Two game days remain in the 2024 WNBA regular season, with 10 teams in action on Tuesday, Sept. 17 and all 12 teams taking the courts on Thursday, Sept. 19.
With 11 total games remaining, here’s where things stand:
- New York Liberty (31-7)
- Minnesota Lynx (29-9)
- Connecticut Sun (27-11)
- Las Vegas Aces (25-13)
- Seattle Storm (24-14)
- Indiana Fever (20-19)
- Phoenix Mercury
- Washington Mystics (13-25)
- Chicago Sky (13-25)
- Atlanta Dream (13-25)
- Dallas Wings (9-30)
- Los Angeles Sparks (7-31)
The Lynx are making sure the Liberty earn the No. 1 seed. With Sunday’s win over New York, Minnesota is two games back with two games to go, and the Lynx own the tiebreaker after winning the season series 2-1. However, with remaining games against the Mystics and Dream, the Liberty shouldn’t fumble the No. 1 seed, unless they choose to do so intentionally.
The Minnesota Lynx put up a dominant performance to defeat the current #1 seed New York Liberty 88-79
Bridget Carleton led the way for the Lynx with 19 PTS & 5 3PM on 70 FG%! Napheesa Collier also added in a 18-PTS, 13 REB double-double of her own in the win.#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/vzF2O4BBKA
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 15, 2024
The Sun likewise can still push the Lynx for the No. 2 seed. Although Connecticut lost in Vegas on Sunday, they currently hold a 2-0 season series lead over Minnesota entering Tuesday’s matchup between the two teams. Yet, since the Lynx close out the season at home against the Sparks, it’s unlikely they drop to the No. 3 seed, even if they lose in Uncasville.
The Aces and Storm are set for a first-round matchup. It’s just undetermined which team will take the No. 4 seed—and homecourt advantage—and which team will slot into the No. 5 seed. Tuesday will provide a preview, when Vegas travels to Seattle. With a win, the Storm could tie the Aces for the No. 4 seed. A Seattle victory also would mean the season series would be tied at 2-2. Presuming a win for both teams in their final games, season-long point differential would serve as the tiebreaker. Currently, the Aces have outscored opponents by 192 points, while the Storm has a scoring margin of 173; Seattle’s inability to put away Los Angeles on Sunday did not help their cause.
A’ONE OF ONE.
With her 29-PT performance vs. the Sun, A’ja Wilson became the ONLY player in WNBA history to eclipse 1,000 PTS in a single szn!
She also now sits 3 REB away from breaking the single szn rebounding record pic.twitter.com/g9ouVqNHb9
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 16, 2024
After their win over the Wings on Sunday, the Fever are settled in the No. 6 spot. The Mercury could not take advantage of Indiana’s prior two losses to Vegas due to three-straight losses of their own, which they snapped on Sunday with a win in Chicago. That still leaves Phoenix, in what looks like it will be Diana Taurasi’s final postseason, in the No. 7 seed, making difficult one last, long playoff run for franchise legend.
The No. 8 seed is where things get really interesting. On Sunday, Atlanta avoided elimination by escaping Washington with an overtime win. Chicago, with the aforementioned loss to Phoenix, failed to grab control of the eighth spot. That leaves all three teams with matching 13-25 records, with the Mystics, owners of the best point differential among the trio at -104, temporarily claiming the No. 8 seed. The Dream’s current point differential is -137, with the Sky at -156. So, if the three teams end the season with the same records, Washington likely has the advantage, but much could change over the remaining games.
The Dream and Sky meet for the final time on Tuesday in Atlanta, while the Mystics will host the Liberty in DC. On Thursday, Atlanta heads to New York and Chicago to Connecticut; Washington has a final home game against Indiana. For teams that are a combined 36 games under .500, that’s a tough finishing slate where wins might be sparse, suggesting the winner of Tuesday’s Dream-Sky matchup might have the edge in earning in the No. 8 seed.
