WNBA playoff picture, standings, tiebreakers: Liberty alone in first, Aces hoping to move up from fifth

The Paris Olympics have come to a close, which means it's time for the 2024 WNBA season to once again take center stage. After nearly a month of no games, the action will resume Thursday with a three-game slate. From there, it's a mad dash to the end of the regular season on Sept. 19.

As a refresher, the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, make the playoffs in the WNBA. Under the current playoff format, the teams are placed into a standard bracket with the No. 1 seed playing No. 8 in the first round, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on. Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round and best-of-five series in the semifinals and Finals. Notably, the first round is a 2-1 format, which means the higher seed gets the first two games at home, while the lower seed gets the deciding Game 3 at home should the series go that far. In the semifinals and Finals, it is a standard 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2 and 5, if necessary.

Here's everything you need to know about the current playoff picture, including the standings and key tiebreakers:

Standings

1. New York Liberty (21-4)
2. Connecticut Sun (18-6)
3. Minnesota Lynx (17-8)
4. Seattle Storm (17-8)
5. Las Vegas Aces (16-8)
6. Phoenix Mercury (13-12)
7. Indiana Fever (11-15)
8. Chicago Sky (10-14)
9. Atlanta Dream (7-17)
10. Los Angeles Sparks (6-18)
11. Washington Mystics (6-18)
12. Dallas Wings (6-19)

Note: Two-team ties are decided first by head-to-head record and then, if necessary, better record against .500+ teams. Ties between more than two teams are determined by combined head-to-head record against the other teams.

Liberty alone at the top

1. New York Liberty (21-4)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sun: Won season series (3-0)

The Liberty have been the best team in the league this season and sit all alone in first place by a comfortable margin. Only the Sun are within 2.5 games of them, and the Liberty have already won the season series between the clubs, making it essentially a 3.5-game advantage.

Key remaining games: vs. Sun, Aug. 24

A four-team battle in the middle of the pack

2. Connecticut Sun (18-6)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Liberty: lost season series (0-3); vs. Lynx: won season series (2-0); vs. Storm: losing season series (0-1); vs. Aces: losing season series (0-1)

After an incredible 13-1 start, the Sun are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. Now, instead of challenging for the No. 1 seed, they have to be more concerned with fending off challengers for second place. They have the Lynx, Storm and Aces hot on their heels, though they have won the season series with the Lynx.

Key remaining games: at Liberty, Aug. 24; vs. Storm, Sept. 1; vs. Storm, Sept 3; vs. Aces, Sept. 6; at Aces, Sept. 15; vs. Lynx, Sept. 17

3. Minnesota Lynx (17-8)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sun: lost season series (0-2); vs. Storm: won season series (3-1); vs. Aces: season series tied (1-1)

The Lynx, who won the Commissioner's Cup for the first time in franchise history, have been the surprise team of the season. Though they hit a rough patch heading into the break due to Napheesa Collier's injury, they still sit in third place and will have their star back in action when play resumes.

Key remaining games: at Aces, Aug. 21; vs. Aces, Aug. 23; at Sun, Sept. 17

4. Seattle Storm (17-8)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sun: winning season series (1-0); vs. Lynx: lost season series (1-3); vs. Aces: losing season series (1-2)

As expected, it took the new-look Storm a few weeks to really get going, and they closed the pre-Olympic portion of their schedule on an 8-2 run. Can they keep it up when the season starts again? Nine of their final 15 games are on the road, including a brutal trip in which they have to play the Sun twice and the Liberty.

Key remaining games: vs. Liberty, Aug. 30; at Sun, Sept. 1; at Sun, Sept. 3; at Liberty, Sept. 5; vs. Aces, Sept. 17

5. Las Vegas Aces (16-8)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Sun: winning season series (1-0); vs. Lynx: season series tied (1-1); vs. Storm: winning season series (2-1)

This has been a frustrating season for the Aces, who lost Candace Parker to retirement just ahead of training camp and played the first 12 games without Chelsea Gray . They're 10-2 since Gray came back, but still aren't quite the Aces we've come to know over the past few seasons.

Key remaining games: vs Liberty, Aug. 17; vs. Lynx, Aug. 21; at Lynx, Aug. 23; at Sun, Sept. 6; at Liberty, Sept. 8; vs. Sun, Sept. 15; at Storm, Sept. 17

Mercury comfortabe in sixth

6. Phoenix Mercury (13-12)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Fever: lost season series, 0-2; vs. Sky: season series tied (0-0)

The Mercury haven't been able to find any measure of consistency this season, in large part due to injuries. When their offense is clicking, they look unstoppable, but their defense has not been good and they have little to no depth. For now they sit comfortably in sixth, but they have three games in four days against the Fever and Sky when play restarts.

Key remaining games: at Sky, Aug. 15; at Fever, Aug. 16; vs. Sky, Aug. 18; at Sky, Sept. 15

Fever, Sky in control of final two spots

7. Indiana Fever (11-15)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Mercury: won season series (2-0); vs. Sky: winning season series (2-1); vs. Dream: winning season series (2-0)

The Fever got off to a 2-9 start thanks to a diabolical schedule that saw them play 11 games -- the majority of which were against title contenders -- in 20 days. Since then, they're 9-4 and have climbed into seventh place. With Caitlin Clark growing more comfortable by the day, the Fever look likely to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Key remaining games: vs. Mercury, Aug. 16; at Dream, Aug. 26; at Sky, Aug. 30; vs. Dream, Sept. 8

8. Chicago Sky (10-14)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Mercury: season series tied (0-0); vs. Fever: losing season series (1-2); vs. Dream: winning season series (2-1)

Coming into the season, the Sky were projected to be one of the worst teams in the league. That has not been the case, as Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese have helped them take control of the eighth and final playoff spot. They have a comfortable edge over the Dream, but it will be interesting to see how much they miss Marina Mabrey down the stretch.

Key remaining games: vs. Mercury, Aug. 15; at Mercury, Aug. 18; vs. Fever, Aug. 30; vs. Mercury, Sept. 15; at Dream, Sept. 17

A big hill to climb for four lottery teams

9. Atlanta Dream (7-17)

• Tiebreakers: vs. Fever: losing season series (0-2); vs. Sky: losing season series (1-2)

Injuries have put a real damper on the Dream's season, and they lost eight games in a row heading into the Olympic break to fall three games back of the eighth and final playoff spot. They are losing the season series against the Fever and Sky, so climbing back into the playoff picture will be very difficult, but not impossible.

Key remaining games: vs Fever, Aug. 26; at Fever, Sept. 8; vs. Sky, Sept. 17

10. Los Angeles Sparks (6-18)

No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink tore her ACL after 15 games, which only cemented the fact that the Sparks were going to be a lottery team and sucked a lot of the joy out of this season. In the long run, another top draft pick is exactly what this team needs to continue its rebuild.

11. Washington Mystics (6-19)

The Mystics have been much more competitive than their record indicates, with 13 of their losses coming by single digits, including six by five points or fewer. And that's despite long-term absences for both Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin . As frustrating as this season has been, a trip to the lottery is in the franchise's best interests long term.

12. Dallas Wings (6-19)

A number of teams have been hurt by injuries this summer, but none more so than the Wings, who are enduring a season from hell. Satou Sabally , Natasha Howard , Maddy Siegrist and Jaelyn Brown all missed extended time prior to the break. While the Wings expect to be healthy when games resume, they've likely dug themselves too deep of a hole.