The WNBA’s 2026 regular season is basically wrapping up on Thursday, but get this: not a single playoff seed is locked in across the entire league. We’re talking pure chaos, folks! A mere single game separates the fifth and eighth spots with just four days left on the calendar. Our Seattle Storm, along with the Portland Fire, are down to their absolute final contest. It’s been a tough stretch for the Emerald City squad, playing out a season where the league-wide picture is wild.
Playoff Scramble Heats Up
With all eight playoff spots decided, you’d think things would settle down, right? Nope! This isn’t your grandma’s WNBA. The seeding and matchups could be in flux until the final buzzer on Thursday night, which has a massive five-game slate. All teams have two games left, except for our Storm and the Fire, who are playing their last one. The Minnesota Lynx, by the way, need just one win or one Golden State Valkyries loss to clinch that coveted No. 1 seed and they could get it done as early as Tuesday. The real fireworks are in the four remaining games between playoff teams: two mini two-game series, like the Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty on Monday and Wednesday, and the Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever on Tuesday and Thursday. These are the ones that are gonna shake up the standings, because let’s be real, lottery-bound teams haven’t pulled off any upsets. Since Thursday, playoff teams are a combined 12-0 against those lottery squads. No surprises there.
Storm Struggles and Star Power
Our Storm, unfortunately, have been on the wrong side of some of those dominant playoff team performances. The Golden State Valkyries put together two dominant defensive efforts and handled both the Fire and our Storm. Not only that, the Las Vegas Aces easily won both ends of a home and home series against our last-place Storm, extending their winning streak to five games and staying in third place. It’s been a rough ride, but we’ve still seen some incredible individual efforts across the league. Angel Reese from the Atlanta Dream, for instance, is making a serious late push for Defensive Player of the Year, after racking up 30 points and 10 rebounds against the Sun, then 23 points, 10 boards, four assists, and three blocks versus the Sky. She’s the first player in WNBA history to grab 500 rebounds in a season. And A’ja Wilson? She put up a combined 59 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and three blocks in those two wins against the Storm, building a strong case for her MVP award. The New York Liberty and Indiana Fever were also noted as the biggest movers, both jumping two spots in the rankings.
So, while our Storm play out their final game of the season, the rest of the league is heading into an absolute playoff slugfest, with every single seed still up for grabs. After Thursday’s wild finish, the playoffs officially kick off less than 72 hours later on Sunday afternoon. You just know these next few days are going to be must-watch basketball, with every team fighting tooth and nail for their best possible position. Bring on the postseason!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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