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

They took a much more circuitous route to get there, but the Seattle Storm have qualified for the 2025 WNBA playoffs.

The Storm are assured of a top-eight finish after defeating the Golden State Valkyries by the final score of 76-73 on Tuesday night.

WNBA Playoff Standings

1. Minnesota Lynx, 33-10**

2. Las Vegas Aces, 29-14 (5 GB)*

3. Atlanta Dream, 29-14 (5 GB)*

4. Phoenix Mercury, 27-16 (6 GB)*

5. New York Liberty, 26-17 (8 GB)*

6. Indiana Fever, 24-20 (10.5 GB)*

7. Golden State Valkyries, 23-20 (10 GB)*

8. Seattle Storm, 23-21 (11.5 GB)*

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* Denotes clinched playoff spot

** Denotes clinched best record in league

It's tough to pinpoint the one thing that has gone wrong with the Storm to explain their unimpressive record.

Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins continue to perform at a high level into their mid-30s, with each receiving an All-Star nod. Gabby Williams was an All-Star for the first time along with being a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Midseason acquisition Brittney Sykes is largely delivering in the backcourt as the front office hoped. Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, has steadily improved as the year unfolded.

And while the Storm sit in the bottom half in three-point attempts and makes, they were an even worse shooting team in 2024 and still went 25-15.

From the jump, Seattle has been maddeningly inconsistent. It lost its opener to the Phoenix Mercury by 22 points and eight days later blew out the Las Vegas Aces by 20 points. That pretty much set the tone for the weeks and months to come.

Being unable to avoid close games is another steady theme for Noelle Quinn's squad. The Storm started August on a six-game losing streak, and five of those defeats were by six points or fewer.

Quite simply, Seattle has too much talent and too much experience to be hovering near .500 when its key players have all stayed healthy.

Maybe the 2025 Storm are one of those teams that peaks in the playoffs.

As time goes on, more and more fans will forget the Chicago Sky finished the 2021 regular season at 16-16 before becoming a buzz saw in the postseason and winning a title.

But hovering near the bottom of the playoff seeding means having a tough first-round matchup and another tricky one in the semifinals.

An opening-round exit could beckon for the second straight year in Seattle.