WNBA 2026 Playoff Picture and Seeding Scenarios After Saturday’s Games

After Saturday’s games, the race for the 2026 WNBA playoffs saw movement, though the eight qualifying teams were already set. Some key wins changed positions and potentially the first-round matchups.

As Bleacher Report reports, the current standings after Saturday were: 1. Minnesota Lynx 31-10; 2. Golden State Valkyries 31-11 (0.5 GB); 3. Las Vegas Aces 28-13 (3.0 GB); 4. Atlanta Dream 28-14 (3.5 GB); 5. Indiana Fever 27-14 (4.0 GB); 6. Dallas Wings 26-16 (5.5 GB); 7. New York Liberty 25-16 (6.0 GB); 8. Washington Mystics 25-16 (6.0 GB). If the season ended today, the first-round pairings would be: 1 Minnesota vs. 8 Washington; 4 Atlanta vs. 5 Indiana; 2 Golden State vs. 7 New York; 3 Las Vegas vs. 6 Dallas.

The Dallas Wings won 87-82 against the Phoenix Mercury and climbed from eighth to sixth, at least temporarily. Paige Bueckers was the game’s hero with 26 points (10-of-19 shooting), five assists, four rebounds and three steals. As a result, if the season ended today, the Wings would face the Las Vegas Aces in the first round, while the final outcome may change since Dallas still has two games, while the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics each have three.

The Atlanta Dream beat the Chicago Sky 106-81; Angel Reese scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, adding three blocks and two steals, contributing to the team’s big win. The Golden State Valkyries won 70-57 against the Seattle Storm and with this win moved closer to the Minnesota Lynx in the race for the top spot, reducing the gap for first place to half a game.

With several games remaining and constant movement in the table, the standings remain open and every future result could change the first-round pairings; according to Bleacher Report, the developments of recent weeks will definitively determine the standings and rivalries for the playoff phase.