Image Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images

2025 WNBA Playoffs Picture: Playoffs Race Heats Up as Mystics Face Elimination and Liberty’s Playoff Chances Stand Still

The 2025 WNBA playoffs will begin on September 14.

Image Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The 2025 WNBA season is nearing its end, and with each day passing, the playoff race is intensifying. Every new day brings in new surprises, eliminations and playoff confirmations. According to the latest developments in the postseason scenario, the Washington Mystics have been knocked out of the playoff picture. They were forced to call it a season after suffering a 37-point loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, August 30.

Update:

With the Washington Mystics loss to the Golden State Valkyries, the Mystics have been eliminated from WNBA Playoffs contention.
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 31, 2025

Hence, as of now, a total of four teams have been knocked out of the playoffs’ race- the Mystics, the Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings. It also means that the race for the final spot comes down to the Los Angeles Sparks and the Golden State Valkyries. The Sparks are in the ninth spot with a 17-20 win-loss tally. They are 2.5 games behind the eighth seeded Valkyries.

The Valkyries will lock horns with the Indiana Fever in their back-to-back clash on Sunday. In case of a win, they will replace an injury-riddled Fever in the sixth spot, while the Fever would slip in the eighth spot. The Sparks will lock horns with the Washington Mystics and even though they win while the Fever lose, it wouldn’t change much for Los Angeles. The Fever would still be two games ahead of them.

New York Liberty on the Verge of Losing Homecourt Advantage

The New York Liberty, who kicked off the 2025 WNBA season with a bang and seven consecutive wins, couldn’t manage to maintain their dominance. Coming off a championship season, they were expected to continue leading the charts. However, they were seamlessly replaced by the 2024 WNBA finalists, Minnesota Lynx, on the top. The Lynx, after becoming the first team to earn a playoff berth, confirmed the top seed in the upcoming postseason.

The Liberty, on the other hand, kept sliding down, and now, they are in the fifth spot of the standings. While they have mathematically booked themselves a playoff berth, New York is on the verge of losing homecourt advantage. Currently, the playoff picture remains tight, with the Fever, Valkyries and the Sparks fighting for a spot in the last three positions.

2025 WNBA Playoffs

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.