As the second half of the WNBA campaign is set to begin with five games on Tuesday night, the playoff picture will come into focus every day from this point. Some teams will surge, others might be buyers at the deadline, while the ones who know the playoffs are a stretch will be sellers while looking toward the future.
It's no surprise who DraftKings has favored, and the two teams closest to contend, as the spotlight has been on the league's Big 3 the past few years.
But there's much more than the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty this season, with several other teams that could very well be ushering in a new era if one of them breaks through to steal the thunder.
Here is a look at the top seven teams listed at DraftKings:
Minnesota Lynx (+115)
There's a reason that head coach Cheryl Reeve leads the conversation for Coach of the Year, as the winningest coach in WNBA history led the Lynx to a 22-6 record heading into the All-Star Break, with 27 of those games coming without franchise face Napheesa Collier. Imagine how good this team will be with a healthy Collier in the lineup, after seeing her turn in a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double in her season debut.
Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles has been sensational, while veterans Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride and Natasha Howard held it down while anticipating Collier's arrival. The Lynx's numbers in the hustle-stats category remain impressive, as they rank second with 14.3 second-chance points and 18.6 points off turnovers. Their 41.0 points in the paint will only get better with quick-footed Collier back in the lineup. Until further notice, the Lynx are the team to beat.
Las Vegas Aces (+320)
Never, absolutely ever, count out the Aces as long as No. 22 is in uniform. Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson is still the best player on the planet, and as long as she has a finely tuned supporting cast, the Aces will always be a legitimate contender. This is the second straight season the biggest concern is their defense, but this is essentially the same team that was 14-14 after 28 games during last year's championship campaign, and was 18-8 heading into the break.
The most impressive thing about this team might be its dominant play away from Las Vegas, as it's 11-3 on the road this season. Conversely speaking, it should be a concern the Aces are 7-5 in Las Vegas, where the team was once seemingly untouchable.
During their first championship year (2022), the Aces were 13-5 at home. In 2023, also a title campaign, they were 19-1 at home. Last season, in winning their third title in four years, they were 17-5 at Michelob Ultra Arena. With 10 of their final 18 games at home, the Aces need to remind themselves about homecourt advantage if they want to repeat.
New York Liberty (+700)
Of the Big 3, the Liberty could be the team that makes the biggest noise at the trade deadline. If indeed Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is an afterthought in Brooklyn, it'll be interesting to see who the Liberty bring in to bolster an already deep roster that could use a defensive stopper. The Liberty are allowing 86.2 points per game, which might rank tied for fifth in the WNBA, but is more than they've allowed in years past.
New York allowed 80.3 PPG in 2025, and during their championship season in 2024, it surrendered just 76.5 PPG. As a matter of fact, through its 27 games this year, New York has its worst defensive rating in franchise history, at 109.4, per Basketball Reference. It's hard to imagine the Liberty bowing out early in the playoffs, when they still have All-Star MVP Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, but if they don't learn how to slow teams down, it'll be a disappointing debut season for first-year head coach Chris DeMarco.
Golden State Valkyries (+800)
Speaking of defense, the team to keep an eye on once the postseason rolls around is head coach Natalie Nakase's bunch. The Valkyries might be the fourth choice at the books, but there's a reason they went into the break sitting second in the league. Golden State is the only team in the league that is allowing less than 82 PPG, with a 76.4 allowance for the opposition.
Gabby Williams is a bona fide Defensive Player of the Year candidate, while teammate Veronica Burton is just as much of a menace for opposing teams. And it's not as if teams are figuring things out, as the Valkyries held five of their last six opponents to 75 or fewer points until losing to the Washington Mystics 90-82 in their final game before the break.
Two days earlier, though, the Valkyries beat the Mystics, 74-69. Golden State has a favorable schedule to close out the campaign, with 12 of its final 17 games coming against teams that would currently miss the playoffs.
Atlanta Dream (+1500)
After a brief lull that saw the Dream lose five straight and six of seven, they closed things out with three consecutive wins before the break, as their offense finally found some life. Granted, the wins came against bottom-feeders Los Angeles (101-92), Toronto (111-92) and Chicago (93-91), but they were confidence-building victories the team needed before taking 10 days off.
The Dream rank sixth in the WNBA with 89.3 PPG, and fourth in points allowed (85.3 PPG). For them, it's consistency with a high-powered lineup that has legitimate scoring threats in Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese.
And when you factor in veteran Jordin Canada, one of the best defensive guards in the league who has two championship rings, and Naz Hillmon, there's no reason to see the Dream scoring fewer than 85 points a game the rest of the way. This was a team that, at one point, many power-rating authors had at the top of their rankings. If Karl Smesko is one puzzle piece away, the biggest question is who gets shipped out at the deadline.
Indiana Fever (+1600)
Imagine having a team like the Fever at nearly 20-1 to win the title, knowing they're likely headed to the playoffs and that you have players like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston in your pocket. Since opening the season a modest 9-7, the Fever won eight of their final 11 heading into the break.
In that 11-game span, the Fever are an eyelash extension away from averaging nearly 100 points per game (99.9) and are the only team shooting better than 50 percent from the field (.503). For head coach Stephanie White's bunch, it's a matter of whether or not it can win on the road. The Fever are a ho-hum 7-5 away from Indianapolis, and will play 10 of their final 16 games on the road. And five of those 10 games will be against teams that would make the playoffs right now. In fact, 10 of their final 16 games overall will be against the current top eight teams in the league. With Clark's back keeping her on the injury list every game, her health could play a big role in the team's playoff run.
Dallas Wings (+2000)
This might be the most surprising number of them all, as the Wings have been as consistent, if not more so than any other team not located in Minneapolis. Since coach Jose Fernandez said it was time for players to stop being selfish, that was after three games and a 1-2 start. The Wings have won 17 of 24 and lost consecutive games just one other time.
Five of their nine losses have been by single digits, while nine of their 18 wins have been by double digits. Fernandez has a solid mix of talented youth and veteran experience that have formed the right chemistry. If general manager Curt Miller decides to be a player at the deadline, let's not forget he was in Connecticut when Chelsea Gray was sent to Los Angeles. He might find the final link that adds to an already dangerous bunch led by Paige Bueckers, Most Improved Player candidate Jessica Shepard, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd.
W.G. Ramirez is a veteran sports writer from Las Vegas and a Senior Staff Writer at Ballislife.com. Follow him on X at @WillieGRamirez.
