WNBA Playoffs 2025: Key matchups and star players to watch
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Two-time AP Player of the Year A’ja Wilson leads the way for Las Vegas as the Aces have won 16 straight games — tied for the second-longest streak in WNBA history.

WASHINGTON — The WNBA playoffs get underway Sunday with all four series beginning.

Minnesota plays Golden State, Las Vegas takes on Seattle, Atlanta faces Indiana and Phoenix goes against New York.

While the playoffs will be missing the league’s young stars as Caitlin Clark is sidelined with a groin injury and Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers missed the postseason, there still a lot of star power.

Two-time AP Player of the Year A’ja Wilson leads the way for Las Vegas as the Aces have won 16 straight games — tied for the second-longest streak in WNBA history. They’ll be trying for their third title in four seasons.

Napheesa Collier had an incredible season, shooting over 50% from the field, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the foul line. She’s only the second player ever to accomplish that, joining Elena Delle Donne. Her Minnesota Lynx squad will be looking to win the title after falling just short last season, dropping a decisive Game 5 to New York in overtime of the WNBA Finals last season.

The Liberty struggled this season with injuries and after a 9-0 start finished as the No. 5 seed. When healthy, they are one of the best teams in the league. New York didn’t lose a game this season when Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu all started and finished a contest.

That will be put to the test when they travel to Phoenix for the opener. The Mercury have their own star in Alyssa Thomas, who led the league in assists and triple doubles. She retook the single-season assist record back from Clark.

Here are some other things to look for in the playoffs

Surging Dream

Atlanta finished the season with a franchise-record 30 victories and the No. 3 seed. The Dream host Indiana, which has been decimated by injuries this season. Besides Clark, the team has lost four other players for the season. Still they have Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston leading the way against Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. The Dream will be looking to win a playoff series for the first time since 2016.

Expansion success

Golden State became the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season. The Valkyries had a chance to be as high as a six seed, but lost to Minnesota in the regular season finale to fall to No. 8. Golden State has had an incredible homecourt advantage this season, selling out every game, however the Chase Center was already booked a few years ago with a tennis tournament so the team will have to play Game 2 of the series in San Jose.

Intriguing matchup

Three of the four matchups between Seattle and Las Vegas were decided by seven points or less with the lone one that wasn’t a 20-point win by the Storm early in the season. Jewell Loyd has been fantastic since she started coming off the bench for Las Vegas and will be an x-factor against her former team. Seattle has been inconsistent most of the season but has a really talented starting group led by Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins. French rookie Dominique Malonga, who is 6-foot-6, started coming into her own in the second half of the season and could cause matchup problems for the Aces.

AP WNBA: 

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