Five WNBA teams have clinched their playoff spots and, with just over two weeks left of the regular season, three more are still up for grabs.

The power rankings go beyond the standings, taking into account momentum, head-to-head results, strength of schedule and advanced stats. As the playoff race among the teams in the middle tier gets particularly tight, let’s see who has the best chance to come out ahead.

12. Atlanta Dream (6-19) -1

Congratulations to the Atlanta Dream, who have lost 10 games in a row and supplanted the Fever on the bottom rung of the power rankings for the first time this season. Atlanta’s calling card all season has been its high-scoring offense, and even that’s fallen off of late. The Dream were once in the top five of WNBA offensive rating. Now, their offense is averaging just 74 points per game after the Olympic break.

11. Indiana Fever (6-19) +1

Congratulations to the Indiana Fever, who are finally looking down at a team on the power rankings. Five of Indiana’s six wins have come since July 3, infusing the team with necessary optimism all while they stay close to the probability of earning the No. 1 spot in the 2022 draft. An interesting statistic: The Fever and Dream lead the league in the percentage of points scored from mid-range, a trend most teams have moved away from in favor of the long ball and shots at the rim.

10. Los Angeles Sparks (10-17) —

Every time you want to believe Los Angeles can go on a run, another star player gets hurt and the offense goes dry. Defense has never been the problem for the Sparks, who are second in the league in points allowed per game at 78.4. On the offensive side, they’re not only the lowest-scoring team, but they are also last in field-goal percentage and assists per game, suggesting the chemistry is off.

9. New York Liberty (11-17) -2

It’s getting ugly in New York. Natasha Howard is back in full swing and Sabrina Ionescu looks more like the player the Liberty drafted first overall in 2020, but neither of those positive strides has translated to wins. The Liberty have lost five straight and eight of their last nine dating back to July 9, and suddenly they are in danger of missing out on the playoffs after a strong first half.

8. Washington Mystics (10-16) +1

Elena Delle Donne returned to the court on Aug. 22 after nearly two years away and teamed up with Tina Charles, finally forming the potent frontcourt lineup the Mystics envisioned when they signed Charles as a free agent in 2020. Then, Charles went down with a glute strain and Delle Donne’s back started acting up again. With the Liberty free-falling, there’s no ruling Washington out of the playoffs just yet, but health is paramount.

7. Dallas Wings (11-15) +1

Dallas has been a tough team to gauge this season. They’ve had their moments of brilliance, notably beating the Storm earlier in the year and playing them close in their other meetings, and then they’ve had games where their inexperience is on full display. The good news for the Wings is four of their final six games are against teams beneath them in the standings, and in the early-round single-elimination games of the playoffs, anything can happen.

6. Phoenix Mercury (16-10) —

Just like last season — and just as we predicted — the Mercury have hit their stride late in the season, having won their last seven games and clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night. Team USA’s gold-medal run at the Olympics clearly wore off on the Mercury’s three stars, with Skylar Diggins-Smith alone averaging 19.6 points per game since the break. Their recent strength of schedule has left much to be desired, but they made a promising statement against Chicago this week.

5. Seattle Storm (18-10) -4

The Storm’s drop in the power rankings doesn’t mean they’ve fallen out of title contention. A three-game losing streak is out of character for the defending champions, especially when it includes losing to the same team back-to-back. In those three games, the Storm shot 26.8 percent from 3, which is significantly below their league-leading average. Once they find their stroke again, they should get back to their winning ways.

4. Chicago Sky (14-13) +1

As the Sky showed in their 3-0 regular-season series against the Storm, they have one of the most dangerous benches in the league. Coach James Wade has started bringing Stefanie Dolson and Diamond DeShields, who have three All-Star Game appearances between them, off the bench, making it hard for opponents to defend Chicago’s speed, size and length for a full 40 minutes.

3. Minnesota Lynx (16-9) +1

The Lynx aren’t overpowering opponents, but they’re playing smart basketball, ranking second in the league in field goal percentage (45.5) and in effective field goal percentage (50.6), which accounts for the value of 3-point attempts. It doesn’t hurt that Sylvia Fowles is making a case for WNBA MVP with her play and coach Cheryl Reeve has one of the sharpest minds in the game.

2. Las Vegas Aces (19-7) —

The Aces continue to get it done on both ends of the floor, leading the league with 88.8 points per game and 38.9 rebounds per game. For a team that plays an inside game and attempts the fewest 3-pointers in the WNBA, Las Vegas is also shooting a second-best 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

1. Connecticut Sun (21-6) +2

Interestingly, no team plays their bench less than the Sun, whose non-starters average 8.8 minutes per game. You wonder how long their starters can keep up that pace through the postseason, but then again, I have a hard time betting against a starting lineup that includes Jonquel Jones, DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones.

Amid her historic summer on the links, English amateur and rising Florida State senior Charlotte "Lottie" Woad is officially turning pro, accepting LPGA membership two days after nearly topping the 2025 Evian Championship leaderboard.

One week after becoming the first amateur to win a European Tour tournament since 2022 — with the 21-year-old taking the 2025 Irish Open title by a massive six-stroke margin — Woad came within one stroke of becoming the first amateur to win an LPGA major in 58 years.

Sunday's finale saw world No. 25 Grace Kim emerge as the 2025 Evian Champion, with the Australian taking the title following a playoff with Thailand's No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

Both Kim and Thitikul finished the tournament at 14-under-par, while Woad trailed a single stroke behind to tie 2021 Evian winner and Australia's No. 5 Minjee Lee for third-place in the LPGA Grand Slam.

Unlike Lee, who banked $547,200 for her efforts, Woad's amateur status means she had to forgo what would have been her share of the $8 million purse.

"I did have a look after and was like, 'oh no,'" joked Woad about Lee's check.

Woad to make pro debut next week

That all changes now, though, as Woad's finish made her the first player eligible to join the LPGA through the governing body's new lite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, in which top young golfers amass points to earn pro membership.

While the world's highest-ranking amateur initially said she would take the week to weigh turning pro with returning to Florida State for her final NCAA year, Woad made her decision to turn pro Tuesday morning.

In addition to accepting the LPGA membership, she will also join the European Tour in 2026 — an invite Woad earned with her Irish Open win.

"I have only reached this point in my career through the help and support that I've received from so many people and organisations over many years," Woad wrote in an Instagram post thanking her family and coaches. "I am very excited about this next chapter."

Woad's next chapter is imminent, as the world No. 64 announced her professional debut at the 2025 Scottish Open next week.

The field of established golf pros are already on notice, with Sweden's No. 30 Madelene Sagström warning that "[Woad is] going to take European and American golf by storm very soon."

Tuesday's WNBA tilts feature a season-first clash between two young pro cores, as the No. 11 LA Sparks host the No. 7 Washington Mystics in the teams' last tilt before the 2025 All-Star break.

While Washington is a consistent presence above the playoff line in this season's standings — thanks in large part to the Mystics' two All-Star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen — LA is still finding their way.

Led by champion veterans Kelsey Plum and Azurá Stevens, the Sparks' roster includes youthful talent like forward Rickea Jackson and rookie guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, with this month's return of guard Rae Burrell from injury also boosting the young LA lineup.

"She's just the energizer bunny," Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said of Burrell. "She puts pressure on the defense. I feel like she's getting in a groove."

Even more, the Sparks are eyeing the return of their 2024 No. 2 overall draftee Cameron Brink, with the forward inching close to competitive play just over a year after an ACL tear ended her rookie campaign.

Currently sitting in a lottery position, LA will aim to dig out a win — and some much-needed midseason momentum — in their last game before the All-Star break:

• No. 7 Washington Mystics vs. No. 11 Los Angeles Sparks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Fresh off a Sunday victory over the No. 13 Connecticut Sun, the Sparks will look to claim their first back-to-back home wins this season when they try to upend a Mystics side that's comfortable playing in the clutch.

• No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 13 Connecticut Sun, Tuesday at 8 PM ET (ESPN): The Fever are on a roll, hoping to tack on a third-straight win as they eye a deep post-All-Star run.

The 2025 NWSL season is on summer international break, but many clubs aren't stopping play, with teams competing in strategic friendlies to test their depth and prowess during the long July window.

Last Tuesday, the Houston Dash hosted Liga MX side CF Monterrey, storming past Las Rayadas 4-0 behind goals from defender Avery Patterson and midfielders Delanie Sheehan, Maggie Graham, and Kiki Van Zanten.

The North Carolina Courage then played Liga MX titans Tigres UANL to a scoreless draw in a weather-shortened match on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Racing Louisville tested new and returning players — including star Bethany Balcer — in a domestic clash with regional USL Super League rivals Lexington SC, with the 1-1 draw serving as the NWSL side's tune-up to The Women's Cup, which kicks off this weekend in Brazil.

Meanwhile in Kansas City, the Current kicked off its inaugural four-team Teal Rising Cup tournament on Saturday, securing a 3-0 win over Brazil Série A1 club Palmeiras thanks in large part to forward Haley Hopkins's first-half brace.

The Current will next play in Tuesday's tournament final against Série A1's Corinthians, a team that defeated the Chicago Stars 1-0 in their Saturday semifinal with a last-gasp stoppage-time goal.

How to watch the Teal Rising Cup finale

The first-ever Teal Rising Cup will conclude on Tuesday, with the Chicago Stars and Palmeiras facing off in the mini-tournament's third-place match at 6 PM ET before the KC Current battles the Corinthians for the trophy at 9 PM ET.

Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Incoming 2026 NWSL expansion team Boston Legacy FC is making big moves, with two key Monday announcements shoring up the club's place in the larger New England sports ecosystem.

Buying into the Legacy on Monday was Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston, with the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year investing in the club after playing high school ball at Massachusetts's Worcester Academy.

"I'm proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy. This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am," the three-time WNBA All-Star said in a club statement. "And yes... Boston repping Boston just felt right!"

With her investment, Boston joins a growing roster of current and former WNBA stars buying into the NWSL, including Angel City investor Candace Parker, Bay FC advisor Sabrina Ionescu, and Gotham FC minority owner Sue Bird.

Along with their famous new investor, the Legacy also revealed plans on Monday to construct a privately funded, $27 million purpose-built team performance center in nearby Brockton, Massachusetts.

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Slated to open prior to the 2026 preseason, the center boasts a fully outfitted 30,000 square-foot training building, a bubble dome for year-round practice, and six fields of various surfaces — some of which will be available to youth teams in the community.

"Competing at the highest level demands an environment that elevates every aspect of performance — and this new facility is a major step forward in how we support our players every single day," said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein.

A couple of those incoming players were announced earlier this month, as the Legacy welcomed Bundesliga free agent and midfielder Annie Karich as the team's first signee before inking French Première Ligue forward Aïssata Traoré — the first-ever NWSL player from Mali — late last week.