The WNBA playoffs are here, with eight teams solidifying their place in the postseason. League stalwarts and recent champions, the Liberty and Aces, punched their tickets, but there are some fresh faces in the playoff bracket, too. The Valkyries are the first WNBA expansion team to advance to the postseason in its inaugural season after a thrilling regular-season campaign. Meanwhile, the Dream and Mercury look to get over the hump, and the Fever and Storm hope to make a surprise surge.
With a trophy on the line and everything to play for, this is the time when the league’s stars shine the brightest. Of course, teams need their best players to show up and show out. But with the margins of victory tightened, it’s the game-changers and difference-makers who separate the champions from the rest of the pack.
This special playoff edition of the power rankings will focus on the x-factors who could decide which teams advance to the semifinals and which teams’ seasons come to an end.
1. Minnesota Lynx
X-factor: Kayla McBride
Minnesota has proven it can perform even without star Napheesa Collier on the court, going 7–3 during her absence due to injury in the regular season. Still, Collier is the focal point of this Lynx team, and as one of the best players in the league, she will be circled and underlined in red on opponents’ scouting reports.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint one game-changer on a well-balanced and disciplined Lynx team, Kayla McBride deserves mention. She’s the second-highest producer on the roster (behind Collier), averaging 14.6 points per game. Particularly lethal from beyond the arc, McBride is averaging 2.7 made three-pointers per game, for the second most in the league behind Rhyne Howard. Her potency from three (shooting 40.1% from deep), especially in clutch situations, will be all the more critical during high-stakes, tight playoff games.
2. Las Vegas Aces
X-factor: Jackie Young
Jackie Young is unequivocally the Aces’ second-best player behind superstar A’ja Wilson, and as a two-time WNBA champion, her talents are well-known. However, her role in Las Vegas’s late-season turnaround has, perhaps, been underappreciated. Wilson has rightfully been heralded for her MVP-caliber charge during the Aces’ 16-game winning streak, but Young has been a vital piece in her side’s resurgence. Impacting both sides of the ball, Young takes on tough defensive assignments while being a versatile scorer and unselfish facilitator. During the Aces’ run, Young averaged 16.4 points and six assists per game, while shooting 51.9% from the field. A seasoned pro in consequential games, she isn’t rattled by big moments, boasting the sixth most clutch points in the league (2.8). Her reliability and steadiness under pressure will be invaluable during the Aces’ charge to a potential third title in four years.
3. Atlanta Dream
X-factor: Naz Hillmon
The Dream are legitimate championship contenders this year in large part due to the play of Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Averaging 18.5 points and 17.6 points per game, respectively, Gray and Howard are the motors for one of the highest-rated offenses in the league. Atlanta has bought into Karl Smesko’s scheme, emphasizing ball movement, spacing the floor and three-point threats. (The Dream are averaging the second most three-point attempts per game at 28.4.)
Smesko has gotten quality minutes from Naz Hillmon as well, with the 25-year-old taking a step forward under Atlanta’s new coach. She is averaging a career-high 8.7 points and 6.2 rebounds and has gotten more comfortable on the perimeter. Starting as an impact player off the bench, Hillmon has played her way into the Dream’s starting lineup, boasting the second highest +/- (+7.5) in the league, behind only Collier.
4. Phoenix Mercury
X-factor: DeWanna Bonner
Alyssa Thomas is the Mercury’s razor-sharp Swiss Army knife. She can do it all—and often does. Impacting every aspect of the game, it’s impossible to describe Phoenix’s game plan without almost exclusively highlighting Thomas. However, Nate Tibbetts’s team also relies on consistent production from Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, rounding out one of the most explosive Big Three’s in the WNBA when all are healthy. The difference maker for the Mercury, though, will be DeWanna Bonner. She’s won a title before (during her first stint in Phoenix), and beyond her leadership, Bonner is a versatile scorer who can add to the Mercury’s offense if she can find a way to get involved.
5. New York Liberty
X-factor: Jonquel Jones
Perhaps it’s stating the obvious that Jonquel Jones will be critical to the Liberty’s success as a member of New York’s Big Three alongside Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. However, Jones is often a telling bellwether for Sandy Brondello’s team. If Jones gets involved and is playing well, then New York wins. The Liberty are 34–0 during the regular season when Jones records a double-double. That is a staggering statistic, and one that should guide New York during the postseason. Brondello often emphasizes the importance of getting Jones touches, and it’s easy to see why. After a season of injuries that impacted, among others, Stewart, Ionescu and Jones, New York will have to get on the same page in a hurry. As the team looks to find its footing, it will likely rely on Jones, who so often rights the ship for the Liberty and dictates the tempo in big moments.
6. Golden State Valkyries
X-factor: Cecilia Zandalasini
In a way, the Valkyries are a team full of x-factors. Natalie Nakase has implemented a program that is focused on high intensity and winning by committee. Veronica Burton has emerged as a star on the team since Kayla Thornton was sidelined due to injury, leading Golden State with an average of 12 points and six assists per game. Others have stepped up in Thornton’s absence as well, including Cecilia Zandalasini, who has been putting in big performances when awarded substantial minutes. She had back-to-back 20-point outings in August and has been a consistent contributor for the Valkyries.
7. Indiana Fever
X-factor: Natasha Howard
The Fever were bitten by the injury bug this season, with Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald (among others) all sidelined. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have held down the fort admirably, lifting a beleaguered Indiana side into the postseason. Veteran Natasha Howard has also been crucial to this endeavor, using her wisdom to help an unlucky team. She’s been impactful on the floor, too, helping on the defensive end, while diversifying Indiana’s offense, averaging 8.7 points in the paint per game. A three-time WNBA champion, Howard imbues this young squad with critical playoff experience.
8. Seattle Storm
X-factor: Erica Wheeler
Need proof of Erica Wheeler’s impact on the Storm? Look no further than her clutch performance in Seattle’s last regular-season game, helping her team lock up the final playoff spot with a 74–73 win over the Valkyries. She scored 17 points, with 11 of those coming in the fourth quarter, draining three three-pointers down the stretch. Like in her regular-season finale performance, Wheeler has been making an impact off the bench all season, adding depth and an additional veteran presence to the Storm’s lineup.
More WNBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as WNBA Playoffs Power Rankings: Every Team’s X-Factor.