The Dallas Wings officially punched their ticket to the 2026 postseason on Tuesday night, taking down the Portland Fire behind a ridiculous 22-point and 11-assist double-double from Paige Bueckers. You gotta wonder if this win made some of those higher-seeded teams, who thought they might not mind seeing the Wings in the first round, start sweating a little.
Can Indiana Fever Light It Up?
Folks like Edwin Garcia are calling the No. 5-seed Indiana Fever (25-14) a true title contender, right up there with the Minnesota Lynx, based on their offensive rating and how fast they play. Those are champion-level benchmarks, for sure. But I’m not totally convinced, not when their season series against the current No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream was a 2-2 split. That record suggests they might struggle to even get past the first round.
If the Fever want to hit that championship ceiling Edwin sees for them, they really need a first-round series against either the Las Vegas Aces or the Liberty. Yeah, they’ve had some ugly late-game moments against both those squads. But the Aces and Liberty both have shakier defenses, and that’s where Indiana could just lean into their firepower and score their way to a win.
Liberty’s Redemption or Mystics’ Surprise?
The No. 6-seed New York Liberty (23-15) have been pretty solid against their rival, the Aces. Imagine grabbing a first-round victory over the defending champs: that would totally salvage a season where the Liberty were supposed to be at the top, not sitting at No. 6. Slipping down the standings to likely face Golden State or Minnesota? That would make advancing tough, possibly making this a second-straight failed season for a team with serious championship dreams. Keep an eye on their two-game set against the Dream at the end of the regular season; it could be huge for scouting a potential first-round matchup.
Then you’ve got the No. 7-seed Washington Mystics (23-15). Our own Beckett Harrison thinks the Golden State Valkyries are the preferred first-round opponent for the Mystics, and honestly, I’m with him. But here’s the kicker: I think any top-seeded team, even the mighty Lynx, should be seriously wary of drawing DC in the opening round. The Mystics have already notched at least one win over every higher-seeded squad this season, and they were supposed to be in a slow-build year. That tells you everything you need to know about how dangerous they could be.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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