2025 WNBA Playoffs Preview: The Battle for the Crown

Done! After months of grueling action, the WNBA regular season is finally over. And our playoff picture is now complete. Like majestic amazons, 8 warring teams emerged bloodied yet unbowed, and ready to do battle once more for the honor of being crowned Queens of the Court. Our 2025 WNBA playoffs begin this Sunday, with all eight teams raring to go for it.

There are storylines galore as the 8 teams go eyeball-to-eyeball in a way only women can accentuate so effectively, with so much interest and intrigue. The defending champs New York Liberty are looking to repeat their cinderella champion season last year. The Minnesota Lynx are raring to avenge last season’s heart-crushing title defeat to the Liberty, while the Las Vegas Aces are looking to regain their title-winning ways for a third title in four seasons. For these 3, the battle cry is Repeat, Revenge, Regain. All the 5 other qualifiers have their own rallying cries and storylines to tell.

For the 5th-seed defending champs Liberty (27-17), the regular season has been a rollercoaster ride with steep ups and downs. They jumped the starting gun with 9 straight wins in devastating fashion. For a while, many thought this was a juggernaut flexing its muscles, toying with mere mortals on their way to a repeat of last year’s title-winning ways. Until injuries hit the team. The Liberty has shown that they are a very vulnerable team when their key players are not in tiptop shape. They have been 18-17 after its fast start, with injuries to Sabrina Ionescu, Brianna Stewart, Natasha Cloud, Nyara Sally and others. This is a team that’s talented, but troubled. If the team enters the court in full strength, they will be next to unbeatable. However, if injuries continue to hound its core, don’t expect the Liberty’s star to be in the running for a repeat.

Pitted against the Liberty are the 4th-seed, new-look Phoenix Mercury (also 27-17). Now in their first year of the post-Taurasi/Griner era, the Mercury will be relying on MVP candidate and new acquisition, Alyssa Thomas, with steady support coming from old reliables Satou Sabally, Kahleah Copper and recent Fever transferee, Dewanna Bonner. The Mercury are no pushovers themselves, and they will grind out their wins by taking advantage of small mismatches, by taking the fight off lesser-ranked teams. However, against the top 3 teams – the Lynx, the Aces and the Dream – the Mercury have not had a winning record.

The 3rd-seed Atlanta Dream (30-14) has won twice as many games as they did in the previous season, despite modest player gains. The key to the Dream’s upsurge has been the steady play of their 2 all-star guards, Allisha Gray and Rhynne Howard; plus the refreshing coaching style of Karl Smesko, who has imbued a new philosophy that has worked wonders with the team. Will that be good enough to take them all the way to the crown?

They will be meeting the crowd favorites and 6th-seed Indiana Fever (24-20). Expected to make waves this season due to the acquisition of key talents and the maturation of Caitlin Clark, the Fever has instead been beset with injuries that have stymied their march to hoop heaven. Like the Liberty, injuries has been the bane of this team’s journey, with missing man-hours from Clark herself, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Damiris Dantas, Aari McDonald and Chloe Bibby. Still, the heads-up play from Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull and Natasha Howard has kept the team afloat. Plus, they do have a rabid 6th man in the Fever fan base, which is present in every city the team plays in.

The 2nd-seed Las Vegas Aces (30-14) are slowly looking to get back to the finals. It’s a good target, after their back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. Leading the pack is last year’s MVP, A’ja Wilson, and their elite guard corps of Jackie Young and Chelsea Grey. The team has silently situated themselves in the middle of the upper tier, toting a 16-game winning streak that allowed them to surreptitiously get into great post-season position. Operating well under the radar, the Aces are raring to regain their lost glory the previous year.

Facing them in this initial round will be the 7th-seed Seattle Storm (23-21). The Storm have struggled to get into the elite 8 entering the playoffs. They are led by the ageless duo of Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, both veterans of countless wars in the W. Seattle does not hold high expectations, but if the Aces hit an off-day, the Storm are capable of taking advantage of such rare opportunities.

Finally, there’s the top-seed Minnesota Lynx (34-10), losing finalists last year, who return like jilted lovers ready to avenge their honor. Led by the top candidate for MVP this year, Napheesa Collier, everything seems to be going their way at this time. With the Aces no longer as stacked, and the Liberty and the Fever plagued with injuries, the road seems ready for a Lynx’ crowning. Phee has a steady and deep back-up crew led by Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride; coupled with the solid coaching staff led by coach Cheryl Reeve. If injuries do not derail their plans, this could be the Lynx’ golden year.

The Lynx will be tested in this playoffs’ first round by 8th-seeded Golden State Valkyries (23-21), the league’s youngest expansion team, glamour babies with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The Valkyries have already become the first franchise to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. Now it will be attempting – though chances are very slim – to become the first to win a series, or even the crown itself. This young team is led by a first-ever all star in Kayla Thornton. Expect the Lynx to pull through easily.

There you have it. Things are starting to get more interesting in the W. Eight teams clash for the right to move to the next playoff round. My bets? It will be the top-seed Minnesota Lynx and the 2nd seed Las Vegas Aces breezing through, while the 5th seed defending champs New York Liberty and the 6th seed crowd darlings Indiana Fever will upset the odds to complete the round of four. Gentlemen, place your bets!!!

Cover pic courtesy of Newsweek. Other pics courtesy of TheScore.com, Her Hoop Stat Newsletter, TikTok, Facebook, ESPN.ph, YouTube, The Japan Times, WNBA.com, and LGB Express. For a closer look, just click on the pics.