August is over and the WNBA playoffs are upon us. With the regular season winding down, teams are either trying to secure a spot in the playoffs or get lucky in the draft lottery.

The reigning champion Las Vegas Aces are struggling despite the superhuman play of A’ja Wilson, the Dallas Wings are emerging as a force to be reckoned with after several players returned from injury, the Atlanta Dream are in for a rude awakening, and no amount of Tylenol can stop Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at where things stand at the league level right now.

12. LA Sparks (7-24)

Previous week: 11 | Upcoming: ATL (9/1), IND (9/4), CHI (9/6)

After a brief slump, Dearica Hamby has returned to her MVP-like self, helping the Sparks to their first win since July. Rickea Jackson has been forged in the fire this season and has handled it with aplomb. She’s hitting shots from all over the court and has established herself as a true piece for the future of this rebuilding Sparks team.

11. Atlanta Dream (10-20)

Previous week: 5 | Upcoming: LAS (9/1), PHX (9/3), DAL (9/6)

With every dream comes an awakening, and for Atlanta it was as rude as Stephanie Tanner. The Dream looked like a team that had come back to life, having defeated a slew of tough opponents to make a splash in the playoff race, but since then they have lost three straight, albeit all by less than 5 points.

At this point in the season, Atlanta can’t afford to lose, having traded their 2025 first-round pick and needing a playoff spot to ease the pain of losing another potential franchise cornerstone to play alongside Rhyne Howard.

10. Chicago Sky (11-19)

Previous week: 9 | Upcoming: MIN (9/1), LVA (9/3), LAS (9/6)

The Chicago Sky haven’t won a game since beating the Sparks the day after the season resumed after the Olympic break. But aside from two big losses to Phoenix, the team has been fairly competitive.

Still, the Marina Mabrey trade could still have an impact on the team, with inconsistent lineups plaguing the team’s flow. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso have been unstoppable on the boards, forming a double-double duo. Chennedy Carter continues to be a bright spot for the Sky, including battling the champion Aces to the end in a faceoff that required a Wilson game-winner, though her absence against the Mystics due to illness was a huge loss for a team hoping to secure an eighth playoff seed.

9. Phoenix Mercury (16-16)

Previous week: 8 | Upcoming: LVA (9/1), ATL (9/3), WSH (9/5), SEA (9/7)

Phoenix looked set to make a name for themselves after the break, but were put at a disadvantage by an injury to Bec Allen, one of the team’s key shooters and defenders.

The Mercury have been trying to reach the top of the league and have the pieces to do so with a lockdown defender in Britney Griner, an explosive scorer in Kahleah Copper and an assist magnet in Natasha Cloud. But the team has been prone to scoring droughts outside of Griner, who is one of the most effective scorers in the league.

The lack of accuracy from deep has seriously hampered Phoenix. Consider how the Mercury outscored the Liberty at the rim and in fast-break points, but were buried by the Liberty’s 12 made three-pointers to Phoenix’s 5.

8. Las Vegas Aces (18-12)

Previous week: 4 | Upcoming: PHX (1/9), CHI (3/9), CON (6/9)

Despite Wilson’s indomitable play, the Las Vegas Aces have struggled on their road to a three-peat. The Aces have won just 2 games since coming back from the break, both against the struggling Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks.

Wilson had a great game against the Wings, scoring 42 points, but was unable to match the trio of Ogunbowale, Sabally and Howard, who all scored 20+ points. The Aces’ next-leading scorer was Chelsea Gray with 15 points. Vegas’ lack of depth has become even more apparent as the starters, outside of presumptive MVP Wilson, have struggled of late.

7. Dallas Wings (8-22)

Previous week: 10 | Upcoming: IND (9/1), WAS (9/3), ATL (9/6)

Dallas will be wondering “what if” all offseason, and while the team’s lackluster record makes it impossible to get back into the playoff race, the bounce back from the hiatus has done wonders for the Wings. Satou Sabally has come back with a vengeance, averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds and nearly 5 assists in her return.

In addition to Sabally, the Wings saw the return of Maddy Siegrist, who was in most of the improved conversations before her injury, and Kalani Brown. With a full team back in tow, the Wings may not be able to make a playoff run, but they can still make an impact on the standings if they stick together through the end of the season.

6. Washington Mystics (9-22)

Previous week: 12 | Upcoming: DAL (9/3), PHX (9/5)

Washington’s recent turnaround has been nothing short of puzzling. Since the start of the season, Washington has had a top-tier offensive scheme that has allowed it to fly from deep, but the team has failed to close out games. But, if only for a short while, the Mystics seem to have figured it out.

Brittney Sykes has been the driving force behind the Mystics’ resurgence, posting a season-high 28 against the Sparks and then a game-winning 20 free throws against the Seattle Storm. Stefanie Dolson has also been a key factor as the league’s most accurate three-point shooter for a team that throws the longball up quite often.

5. Seattle Storm (19-11)

Previous Week: 7 | Upcoming: CON (9/1), CON (9/3), NYL (9/5), PHX (9/7)

The West’s newest contender had a mixed week with a narrow win against Atlanta and an equally narrow loss to the inspired Mystics, but there’s more optimism for the Storm with the addition of Gabby Williams, who starred at the 2024 Olympics. Williams’ shooting hasn’t dropped, but her strong defense helped the team pull out a win against the Atlanta Dream.

Seattle’s admirable defense has played a huge role in their victories this season, but an additional scoring force beyond Jewell Loyd could give the team an edge heading into the playoffs.

4. Indiana Fever (15-16)

Previous week: 6 | Upcoming: DAL (9/1), LAS (9/4), MIN (9/6)

Indiana has a fever and the only prescription is more Caitlin Clark. The Eastern Conference Player of the Week averaged 25 points and nine assists after the break and has the team roaring on offense.

The entire Indiana team has reached a new level as the connection on the court has grown. Aliyah Boston is efficient on the rim, a deterrent on defense and a capable passer, NaLyssa Smith battles on the boards while also being a crafty bucket-getter and the experienced Kelsey Mitchell provides an outlet for Caitlin with her own brand of dynamic scoring that perfectly suits Clark’s fast-paced style of play.

Add Lexie Hull to the starting lineup, a tenacious defender and an improved shooter, and the Fever have a young roster that appears poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

3. Connecticut Sun (22-8)

Previous week: 3 | Upcoming: SEA (9/1), SEA (9/3), LVA (9/6)

Although Connecticut suffered a loss to the rising Fever team, the Sun were coming off a three-game winning streak, including a blowout win over league leaders New York Liberty. The trade for Marina Mabrey continues to pay dividends for Connecticut, as her 15 points helped lead New York to that first win of the season. Her shooting requires constant attention on the defensive end, adding another layer to the team, but it may not be enough, as evidenced by the loss to Indiana.

Connecticut’s defense continued to look strong thanks to Alyssa Thomas and DiJonai Carrington, who limited reigning MVP Breanna Stewart to 15 points in the win over Liberty, but the Fever made 13 three-pointers compared to Connecticut’s eight in the loss to Indiana.

2. New York Liberty (26-6)

Previous week: 1 | Coming soon: SEA (9/5)

The New York Liberty had a tumultuous but positive week that can be attributed to Sabrina Ionescu being rusty after missing back-to-back games against the Dallas Wings with a neck injury and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton finally returning to the court after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month. Ionescu’s shooting has declined post-injury, going 8-of-36 from deep over the last three games, while Laney-Hamilton has been on track to return to her usual two-way star standards as the team pushes for a postseason push.

While the team returns two key members, it loses one with Jonquel Jones’ playing status unknown after missing the game against the Sparks due to an illness. Stewart has returned to form after being held to 15 points against the Sun and came back to score 21 against the Phoenix Mercury and then 32 against the Sparks in a narrow loss.

1. Minnesota Lynx (23-8)

Previous week: 2 | Upcoming: CHI (9/1), IND (9/6)

Led by reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Napheesa Collier, the Minnesota Lynx currently have the longest winning streak in the W. Collier’s all-around play has put her atop nearly every stat line and firmly in the race for MVP and DPOY.

It’s not just Collier that has this Lynx team hunting down their prey, though. Minnesota has the league’s deepest passing and shooting depth at every position, as well as a stalwart defense anchored by Most Improved Prospect Alanna Smith. Minnesota has three of the league’s most accurate shooters, led by All-Star Kayla McBride who, at the time of this article, leads the WNBA in three-pointers made with 90.

Additionally, Minnesota has only gotten sharper with the arrival of Myisha Hines-Allen from the Washington Mystics. Hines-Allen performed at Player of the Year level for the rebuilding team.