2 PPG, 39.4 3P%, 3.4 APG), G Lexie Hull (7.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG), F Natasha Howard (11.4, 6.6 RPG), F Aliyah Boston (15.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.7 APG)

Why they could win: Indiana has two of the league’s top players in Boston and Mitchell, the latter of whom might show up on MVP ballots for her heroics in keeping the Fever afloat. Despite so many injuries, Indiana boasts a strong core with that duo plus Howard and Hull. After bringing in so many late-season newcomers, the Fever found some momentum to close the regular season, winning their final three games. Even without Clark, the offense is capable of putting up a lot of points.

No opponent in the playoffs will be as challenging as the adversity the Fever has overcome in the regular season, having lost five players to season-ending injuries and needing to adjust to DeWanna Bonner’s midseason departure. But Indiana credits a tightknit locker room for keeping the team from fracturing, and maybe that camaraderie will keep the Fever playing into September.

Fatal flaw: The Fever’s ceiling is simply not as high as it was prior to losing Clark, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Chloe Bibby to injury. The newcomers on hardship contracts — Sims, Shey Peddy and Aerial Powers — have assimilated well into coach Stephanie White’s system, but Indiana is only 7-6 since losing McDonald and Colson in early August for the season. Just two of those wins were against playoff teams (Aug. 26 vs. Seattle and Minnesota sans Collier on Tuesday).

The Fever have been inconsistent defensively this season, often struggling to defend without fouling, and without Clark as their maestro they have a more limited offense that can’t compensate. They have been forced to rely on Mitchell going off every night, and their decimated guard/wing depth due to injury could finally come back to bite them. — Alexa Philippou

First-round opponent: Las Vegas Aces (35.3% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 3.0%

Projected starters: G Skylar Diggins (15.5 PPG, 6.0 APG), G Brittney Sykes (14.1 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.2 RPG), F Gabby Williams (11.6 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.3 SPG), F Nneka Ogwumike (18.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG), C Ezi Magbegor (8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG)

What’s on the line: When the Storm signed Diggins and Ogwumike in the 2024 offseason, it kicked off an era of championship hopes — one that has yet to produce a playoff victory. And after Seattle slumped in the second half of 2025, a competitive playoff series might be the bare minimum to avoid offseason changes.

Why they could win: The Storm, who boast a league-high four All-Stars after adding Sykes midseason, look stronger on paper than their 23-21 record. Until the final week of the season, Seattle actually had a better differential than Las Vegas, and only the Lynx can match the Storm’s three wins this season by 30-plus points.

Seattle also has played often to the level of its competition. The Storm went just 10-7 against lottery teams, losing the season series to both Los Angeles and Washington. At the same time, Seattle lost only one series to a playoff foe, the Fever — a team they couldn’t face until the WNBA Finals.

Fatal flaw: In large part because of their league-leading steal rate, the Storm scored the second most points per possession in transition (1.29), per GeniusIQ tracking. But when opponents can force Seattle into the half court, the team’s lack of shot creation after the Jewell Loyd trade is an issue. The Storm’s 1.01 points per possession in non-transition situations ranked ninth — last among playoff teams.

That has shown up in late-game situations when the action slows down. Seattle ranks ninth with a 97.2 offensive rating in the clutch, per WNBA Advanced Stats, which defines that as the final five minutes when the score is within five points. And Seattle lost nine games by five points or fewer, tied with Dallas for the most in the league. — Pelton

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Storm clinch playoff spot after hectic late sequence

Storm clinch playoff spot after hectic late sequence

First-round opponent: Minnesota Lynx (10.1% chance of advancing)

Title chances (per ESPN’s BPI): 0.2%

What’s on the line: Golden State (23-21), the league’s first expansion team since 2008, has already become the first franchise to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. Now it will be attempting to become the first to win a series — or even a title.

Projected starters: G Veronica Burton (12.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.4 RPG), F Cecilia Zandalasini (10.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG), F Janelle Salaun (11.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.2 APG), F Iliana Rupert (9.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG), C Temi Fagbenle (7.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG)

Why they could win: The Valkyries built their identity around defense during training camp, and it has paid off: They boast the fourth-best defensive rating in the league (99.9) and hold opponents to the fewest points per game (76.4). Players such as Burton, Carla Leite and Rupert have been revelations for Golden State in its first season, and the team’s depth with veterans Tiffany Hayes, Monique Billings and Zandalasini give the Valkyries the experience to find success in the postseason.

Golden State has a certain level of grit that should make opponents nervous facing the Valkyries. No, this franchise has never been in the playoffs, but after making history so many times this season, they could do it again now.

Fatal flaw: The Valkyries have a bottom-five offense, scoring just 78.3 points per game — fourth fewest in the league — and shooting a league-worst 41.0% from the field. Their leading active scorer, Burton, has come up with big buckets and lit a spark for the team on multiple occasions, but she gets just 12.0 points per game, 38th in the WNBA.

Despite how strong their defense is, the Valkyries might not be able to produce enough offense and scoring to stay competitive and make a deep postseason run. — Andrews

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How Coach Natalie Nakase, Valkyries are preparing for playoffs

Natalie Nakase joins “NBA Today” to discuss the importance of preparation as the Valkyries make historic WNBA playoff run.

Fresno State men’s basketball was a team going nowhere, smack-dab in the middle of a dreadful 6-26 season in 2024-25. They were set to host New Mexico on New Year’s Eve as heavy underdogs, up to 17.5 points.

The hopeless nature of a forgettable game might have factored into Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver’s apparent belief that no one would notice when he placed a $50 daily fantasy bet on himself.

He thought he’d score more than 11 points that night, and he did, notching 13 in the 103-89 loss to the Lobos.

Yet from the obscure and seemingly unremarkable stat line in an otherwise obscure and unremarkable game- – this ain’t the Final Four — the NCAA was able to nail Weaver for his actions.

The $260 Weaver won that night wound up costing him his collegiate eligibility, the NCAA said Wednesday, while also announcing the banishment of two other players who competed at Fresno and San Jose State last season.

“I just made a bad decision, and I shouldn’t even have gotten involved with that,” Weaver previously told ESPN’s David Purdum.

Let Weaver — not to mention the 13 additional players at six additional schools the NCAA announced investigations into on Thursday — be a lesson to everyone involved or tempted to be involved in manipulating so-called individual prop bets.

To quote Nike (sort of): Just don’t do it.

Certainly not the players; no matter how easy it might seem to just punch a bet into your phone or tell a friend to take the under on, say, first-half rebounding totals so the two of you can share in some winnings. If you get caught, and you very well might, the NCAA is the least of your worries.

And certainly not the sports gamblers who are inclined to bet on such oddball things, especially involving low- and mid-major games. Unless you are in on the scam, you very well might be getting scammed. These kinds of bets are just too easy to manipulate. Why would anyone risk it?

“I bet on a game I played in, but I never tried to sabotage the season,” Weaver said to ESPN last February. “I never bet on us to lose; never bet my unders.”

It’s not hard to see the temptation. Sports wagering and the requisite “fixing” that goes along with it have been present for generations, but sports betting has never been more in the face of athletes and would-be gamblers.

Advertisements. Partnerships. Betting apps.

It’s everywhere, and thus tempting to everyone.

Easy money, just for scoring two more points than the line in some fantasy game? All while playing for a losing team?

Yet it possibly, or even probably, isn’t going to work out. That’s the lesson of all these NCAA cases that continue to pop up. Many don’t involve the games and players that the public are focused on, but rather ones in the most distant corners of the sport.

A day after announcing the cases at Fresno and San Jose, the NCAA revealed 13 more athletes are suspected of “betting on and against their own teams, sharing information with third parties for purposes of sports betting, knowingly manipulating scoring or game outcomes and/or refusing to participate in the enforcement staff’s investigation.”

They formerly competed for six schools: Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley. This isn’t exactly Duke, Kansas and UConn.

The NCAA’s history of enforcing its own voluminous rulebook is sketchy at best, but this is an entirely different deal. It has partnered with cutting-edge integrity watchdog groups that can analyze data and betting trends wholesale. The NCAA is also only one of several entities focused on this problem, from casinos and state regulators to the FBI.

It’s impossible to know how many athletes aren’t getting caught in the dragnet, but many clearly are.

“The NCAA monitors over 22,000 contests every year and will continue to aggressively pursue competition integrity risks such as these,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said.

The NCAA is diligent in its education efforts, trying to reach all 500,000 student-athletes — repeatedly — with a message about the dangers, including that this isn’t just about big-time players on big-time teams. It’s everyone, even down to Division III.

“In terms of educating athletes, we [constantly repeat that] you don’t have to be the star player in order to be at risk,” Mark Hicks, who spearheads the NCAA’s anti-gambling and anti-gambling education efforts, told ESPN. “That is something that is a key message point in every delivery session on campus.”

If information sessions and workshops and posters in the locker room haven’t been enough to reach everyone, then maybe more of these high-profile cases at low-profile schools in low-profile games will.

Because while technology has made this stuff so easy and tempting, it also has made getting caught easier, if not inevitable.

Patrick Mahomes’ mother, Randi Mahomes, made a social media post in support of Charlie Kirk after his assassination on Wednesday.

The quarterback’s mother re-shared one of Kirk’s recent posts on X, with a faithful message. “Rest in heaven,” she wrote.

Kirk’s original post that Randi Mahomes shared was from Sept. 6, and read, “Jesus defeated death so you can live.”

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Randi Mahomes is a known Christian, conservative and even endorsed President Donald Trump ahead of last November’s election.

Randi Mahomes is one of many figures in sports to offer condolences in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. Other NFL figures to speak out in support of Kirk included Tim Tebow, Jaxson Dart and Julian Edelman.

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Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was struck by a single bullet around 12:20 p.m. on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem Wednesday. The 31-year-old was surrounded by mostly college students as his event was getting underway.

Police arrested a suspect early Friday morning – identified by sources as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.

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Turning Point executive director Charlie Kirk speaks on stage ahead of a conversation during Turning Point Action’s Chase the Vote campaign event at Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, on Sept. 4, 2024.  (REBECCA NOBLE/AFP via Getty Images)

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a press conference Friday “that a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.” 

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