Playoff race tightens as the WNBA nears the World Cup break

As the WNBA nears the FIBA World Cup break, the playoff race is tightening. Seven teams have already secured playoff spots: Minnesota, Golden State, and Las Vegas. Atlanta, Indiana, New York, and Washington are also set to enter the postseason. Dallas is one game away from sealing the eighth and final spot.

Currently, the Minnesota Lynx lead the pack, followed by Golden State and Las Vegas. Atlanta, Indiana, New York, and Washington round out the top four. Dallas is just one game behind the eighth-seeded team, but the exact seeding remains uncertain.

With only 1.5 games separating the second-place Valkyries and fifth-place Fever, the competition is intense. The top four teams will have homecourt advantage in the opening round of the best-of-three playoff series. Semifinals will be best-of-five, and the WNBA Finals will be best-of-seven.

The Indiana Fever are in fifth place after a challenging stretch of games. They recently lost to New York, but have three home games remaining to close out the regular season. The Phoenix Mercury acquired DeWanna Bonner's contract, giving the veteran a chance to play for a playoff contender. Bonner expressed gratitude for the opportunity, as this could be her final postseason chance.

Minnesota remains the unanimous choice for the top spot this week, having won games against Golden State and Washington. Las Vegas has climbed to second place, swapping positions with the Valkyries. Atlanta moved up to fourth from seventh place, while Indiana, New York, and Washington follow.

The final WNBA standings and playoff matchups will be decided after the World Cup break, which runs from Monday, August 31 to Thursday, September 17.