WNBA standings tracker 2026: Updated playoff bracket, scenarios through Sept. 21

What this year's WNBA playoff bracket lacks in intrigue, it makes up for in sheer number of possibilities.

The deck of postseason-bound teams has been the same for the better part of a month. Their order changes by the day, however; every spot in the eight-team bracket is up for grabs, with some positions proving especially contentious.

The Lynx and Valkyries have been the league's heavyweights, although neither has locked up the No. 1 seed just yet. Further down the rankings, the Dream, Fever, Liberty, Mystics and Wings find themselves in close quarters, with just a handful of games slated to be the different between first-round home-court advantage and the No. 8 seed.

With that, here's a look at how the playoff bracket shapes up ahead of the final few games of the regular-season calendar.

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WNBA standings 2026

Standings updated through games on Sept. 20.

*clinched playoff berth

WNBA clinching scenarios

Lynx

Clinches No. 1 seed by at least matching Valkyries' win total in final two games.

Valkyries

Clinches No. 1 seed with wins in final two games AND Lynx losses in final two games.

Clinches No. 2 seed by winning one of final two games.

Aces

Clinches No. 2 seed by winning final two games AND Valkyries losing final two games.

Clinches No. 3 seed by winning one of final two games AND Fever losing one of final two games.

Dream

Clinches No. 3 seed with wins in final two games AND Aces losing final two games.

Clinches No. 4 seed with wins in final two games.

Fever

Clinches No. 3 seed with wins in final two games AND Aces losing one of final two games.

Clinches No. 4 seed with wins in final two games AND Dream losing one of final two games AND Mystics losing one of final two games.

Liberty

Clinches No. 4 seed with wins in final two games AND Fever losing one of final two games AND Dream losing final two games.

Clinches No. 5 seed with wins in final two games AND Fever losing one of final two games.

Clinches No. 6 seed by matching Wings' record in final two games AND Mystics matching Liberty and Wings' record in final two games OR Fever losing final two games.

Mystics

Clinches No. 4 seed with wins in final two games AND Dream losing final two games AND Fever losing one of final two games.

Clinches No. 5 seed by winning one of final two games AND Fever losing one of final two games.

Clinches No. 6 seed by winning more games than Liberty OR winning more games than Fever.

Wings

Clinches No. 6 seed by winning more games than Liberty AND Mystics.

Clinches No. 7 seed by matching Liberty's record in final two games AND Mystics losing final two games.

WNBA Playoffs matchups

If the season ended today, here's how the first round of the playoffs would look.

(1) Lynx vs. (8) Wings
(2) Valkyries vs. (7) Mystics
(3) Aces vs. (6) Liberty
(4) Dream vs. (5) Fever