WNBA Power Rankings: Lynx, Aces, Fever, Valkyries lead way - ESPN

The drastic separation between the haves and have-nots has begun as the 2026 WNBA season turns into the final stretch. Time is running out for those trying to play their way into the postseason, while a clear upper tier navigates playoff seeding.

One team — Minnesota — has officially secured a berth, while one — Seattle — has been officially eliminated. Every team in the league has from 10 to 13 games remaining in the regular season to essentially sprint through the final quarter of the 44-game season.

Any of the teams below current No. 8-seeded Dallas (19-14) in the standings will need significant help, as the No. 9 team — Portland (13-19) — is 5.5 games back and not a single team currently on the outside has a winning record over the past 10 games.

Trying to predict the final seeding would take a crystal ball considering the way the teams are bunched up. Golden State and Las Vegas are within 1.5 games of each other in the No. 2 and No. 3 slots. Indiana is 1.5 games behind the Aces. Then the Fever, Washington, Atlanta, New York and the Wings are all within 1.5 games of each other through Monday's games. The time to start nitpicking over every win and loss has arrived.

Let's look at how each team shapes up in this week's WNBA Power Rankings.

Previous ranking: 1

Next seven days: @ POR (Aug. 12), @ LV (Aug. 15)

A seven-point loss to Los Angeles on Thursday broke the Lynx's 10-game win streak and drew the wrath of coach Cheryl Reeve. But they put it in the rearview mirror with double-digit wins over Las Vegas and Dallas. In Sunday's 13-point decision over the Wings, Kayla McBride put on a show with a career-high 43 points and a WNBA single-game record 10 3-pointers. Olivia Miles has 20 points and a career-high 13 assists to