Wnba 2025 Playoff Predictions: Can The Minnesota Lynx Complete Their Revenge Tour?

Is nan postseason amended disconnected without nan Reese-Clark storyline?

Yes and no. Yes because nan worst talking heads who move nan storyline into thing nastier and disfigured will not beryllium drafting nan aerial retired of WNBA discussion. No, because genuine rivalry is 1 of nan champion parts of sports, and Reese v Clark is peculiarly captivating. Jakub Frankowicz

Yes. Both of them person plentifulness of years up to avail themselves of nan playoff stage. This twelvemonth nan games tin guidelines connected their own, relying little connected tabloid-style fodder while highlighting nan W’s extent and lifting much players into nan spotlight. Bryan Armen Graham

Yes. Perhaps nan only metallic lining to nan truth that some athletes person missed chunks of this play owed to wounded is that nan Reese-Clark storyline is non-existent. Hopefully, that’s a inclination that carries complete to adjacent year, erstwhile (presumably) some will beryllium backmost connected nan level successful apical form. Stephanie Kaloi

Not really. It surely wouldn’t person been a existent storyline fixed nan sorry authorities of nan Chicago Sky, who only made nan playoffs past twelvemonth because Teresa Witherspoon was coaching. But it does smart not person either subordinate successful nan operation – particularly Clark, whom you’d person to deliberation would person lifted Indiana retired of nan first information fixed nan betterment she had shown successful her 2nd season. Andrew Lawrence

Team that will beryllium missed nan most

Another twelvemonth sans a playoff quality for nan Los Angeles Sparks, who person gone 5 years without a travel to nan postseason. The daze Kelsey Plum waste and acquisition brought them closer, but they still came up short. A postseason without Plum’s fiery competitiveness and long-range sharpshooting will beryllium conscionable a spot much dull. JF

The Dallas Wings. No Paige, nary party. BAG

It feels unusual to opportunity because they’re dormant past successful nan standings, but not seeing nan Dallas Wings retired location will wounded a small bit. The squad has mostly operated seemingly successful chaos astir of nan season, and galore person questioned nan activity of some their GM and caput coach, but they person a batch of heart. SK

The LA Sparks looked primed for a playoff berth aft kicking disconnected nan play by trading for all-star Kelsey Plum. But successful nan extremity nan squad couldn’t flooded injuries to Julie Allemand, Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink – who returned to nan Sparks halfway done nan play aft tearing her ACL past year, and was ruled retired for nan play aft suffering a bloody chemoreceptor wounded connected Thursday against nan Aces. At afloat strength, this squad would’ve been a reliable out. AL

The Phoenix Mercury person home-court advantage successful nan first information but person drawn a very reliable New York Liberty team. Photograph: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

High seed astatine consequence of going retired early

The New York Liberty person limped into nan playoffs, some figuratively and literally, having mislaid astir each portion of their rotation to wounded astatine immoderate point. If they can’t get afloat patient and gel earlier their first-round matchup, look for nan defending champs to caput to an early exit. JF

The Phoenix Mercury. Their first-round tie is simply a stacked New York Liberty squad who are yet patient arsenic they motorboat their title defense. BAG

Of nan apical 4 teams heading into playoffs, my money is connected nan Phoenix Mercury being nan astir apt to clang retired unexpectedly. As coagulated arsenic they were successful nan regular season, nan different teams who earned home-court advantage – Minnesota, Atlanta and Las Vegas – are hungrier and person much to prove. SK

Am I crazy for picking Las Vegas? They haven’t mislaid successful complete a period and mightiness good beryllium due. Meanwhile, Seattle, wherever erstwhile MVP Nneka Ogwumike and six-time all-star Skylar Diggins lead nan league’s fifth-best shooting outfit, only request to triumph twice to advance. The Storm divided their 4 games against nan Aces this play already. AL

Long changeable to win

The Golden State Valkyries had a beardown first play successful nan league, pinch Veronica Burton looking for illustration a contender for Most Improved Player. But it mightiness not beryllium capable contempt a terrific advantage connected their location court, wherever they’ve group a grounds this play for nan highest attendance successful WNBA history. JF

The Seattle Storm’s playoff chances were dicey capable aft a wildly inconsistent regular season. But that was earlier nan had nan misfortune of drafting a scorching-hot Las Vegas squad that closed retired nan regular play pinch 16 wins connected nan trot. BAG

The Valkyries would look an incredibly steep battle, but their play has had a spot of magic to it. If they tin get backmost into Ballhalla and pat into what Natalie Nakase has drilled each season, it’s not wholly unfounded to judge they could propulsion disconnected nan biggest astonishment successful convention history. After all, they’ve benignant of been doing that nan full time. SK

No franchise successful immoderate North American convention has ever won a title successful its description season. The Valkyries person nan absolute smallest statistical chance to do nan intolerable only because they hit retired an wounded ravaged LA squad (see above) for nan last playoff spot. AL

The Golden State Valkyries person reached nan playoffs successful their first season, but mightiness not beryllium location for long. Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Most important subordinate this postseason

Alyssa Thomas has ever been a jack of each trades, moreover earlier her move to Phoenix this season. But she’s taken it to different level successful 2025, pinch a singular eight triple doubles. No team’s hopes thrust connected a azygous subordinate much than nan Mercury do pinch Thomas. JF

A’ja Wilson. No 1 other blends protect dominance, scoring versatility and activity pinch her consistency nether pressure. She anchors Las Vegas’s defense arsenic an elite rim protector while commanding double-teams offensively, freeing teammates to thrive. BAG

A’ja Wilson. She’s led nan Aces connected 1 if nan astir impactful squad comebacks we’ve seen this season, is simply a very apt 2025 MVP and will astir apt extremity up taking nan squad connected a heavy run. She is (always, inevitably) nan subordinate to watch.. SK

Napheesa Collier. She was nan astir important subordinate past year, nan champion end-to-end subordinate successful nan crippled this year, and should hit A’ja Wilson to nan MVP pinch an assistance from elector fatigue. The Lynx haven’t precisely been awkward astir expressing really salty they still are astir nan measurement past season’s WNBA title ended and, arsenic ever, Phee will beryllium cardinal to them exacting revenge. AL

Napheesa Collier and nan Minnesota Lynx person unfinished business. Photograph: Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images

Playoff semi-finalists

Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury JF

Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx BAG

Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx SK

Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury AL

The champion will beryllium ...

Las Vegas Aces. They’ll meet Minnesota successful nan finals and Becky Hammon’s red-hot broadside will return location a 3rd title successful 4 years. A mates weeks agone I would person said nan Lynx, who were a questionable telephone distant from winning successful 2024 and returned their full core. But Vegas person won 16 consecutive to adjacent retired nan regular play pinch reigning MVP A’ja Wilson starring nan charge. Their extent still lacks compared to nan Lynx, but immoderate matchup betwixt nan 2 would beryllium electric. JF

Minnesota Lynx. Cheryl Reeve claimed her squad was robbed aft coming thisclose to winning it each past twelvemonth and nan Lynx person been connected a revenge circuit ever since. So far, truthful good. With nan league’s apical defense and elite three-point shooting, they tin suffocate opponents connected 1 extremity and punish them connected nan other. Napheesa Collier’s MVP-level brilliance anchors a roster that thrives connected depth, shot activity and chemistry. Add successful seasoned poise and full buy-in to Reeve’s strategy and nan Lynx guidelines arsenic nan squad to beat. BAG

Minnesota Lynx. I spot a Lynx-Dream Finals, a rematch of 2013 but pinch Atlanta stronger than ever. The Dream cognize really to problem Minnesota; they handed nan Lynx 2 of their 9 defeats this year, some pinch and without Napheesa Collier. But this Lynx squad is deeper, steadier and built for nan biggest stage. Collier’s activity and their corporate poise should transportation Minnesota to different championship. SK

Minnesota Lynx. I picked ‘em past twelvemonth and would person been correct if it hadn’t been for Alanna Smith’s arguable foul connected nan Liberty’s Breanna Stewart pinch 5.2 seconds near successful Game 5. The Lynx person been connected a revenge circuit each season, starting beardown and staying that measurement to fastener up nan apical seed successful nan bracket. But arsenic ever, I expect it’ll beryllium nan strategy of coach Cheryl Reeve that’ll make nan difference. I simply cannot spot her losing a WNBA finals bid successful back-to-back years. AL