Image Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Explained: How Closing Night of Regular Season Could Shift WNBA Playoff Bracket and Impact Championship Path

Final regular season clashes will decide the WNBA Playoff trajectory

Image Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The WNBA Playoff picture is almost complete, but the final day of the WNBA regular season still carries weight. While all eight playoff teams are already locked in, key seeding decisions remain, hinging on two Thursday matchups.

The Minnesota Lynx, who have already secured the No. 1 overall seed and home-court advantage, host the Golden State Valkyries at Target Center. For Golden State, the result could mean two very different playoff positions.

A win guarantees them the No. 6 seed, pushing Indiana Fever to seventh and Seattle Storm to eighth. A loss, however, drops the Valkyries to the No. 8 seed, with Indiana climbing to No. 6 and Seattle slotting at No. 7.

ESPN picks the Golden State Valkyries Veronica Burton @Veronicaab22 as the 2025 most improved player pic.twitter.com/DaLy27Iya4
— Golden State Valkyries Fan Report (@valkyriesreport) September 11, 2025

Later in the night, the Las Vegas Aces face the Los Angeles Sparks. With the Sparks already eliminated, the focus rests on the Aces’ chance to climb. A win secures them the No. 2 seed thanks to their tiebreaker advantage over the Atlanta Dream.

Atlanta briefly moved ahead after an 88-72 win against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, but Las Vegas can reclaim the position with victory.

First WNBA Playoff Matchup Already Locked In

Only one first-round pairing is confirmed, the Phoenix Mercury, holding the No. 4 seed, will face the New York Liberty at No. 5. The remaining series will be finalized once Thursday’s results settle the seeding shuffle.

The WNBA Playoffs begin Sept. 14 and conclude no later than Oct. 19 with the Finals. The top eight teams advance based on overall records.

The first round is a best-of-three series, followed by best-of-five semifinals. The Finals will be best-of-seven, with the higher seed holding home-court advantage in Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.