Plotting and scheming.

Seattle Storm clinch final WNBA playoff spot

No. 8 Seattle clinched the final WNBA playoff spot by the skin of their teeth on Tuesday, defeating No. 7 Golden State 74-73 to avoid leaving their fate in No. 9 LA’s hands.

• The Storm outscored Golden State 21-12 in the fourth quarter to overcome a second-half Valkyries lead and seal the victory, with guard Erica Wheeler’s team-high 17 points leading the charge off the bench.

• “To be able to seize the moment, take care of business on home court against a team who is trending really positively, shows a lot of resiliency,” said Seattle coach Noelle Quinn after the win. (Watch full highlights)

Big picture: The Storm’s triumph was the Sparks’ downfall, as LA fell short of the postseason finish line despite last night’s 88-83 upset win over No. 4 Phoenix.

• “The league is as good as it’s ever been,” Sparks head coach Lynn Roberts said postgame. “There’s not a year in the history [of the WNBA] where 21 wins doesn’t get you into the playoffs.”

• LA’s elimination not only brightens Seattle’s 2025 hopes, but bolsters their future, with the Storm owning the lottery-bound Sparks’ 2026 first-round draft pick thanks to a blockbuster offseason trade.

What’s next: All eight playoff teams are a lock, but there’s still plenty to play for as remaining postseason seeding comes down to tomorrow’s four-game finale.

Gotham’s overhaul deepens with Nealy Martin trade

Gotham FC is cleaning house, following Monday’s splashy Jaedyn Shaw trade reports with more newsworthy moves as the No. 6 club preps for a major playoff push.

• The Bats have officially fulfilled 2023 NWSL champion Nealy Martin’s trade request, sending the midfielder to Angel City in exchange for $85,000 in intra-league funds.

• “More than anything I want to thank the Gotham community for taking a chance and believing in me,” Martin said in a statement. “I gave my heart and soul to this club, and a piece of me will always remain in NJ/NY.”

Big picture: Martin’s departure is just one recent roster shift, with Gotham also loaning out recently acquired forward Princess Ademiluyi as they look to incorporate Shaw — and her league-record $1.25 million transfer fee — into the system.

• Ademiluyi will play out the rest of the year with USL Super League side Fort Lauderdale United FC, after Gotham signed her from WSL mainstay West Ham United earlier this month. (Read more)

Bottom line: Big-name NWSL signings tend to create a domino effect, and as long as they’ve got the money, now’s the time for mid-table teams like Gotham to stock their rosters as the season closes in on crunch time.

Sky’s Angel Reese remains sidelined as interview fallout continues

Sky star Angel Reese watched from the sidelines as No. 12 Chicago fell to No. 2 Las Vegas last night, this time ruled out with a back injury after fulfilling a half-game suspension for making “statements detrimental to the team” in last week’s Chicago Tribune interview.

• Back pain that has troubled the forward throughout the second half of the season, with Reese opting to also sit out last night’s clash despite earlier expectations that she would take the court.

• “After warm-ups, she communicated that she just wasn’t feeling it physically,” Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said, after previously telling reporters he expected Reese to play. “She reported that pain, and so we wanted to hold her back.”

Background: Reese’s relationship with the organization has been under a microscope since the 23-year-old criticized team leadership in the controversy-spurring article, prompting high-profile reactions within the league and beyond.

• “Chicago is probably the worst-run organization in the league. You’re gonna suspend your best player just because she’s putting pressure on you to get better? That was embarrassing to see,” an anonymous WNBA exec told Dallas Hoops Journal in response.

• “She got in trouble for telling the truth. And I feel like women, especially Black women, are over-policed in this league,” Sports Are Fun co-host Greydy Diaz said on this week’s episode. “If you really look at Chicago and its history, ownership, front office — it's been a disaster for years. You've had star players leave over and over… At some point you get tired. You get tired of the nonsense, and I think they need to clean house in Chicago.”

Up next: Reese could suit up for tomorrow’s Sky season finale against New York (8 PM, League Pass), though she’s already hit the requisite minimum number of appearances to qualify as the WNBA’s rebounds-per-game leader this year.

Atlanta coach Karl Smesko makes WNBA history

Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko made history on Monday, becoming the winningest first-year WNBA manager on record with the No. 3 Dream securing their 29th win of the season over Connecticut.

• Smesko surpassed former Sparks head coach Michael Cooper’s previous 28-win record set in 2000, with one game left in the 2025 regular season.

Big picture: A former college coach at FGCU, Smesko is one of several newly instated coaches who’ve found quick success at the professional level — with even more WNBA milestones looming on the horizon.

• “It’s nice that we’re winning and that we’re in a good position for the playoffs,” Smesko said on Monday. “Those types of [records] don’t have a lot of meaning for me. The meaningful part is coming up: Are we going to be the best prepared for the playoffs?”

Top NCAA volleyball teams face off in Forth Worth

The NCAA volleyball season is heating up, as two Top 1o face-offs headline Wednesday’s new ACC-SEC “Showdown at the Net” tournament in Forth Worth.

• The doubleheader showcases four standout NCAA programs, as No. 3 Kentucky takes on No. 7 Pitt before No. 2 Texas faces No. 4 Louisville.

Big picture: Recent conference realignment has seen the SEC and ACC emerge as volleyball strongholds, with the Power Four rivals laying claim to seven of the current Top 10 teams. (See full rankings)

• The battle between the Longhorns and Cardinals will be particularly tense, as both squads enter the match without a loss on the season.

Tune in: The Wildcats and Panthers meet at 4 PM ET before Texas and Louisville square off at 9 PM ET, both on ESPN.

WNBA attendance pushes past 3 million mark

The WNBA continues to do numbers, passing the 3 million-fan mark with two days left in the regular season and all eyes on setting a new overall attendance high mark.

• The league blew past 2002’s previous regular-season record of 2.36 million fans, with hopes that this week’s final slate will bring in even larger crowds.

Big picture: The league was perhaps destined to break its total attendance record this year, as the extended 44-game 2025 schedule makes this season the longest in history.

• The WNBA is also set to smash the average attendance per game record, led by expansion team Golden State’s complete home game sell-out sweep.

Number of the day 

15

The Las Vegas Aces are one of only four WNBA teams to ever register a 15-game regular-season winning streak — with the other three teams all going on to win the championship.