WNBA gameday discussion: Can the Fire, Sparks or Tempo surge into the top eight? Or, is the playoff field already set?

Shakira Austin, Georgia Amoore and Sonia Citron. | Getty Images

As the WNBA’s post-All-Star break action resumes, here’s a quick look at the league standings:

Minnesota Lynx (22-6)

Golden State Valkyries (19-8)

Las Vegas Aces (18-8)

Dallas Wings (18-9)

Indiana Fever (17-10)

Atlanta Dream (16-10)

New York Liberty (15-12)

Washington Mystics (14-12)

Portland Fire (11-16)

Toronto Tempo (10-16)

Los Angeles Sparks (10-16)

Phoenix Mercury (10-18)

Chicago Sky (9-18)

Connecticut Sun (7-20)

Seattle Storm (6-23)

Might the playoff field already be set, with the top eight remaining the top eight from now until the regular season concludes on Thursday, Sept. 24?

Conversely, do one of the Portland Fire, Los Angeles Sparks or Toronto Tempo have a chance of infiltrating the top eight and sending the Washington Mystics, New York Liberty or another team out of the playoff field?

Over a month ago, Beckett Harrison analyzed whether Washington, Portland, Toronto and Los Angeles should prioritize making the playoffs, or prioritize their positioning in the 2027 WNBA Draft lottery. His assessments have proven prescient, as he suggested the Fire, Tempo and Sparks were better off abandoning a playoff push and accepting their fates as lottery-bound teams.

Since then, all three teams’ winning percentages have dropped.

When Beckett wrote his article, the Tempo were the No. 8 seed at 9-9, the Sparks were the No. 10 seed at 8-9 and the Fire were the No. 11 seed at 8-10. Now, the Fire, at five game under .500, have leaped to the No. 9 seed, ahead of the Sparks and Tempo, with their matching six-games-under-.500 marks.

As Beckett noted, Portland has appeared rather clear-eyed about their circumstance, understanding the potentially greater pay off of a slower, steadier team build. Even as they sit closest to a playoff berth, the fact that no player averages more minutes per game than Bridget Carleton’s 30 minutes a night is indicative of the team’s big-picture perspective.

let’s run it back ⬅️⭐️ Bridget Carleton represented the Portland Fire at the 2026 WNBA All-Star 3PT Contest and on the Orange Carpet. pic.twitter.com/WNwPHIMABu

— Portland Fire (@theportlandfire) July 25, 2026

So, while Portland surely would be happy to take a game off the Las Vegas Aces as they resume their post-All-Star schedule (10 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass), it would be shocking if the Fire ultimately abandoned their principles in the pursuit of a premature postseason berth.

In contrast, LA and Toronto have maintained a postseason-or-bust approach, all while injuries provide an excuse for their poor pre-All-Star break play.

The Sparks already admitted to a modicum of defeat , dismissing general manager Raegan Pebley. Awaiting the return of Kelsey Plum, the Sparks skidded into the break with five-straight losses. Plum did individual work during LA’s first post-All-Star practice, a sign that her return, while not imminent, could be coming soon.

Kelsey Plum didn’t practice, but she is getting some shots up. We’ll see later on what her status is for tomorrow’s Sparks game. pic.twitter.com/aJTz6KM2Rq

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) July 27, 2026

To not only snap their skid but also salvage a season that was expected to end the team’s five-year playoff drought, Los Angeles’ first post-All-Star game is a must-win (10 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass). LA already conjured a bit of magic to beat the Liberty in the first game between two of the WNBA’s 30-year originals. Another win would guarantee them the season series victory over New York, a necessity if the Sparks were to surge into an eight-seed battle with New York.

How does Los Angeles stack up against the other teams against which they could theoretically be fighting for a spot on the fringe of the playoff field?

They’re 1-0 against both Portland and Washington, and they hold a 2-1 advantage over the Phoenix Mercury with one game to go. That LA already has lost the season series to Toronto 1-2, a status stamped by Marina Mabrey’s 53 points, is a brutal blow to LA’s playoff chances.

Marina Mabrey was ON FIRE as she tied the WNBA single-game scoring record with 53 POINTS in a 125-97 win over the Sparks. 👏 pic.twitter.com/XXBX3mCKoU

— WNBA on NBC and Peacock (@WNBAonNBC) June 26, 2026

Toronto, however, likewise is looks to be a playoff long shot. Losers of three-straight games heading into the break, they’ll have to change that momentum against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, now with Napheesa Collier back in the lineup (8 p.m. ET, WNBA League Pass).

And similar to the Sparks, the Tempo still have some time to wait until the return of their potential savior, as Brittney Sykes was limited to individual work in Toronto’s first post-All-Star practice. At the least, Kiki Rice appears close to resuming her rookie season, as she was a full participant in the Tempo’s practice. Rice, along with Isabelle Harrison (knee) and Nyara Sabally (rib), began Tuesday listed as “questionable” on Toronto’s injury report.

Brondello’s hoping Rice responds well to full practice and that she’ll be back soon: “Hopefully she feels good tomorrow, so it's more how she responds post a practice like this. But she's worked really hard, so excited. If we can get her back, that'd be awesome.” https://t.co/tG6FQaELkW

— Ian Finlayson (@ianfinlayson_) July 26, 2026

Brondello’s update on Slim was much less optimistic: “Slim is, you know, she’s doing a little bit of work, but I don't know exactly when she's back. But I don't think it's in the next … it's not a few weeks.”

— Ian Finlayson (@ianfinlayson_) July 26, 2026

While Toronto has clinched the season series over LA, they’re currently not well-positioned to prevail in a battle for a playoff spot. They’ve lost all three matchups against Washington and are down 1-0 to Portland for the season.

Due to the priorities in Portland and the personnel problems in Los Angeles and Toronto, it seems like none of these teams will h...

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →