WNBA Playoff Picture 2026: Teams, standings, and bracket heading into the final day of the regular season
Minnesota locked into No.1, but Thursday will settle two key battles before playoffs begin
The WNBA reaches the final day of its regular season with the playoff field already locked, but the bracket is still not complete.
Minnesota has secured the No.1 seed, while Atlanta, Dallas and New York also know exactly where they will finish.
The remaining uncertainty centers on Golden State and Las Vegas in the race for second and third, along with Indiana and Washington in the battle for fifth and sixth.
That means Thursday’s results will determine two of the four first-round pairings before the playoffs begin Sunday.
Current WNBA standings entering final day
Minnesota sits at 32-11 and cannot be caught after clinching the top seed earlier in the week.
Golden State is 31-12, one game ahead of Las Vegas at 30-13. Atlanta is locked into fourth at 30-14 after beating New York , while Indiana enters Thursday at 28-15 and Washington follows at 27-16.
Dallas has secured seventh at 27-17, and New York is locked into eighth at 26-18.
Golden State Valkyries — 31-12
Washington Mystics — 27-16
What playoff bracket looks like right now
If the standings stay unchanged, the opening round would feature:
No.1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No.8 New York Liberty
No.2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No.7 Dallas Wings
No.3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No.6 Washington Mystics
No.4 Atlanta Dream vs. No.5 Indiana Fever
Minnesota and New York are already locked into their 1-versus-8 matchup, while Dallas will face whichever team finishes second between Golden State and Las Vegas .
Atlanta will meet the team that finishes fifth, meaning Indiana and Washington still have plenty at stake.
Minnesota enters postseason as top seed
The Lynx have spent most of the season near the top despite beginning the year without Napheesa Collier .
Rookie Olivia Miles has been central to that success, averaging 19.9 points and 6.1 assists while quickly establishing herself as one of the league’s most productive guards.
Las Vegas remains dangerous behind A’ja Wilson , while Golden State has built its season around defense and depth.
Indiana also enters the postseason with significant offensive firepower behind Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston .
Tiebreakers could decide final order
The WNBA’s tiebreak system begins with head-to-head record.
If teams remain tied, the next criteria are winning percentage against teams finishing .500 or better, head-to-head point differential, point differential against .500-or-better opponents and overall point differential.
Those rules could still matter Thursday if the remaining contenders finish level.
Eight teams are already in. What remains is the final order, and with the playoffs beginning Sunday, there is almost no time between the last regular-season game and the start of the championship chase.
