WNBA standings, playoff picture, schedule: Liberty clinch No. 1 seed; Fever take sixth; Dream grab final spot

The 2024 WNBA regular season, one of the most consequential in league history is in the books. After a rather anti-climactic final night on Thursday, all of the playoff seeds have been determined and the first-round playoff matchups are set. 

Heading into Thursday, there were still three teams alive for the final playoff spot, but the Dream made sure there was no drama with a comfortable win over the Liberty, who had nothing to play for after clinching the No. 1 seed earlier in the week. With their victory, the Dream claimed the No. 8 seed, and will face the Liberty in the first round. 

The only other seeding situation still up in the air was decided rather quickly. Needing a win to clinch the No. 3 seed, the Sun destroyed the Sky in the first game of the evening. They will now face Caitlin Clark and the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever in the first round. 

As a refresher, the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, make the playoffs in the WNBA. Under the current playoff format, the teams are placed into a standard bracket with the No. 1 seed playing No. 8 in the first round, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on. 

Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round and best-of-five series in the semifinals and finals. Notably, the first round is a 2-1 format, which means the higher seed gets the first two games at home, while the lower seed gets the deciding Game 3 at home should the series go that far. In the semifinals and finals, it is a standard 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5, if necessary.

Final standings

1. New York Liberty (32-8) — Playoffs
2. Minnesota Lynx (30-10) — Playoffs
3. Connecticut Sun (28-12) — Playoffs
4. Las Vegas Aces (27-13) — Playoffs
5. Seattle Storm (25-15) — Playoffs
6. Indiana Fever (20-20) — Playoffs
7. Phoenix Mercury (19-21) — Playoffs
8. Atlanta Dream (15-25) — Playoffs
9. Washington Mystics (14-26) — Lottery
10. Chicago Sky (13-27) — Lottery
11. Dallas Wings (9-31) — Lottery
12. Los Angeles Sparks (8-32) — Lottery

Note: Two-team ties are decided first by head-to-head record and then, if necessary, better record against .500+ teams. Ties between more than two teams are determined by combined head-to-head record against the other teams. 

First-round playoff matchups

• No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream
• No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury
• No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
• No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm

With all the action complete, here’s a look at the final playoff picture.

Liberty clinch No. 1 seed

1. New York Liberty (32-8)

The Liberty tied their franchise record for wins in a season with 32 and are the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They are still searching for the first title in franchise history, and have a real chance to claim it this season. As the playoffs begin, they are the favorites to win it all. 

First round opponent: No. 8 Atlanta Dream

Lynx take second

2. Minnesota Lynx (30-10)

No one expected the Lynx to be this good, but they got off to a terrific start and never looked back. Behind Napheesa Collier and a stellar defense, they reached the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history and claimed the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. 

First round opponent: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury

Sun, Aces, Storm round out next three spots

3. Connecticut Sun (28-12)

The Sun got off to an incredible 13-1 start, but went just 15-12 the rest of the way and were unable to hold off the Lynx for the No. 2 seed. As a result, they fell to third and will take on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the first round. Will this be the year the Sun get over the hump? They’ve been to five consecutive semifinals, but have nothing to show for it. 

First round opponent: No. 6 Indiana Fever

4. Las Vegas Aces (27-13)

The Aces really struggled early in the season, and even coming out of the Olympic break, but they closed by winning nine of their final 10 games to earn the No. 4 seed. Their poor start has left them with a harder path than they would have liked, but they still have a very real chance to complete the second threepeat in league history. 

First round opponent: No. 5 Seattle Storm

5. Seattle Storm (25-15)

The Storm had a solid season, but it wasn’t as successful as they may have expected given their offseason additions of Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. While the defense was strong, the offense just has not clicked. They went 1-3 against the Aces in the regular season, including a double-digit loss earlier this week.

First round opponent: No. 4 Las Vegas Aces

Fever secure sixth seed, Mercury get seventh

6. Indiana Fever (20-20) 

For the first time since 2016, the Fever are heading to the playoffs. No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark put together a historic rookie campaign and turned the Fever into arguably the most dangerous offensive team in the league. They’ll meet the battle-tested Sun in the first round, who boast the league’s best defense. 

First round opponent: No. 6 Connecticut Sun

7. Phoenix Mercury (19-21)

The new-look Mercury had some flashes of brilliance, especially early on, but were ultimately underwhelming. They finished the season by losing eight of their last 12 games and are now stuck with the No. 7 seed and a first-round matchup against the hottest team in the league. 

First round opponent: No. 2 Minnesota Lynx

Dream grab final spot

8. Atlanta Dream (15-25)

The Dream’s roller coaster season ultimately ended on a high note, as they defeated the Liberty on the final day to secure the No. 8 seed and a second consecutive playoff appearance. They’ll have their work cut out for them in the first round, though, as they’ll face a Liberty team that can put up points in a hurry. 

First round opponent: No. 1 New York Liberty

Eliminated

9. Washington Mystics (14-26)

The Mystics were once 0-12, which was the fourth-worst start in league history, but made a stunning turnaround after the Olympics to go into the final day with a chance at grabbing the No. 8 seed. They ultimately fell short, but it was a valiant effort. And anyway, a lottery trip is better for their long-term future. 

10. Chicago Sky (13-27) 

The Sky got off to a much better start than anyone expected, but they collapsed after a mid-season trade that sent Marina Mabrey to the Sun and a season-ending injury to Angel Reese. They went 3-13 after the Olympics and ended the season on a five-game losing streak. To make matters worse, they owe the Wings a first-round pick swap and thus cannot get the No. 1 overall pick. 

11. Dallas Wings (9-30)

The Wings had terrible injury luck in the first half of the season, but that doesn’t explain their nine-game losing streak to end the season. They are lottery bound for the first time since 2020, and the Sky owe them a pick swap this year. While they’ll only get one lottery pick, the combined odds of either them or the Sky winning the lottery means they have the best chance at the No. 1 pick. 

12. Los Angeles Sparks (8-32)

The Sparks were always set for a rebuilding year, but even that did not go to plan. No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL in June, and things only got worse from there. They lost 15 of their last 17 games and were the first team eliminated from playoff contention this season. This is the fourth consecutive lottery appearance for the Sparks, the longest such streak in franchise history.