Lead: On Sept. 10, 2025 the Seattle Storm secured the eighth and final berth in the 2025 WNBA playoffs, beating the Golden State Valkyries after Erica Wheeler drained a go-ahead jumper with 19.2 seconds remaining. The victory completed an eight-point fourth-quarter comeback and sealed a postseason slot that had required either a Storm win or a Los Angeles Sparks loss. The first-round series begin Sunday as best-of-three matchups. For the first time since 2021, every WNBA playoff qualifier enters with a winning regular-season record.
Key Takeaways
- Seattle clinched the No. 8 seed with a win over Golden State on Sept. 10, secured by Erica Wheeler’s jumper with 19.2 seconds left.
- The Storm overcame an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and had to deny the Valkyries twice on the final possession to preserve the victory.
- All eight playoff teams—Minnesota, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Golden State, Indiana and Seattle—have winning records, the first such occurrence since 2021.
- The first round begins Sunday and uses three-game series formats; Las Vegas pursues its seventh consecutive postseason appearance.
- Seattle entered the game amid injuries and lineup churn after adding Brittney Sykes at the trade deadline and carrying three All-Stars: Skylar Diggins, Nneka Ogwumike and Gabby Williams.
- Seed movement remains possible: Seattle can move up to No. 7 depending on Thursday’s remaining results, while Las Vegas and Atlanta (the Dream) remain in contention for Nos. 2 and 3.
- The 2026 draft lottery will include five teams—Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and Connecticut—with the Wings holding the best odds (40 percent) for the top pick.
Background
The Storm entered the closing weeks of the regular season in a fragile stretch after losing six straight to open August, despite a roster containing multiple All-Stars and the midseason acquisition of Brittney Sykes. Seattle’s path to the postseason narrowed to a clear scenario: win the final game or await a Sparks loss. The Sparks and Phoenix played simultaneously, and Los Angeles edged Phoenix, which forced Seattle to clinch on the court rather than by default.
League-wide parity has tightened; the 2025 season produced a full field of playoff teams with winning records for the first time since 2021, reflecting concentrated talent across franchises and fewer lottery-bound rebuilds. At the top, the Las Vegas Aces have sustained success and entered the postseason with a long active qualifying streak—seven straight years—while several middle seeds remain unsettled entering the weekend. Concurrently, the 2026 draft-lottery picture is already shaping front offices’ strategies: Dallas (Wings) leads the odds at 40 percent, followed by Chicago (Sky) at 25 percent.
Main Event
The deciding game in Seattle unfolded on Sept. 10 as the Storm rallied in the fourth quarter to erase an eight-point deficit and take the lead late. Erica Wheeler’s jumper with 19.2 seconds left proved decisive; the Storm then defended the final possession, denying the Valkyries on two attempts to secure the win. The sequence capped a tense finish in which both teams scrambled for playoff positioning and momentum heading into the postseason.
Seattle’s victory was the product of late-game execution and defensive stops after a season of uneven stretches. The Storm’s offense produced enough late scoring to overturn the deficit, and the coaching staff’s rotations during the final minutes prioritized perimeter checks and high-percentage contesting. For Golden State, the loss leaves the Valkyries precariously placed inside the bracket and highlights questions about closing ability under pressure.
Across the league, other teams wrapped regular-season duties with matchups that will influence seeding orders. Las Vegas and Atlanta remain entangled for the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, while the bottom of the bracket still could shift among Golden State, Indiana and Seattle depending on remaining results. The playoffs’ early seeding will determine home-court allocation for the short first-round series, magnifying the value of every final regular-season game.
Analysis & Implications
Seattle’s late clinch underscores the narrow margins that defined the 2025 WNBA regular season. A team that added talent at the trade deadline and still struggled for stretches illustrates how injury, chemistry and scheduling can offset individual star power. The Storm entering the postseason carries momentum from the comeback, but also leaves questions about depth and consistency that opponents will try to exploit in a short series.
For the league, having every playoff team with a winning record is a signal of competitive balance and fewer teams locked into long-term rebuilds. This can raise the regular season’s stakes for fans and advertisers, but it also concentrates playoff talent, which may shorten some series given clearer favorites. The compressed first-round format — best-of-three — increases the value of seeding and matchups; a single upset can instantly reshape a conference bracket.
The draft-lottery outlook also matters for roster planning. Dallas’s 40 percent chance at the No. 1 pick could accelerate its timeline for contention or prompt trades if the Wings prefer proven help over a top rookie. Meanwhile, several franchises do not retain their own 2026 first-round picks—Chicago’s pick is owed to Minnesota, Los Angeles’s to Seattle, and Connecticut’s to the Sky—complicating straightforward interpretations of lottery odds and front-office incentives.
Comparison & Data
| Team | 2026 No.1 Odds |
|---|---|
| Dallas Wings | 40% |
| Chicago Sky | 25% |
| Los Angeles Sparks | 17% |
| Washington Mystics | 11% |
| Connecticut Sun | 7% |
The table shows the official lottery odds, which are calculated on a two-year combined record. Those percentages determine the chance of winning the No. 1 pick for the 2026 draft; however, not all teams retain their 2026 first-round selections, which will alter actual draft ownership and the prospects available to teams with competing strategies.
Reactions & Quotes
THE POSTSEASON CLINCHING BUCKET 😤
Seattle Storm (team Twitter)
It is the first time since 2021 that every WNBA playoff team has a winning record.
The New York Times (media)
Team accounts and local beat reporters emphasized Seattle’s resilience and the bigger-picture significance of a full group of winning teams entering the playoffs. Analysts noted that late-season form will be a key barometer for success in short series, where momentum from a dramatic clinch can matter but does not substitute for sustained depth.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Seattle will ultimately be No. 7 or No. 8 depends on results in remaining Thursday games and final tiebreaker calculations that were not finalized at the time of the win.
- Projections about how the lottery will alter team-building strategies in 2026 are speculative until front offices announce concrete moves or trade intentions.
Bottom Line
Seattle’s late-season escape into the 2025 postseason highlights both the volatility and competitiveness of the WNBA this year. A single play — Erica Wheeler’s 19.2-second jumper — settled the Storm’s fate and set up a first-round bracket in which every team carries a winning record, intensifying the stakes for short series.
Looking ahead, seed shifts in the coming days will determine matchup dynamics, and the 2026 draft-lottery picture will influence offseason decision-making for non-playoff clubs. For fans and front offices alike, the close of the regular season underlines that small margins and roster depth will be decisive in the weeks to come.