Updated 2025 WNBA Playoff Bracket, Standings After Dream Clinch Playoff Spot

The Atlanta Dream are headed to the WNBA playoffs for the third straight season after defeating the Dallas Wings with a 100-78 win Friday night in College Park.

Beyond extending their postseason streak, the Dream are on pace to have their first winning record since 2018.

Additionally, the Phoenix Mercury also clinched a spot in the playoffs despite having the night off:

It locks up half of the eight playoff spots with only about two weeks remaining in the regular season.

WNBA Playoff Standings

1. Minnesota Lynx, 30-8

2. Las Vegas Aces, 26-14 (5 GB)

3. Atlanta Dream, 25-14 (5.5 GB)

4. Phoenix Mercury, 24-14 (6 GB)

5. New York Liberty, 24-15 (6.5 GB)

6. Indiana Fever, 20-18 (10 GB)

7. Seattle Storm, 21-19 (10 GB)

8. Golden State Valkyries, 19-18 (10.5 GB)

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9. Los Angeles Sparks, 17-19 (12 GB)

10. Washington Mystics, 16-23 (14.5 GB)

Atlanta's 2024 season is an example of how clinching a playoff berth isn't on its own a sign of success on the court when more than half of the WNBA's teams qualify. The Dream went 15-25 before getting swept by the New York Liberty in the first round, which was enough for head coach Tanisha Wright to get a pink slip.

Hiring Karl Smesko was a bold call, both because he hadn't coached at the pro level before and he pushed his offenses to the extreme at Florida Gulf Coast. The Eagles lived beyond the arc and around the basket, and there wasn't much in between.

Smesko's effect on Atlanta is obvious. The team averaged the fourth-fewest three-point attempts (19.4 per game) in 2024 and rank second this season (28.0). The Dream have also climbed to fourth in offensive rating (106.4), up from a last-place finish (96.6) in 2024, per WNBA.com.

Nobody has benefited from the shift more than Allisha Gray. The three-time All-Star went into Friday's game averaging a career-high 18.7 points and on pace to have her most efficient scoring season. She boasts a 59.2 percent true shooting rate, per Basketball Reference.

One subplot to follow down the homestretch and into the playoffs is how Smesko utilizes veteran center Brittney Griner.

The six-time All-WNBA honoree was Atlanta's big offseason addition, and this is the first year her game has shown signs of decline. Some fans have even gone so far as to argue Naz Hillmon is a better option with the first unit.

If push comes to shove, Smesko may have to lean on Hillmon over Griner in the most important moments, and managing that dynamic would put a lot on the plate of a first-year head coach.

In terms of the bigger picture, the 2025 postseason is a way for the Dream to continue improving their general perception.

Atlanta has long struggled to be a destination for star players and landing an aging Griner didn't really change that. Angel McCoughtry, who left in 2020, was the last true homegrown cornerstone as well. The Dream are still waiting for Howard to turn that corner.

The impending free-agency bonanza is a way for general manager Dan Padover to radically shift how people view the organization. Winning a first-round playoff series with a forward-thinking head coach is certainly something you'd be able to sell to prospective signings.