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WNBA sets 2025 playoff bracket

The WNBA playoffs have officially arrived, as Thursday’s results finalized the postseason bracket for all eight squads — paving a path to the 2025 championship.

• The first round tips off on Sunday, when No. 1 Minnesota faces No. 8 Golden State, No. 2 Las Vegas matches up against No. 7 Seattle, No. 3 Atlanta takes on No. 6 Indiana, and No. 4 Phoenix battles No. 5 New York.

• “We have that year of experience, and experience always makes better teams. We know what it takes to get there,” Lynx star Napheesa Collier said of her team’s mindset heading into the postseason.

Big picture: All four series’ promise stiff competition, though one team’s momentum is looking difficult to beat.

• Las Vegas is coming off 16 straight wins — the longest season-ending streak in league history — with star guard Jewell Loyd’s former team Seattle now standing between the Aces and a 17th victory.

• Golden State already made WNBA history, but they’ll need to reset from last night’s 72-53 loss to Minnesota before Sunday’s first-round rematch.

• While 2024 champs New York open their title defense without home court advantage, the injury-plagued Liberty will face Phoenix with a healthy lineup.

• Indiana will look to offset their own season of injuries, taking on a revamped Atlanta team that more than doubled their 2024 win total.

Tune in: The WNBA playoffs tip off on Sunday at 1 PM ET, live across ESPN and ABC.

WNBA Rookie of the Year race crosses the finish line

With the regular season all wrapped up, the WNBA Rookie of the Year race is coming down to the wire as the league’s Class of 2025 steps into the spotlight.

• No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers leads her class in points per game, with the Dallas guard’s 19.2 average ranking fifth leaguewide. (See full stats)

• Bueckers is also responsible for the league’s only 40+ point performance this season, tallying a rookie-record 44 against LA last month.

Big picture: But Bueckers is not without peer competition, with Mystics guard Sonia Citron giving the former UConn standout a run for her money.

• Citron is one of just three first-years — including Bueckers — to score at least 650 points with a true shooting percentage above 55%, with the Notre Dame alum also breaking rookie team records in points and three-pointers. (See full stats)

• “I wouldn’t say there’s an award or milestone I’m most proud of,” Citron said last week. “I’m just proud of the team, the program, and how we’ve continued to fight and just grow together.“

Bottom line: Bueckers’s grip on Rookie of the Year is likely undeniable, but the rest of the cohort’s proven ability to push the young star only bodes well for the future.

Kansas City closes in on the NWSL Shield

No. 1 Kansas City is closing in on the NWSL Shield, gearing up for a Sunday showdown against No. 2 Washington that could inject insurmountable distance between the Current and the rest of the table.

• The Current already clinched a postseason berth with a 14-point lead at the top of the NWSL standings, needing only a few more results to secure a franchise-first league trophy.

• Adding fuel to the fire, KC enters Saturday’s match on an 12-game unbeaten streak, hosting the Spirit at CPKC Stadium — where the Current has yet to drop a game this year.

Big picture: But it might not be smooth sailing, with Washington’s future beginning to take shape after recently returned star Trinity Rodman’s brace lifted the Spirit over No. 7 Seattle last week.

• “She’s not back, because she’s a different player,” Washington manager Adrian González said of the striker. “After her injury, she’s more prepared mentally. She’s having enough time to get the minutes, the training and the exposures that she needs with no pressure.”

Tune in: Kansas City takes on the Spirit on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET, live on ION.

Gotham newcomer Jaedyn Shaw returns to San Diego

Splashy new Gotham FC addition Jaedyn Shaw is returning West, as No. 6 NY/NJ preps for tonight’s clash with No. 3 San Diego — Shaw’s original NWSL team — days after signing the USWNT prospect from No. 11 North Carolina.

• “I’m so excited to be a part of this incredible club and community,” Shaw said of Gotham after her league-record $1.25 million transfer. “I’m looking forward to playing alongside world class players and giving my all to help the team win another championship.”

Big picture: After finding immediate success with the Wave in 2022, the 20-year-old requested a trade to the Courage in January 2025, initiating what turned out to be a short stint in Cary.

• “I’ve grown so much just over the past few months, being at the Courage,” Shaw told ESPN on Thursday. “I feel like I’ve matured a lot.”

• Gotham and Shaw are currently “working toward an updated and extended contract,” per a team release, as she looks to boost Gotham’s offense while adding to her 16-goal and five-assist career tally.

Tune in: San Diego hosts Gotham tonight at 10 PM ET, live on Prime.

Chelsea teases Alyssa Thompson debut, Sam Kerr return

Chelsea FC is playing it close to the chest, with big-name signing Alyssa Thompson and previously injured superstar Sam Kerr waiting in the wings as manager Sonia Bompastor teases the pair’s season debuts.

• Kerr joined the 18-player game-day roster for last week’s opening-day victory over Manchester City, but remained an unused sub while Thompson greeted fans from the stands.

• Sunday’s matchup against Aston Villa provides another chance for either standout to take the pitch, as the 2024 WSL champs hunt another result.

The latest: “With Alyssa… we don’t have the confirmation yet, but we are hoping for her to be able to play in this game,” Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor said today. “I think she has already shown some good things this week in training, and we can see what she can bring to the team.”

• Bompastor went on to call last week’s decision to keep Kerr on the bench “my choice,” saying “She’s doing everything she can to be available for the squad and available to start… The next step for her is to be involved in a short game in the league, and maybe we’ll see that on Sunday.”

• Fans will not get a glimpse of USWNT defender Naomi Girma, who sat out last Friday’s clash with a calf injury and remains unavailable. (Read more)

Tune in: Chelsea kicks off against Aston Villa this Sunday at 7 AM ET, live on ESPN+.

Fans protest WNBA season ticket price hikes

Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “We’ve been priced out” to a recent game.

• Many of the custom shirts pointed to a more than 250% jump in season ticket pricing, with the Liberty asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.

• “In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle… that’s the reality,” Engelbert said on yesterday’s In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams.

• “But I realize there’s some concern out there, certainly that we don’t price out our core fan base,” she continued.

Number of the day 

50/40/90

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier registered just the second qualified 50/40/90 season in WNBA history on Thursday, after Elena Delle Donne’s 2019 run.