Everything remained undecided in this final week
As the 2022 WNBA regular season enters its final week, the league finds itself in that rare and clarifying moment when nothing is yet settled and everything still matters. The Chicago Sky, defending champions, have reclaimed the summit, while five teams fight for survival and the question of home-court advantage remains open for even the strongest contenders. It is the kind of ending that reveals character — of teams, of players, and of a season that has refused to resolve itself quietly.
- Five teams are still scrambling for the final playoff berths with only days remaining, turning every game into a referendum on a team's entire season.
- The Dallas Wings, once treading water at .500, stunned Chicago and Las Vegas in the same week — doing so without their star Arike Ogunbowale for most of it.
- Napheesa Collier's return from maternity leave injected new life into the Minnesota Lynx, whose playoff streak dating back to 2010 now hangs by a thread.
- The Los Angeles Sparks, buried under six straight losses, stole a road win in Washington to keep their postseason hopes from going dark entirely.
- Home-court advantage throughout the playoffs remains unresolved at the top, meaning Chicago and Las Vegas are still playing for something beyond survival.
- The regular season closes August 14, with playoffs beginning just three days later — leaving almost no margin for error, recovery, or regret.
The final week of the 2022 WNBA regular season arrived with the standings still unsettled and the stakes as high as they had been all year. Eight teams would reach the playoffs. Five had already secured their spots. Five more were still fighting for what remained. Even home-court advantage throughout the postseason — the reward for finishing at the top — was unresolved.
The Chicago Sky, defending champions at 25-8, reclaimed the No. 1 ranking after a brief slide. They had just lost at home to Dallas, a sting they answered with back-to-back wins over Washington and Connecticut. Las Vegas, ranked second at 23-10, closed a brutal five-game road stretch with a win over Seattle — A'ja Wilson pouring in 29 points — but losses to Washington and Dallas had complicated their path to home-court advantage.
The Dallas Wings were the week's most surprising story. Going 3-0 against Chicago, Las Vegas, and Indiana, they reached .500 for just the second time since relocating to Dallas — and did it largely without Arike Ogunbowale, who missed two games with an ankle injury and left a third early. Center Teaira McCowan recorded double-doubles in five straight games, and guard Marina Mabrey averaged nearly 20 points across the stretch. A franchise that had never won a playoff game was suddenly playing its best basketball.
Minnesota got an emotional lift when Napheesa Collier returned from maternity leave — her daughter born in May — and helped the Lynx defeat Atlanta. The win kept alive a playoff streak that had begun in 2010, when Collier herself was in eighth grade. The Los Angeles Sparks, meanwhile, had appeared finished after six straight losses, but a road win in Washington on Sunday gave them a lifeline they hadn't expected.
Even the Indiana Fever, eliminated months ago and riding a 16-game losing streak, refused to quit — pushing Dallas to overtime before falling. The regular season would end August 14. The playoffs would begin three days later. Until then, nothing was decided.
The final week of the 2022 WNBA regular season arrived with everything still in motion. Eight teams would make the playoffs. Five had already secured their spots. Five more were clawing for the remaining berths. Home-court advantage throughout the postseason remained unresolved. Individual awards—MVP, Most Improved Player, and others—were still being decided in voters' minds. It was the kind of week that separates the teams that finish strong from those that fade.
The Chicago Sky, defending champions with a 25-8 record, reclaimed the top ranking after a brief dip to second. They owned the league's best overall record and the best home record, though they had just suffered their fourth loss of the season at Wintrust Arena, falling to Dallas on Tuesday. That defeat to the Wings stung, but the Sky responded with consecutive victories over Washington and Connecticut, extending their winning streak against the Sun to six games dating back to last year's playoffs. Chicago was in the driver's seat to clinch home-court advantage throughout the postseason, but the final week would determine whether they could finish strong enough to lock it down.
Las Vegas, ranked second at 23-10, had just completed a grueling five-game road stretch. The Aces lost to Washington and Dallas during that swing, but they closed it with a win over Seattle on Sunday. A'ja Wilson, still fueling her MVP candidacy, had 29 points and six rebounds in that victory. The loss to Dallas had been particularly frustrating—Wilson had a layup attempt that she probably makes 99 times out of 100, but this time it rimmed out. The Aces would finish their schedule at home, a significant advantage in the final push.
Dallas Wings, ranked sixth at 16-16, had transformed from treading water into genuine contenders. They went undefeated in the past week with wins over Chicago, Las Vegas, and Indiana—three teams they had no business beating. Star guard Arike Ogunbowale had been sidelined with an ankle injury for the first two victories and left the third game after 25 minutes with a hip injury, yet the Wings still found ways to win. Center Teaira McCowan had emerged as a force, recording double-doubles in her past five games. Guard Marina Mabrey averaged 19.7 points and 5.0 assists across those three contests. The Wings had reached .500 for just the second time since relocating to Dallas in 2016—the first time was in 2015 when they were still in Tulsa. They had made the playoffs three times since arriving in Dallas but had never won a postseason game. This week could change everything.
Minnesota Lynx got a significant emotional and competitive lift when Napheesa Collier returned to the court on Sunday after giving birth to a daughter in May. Her presence helped Minnesota defeat Atlanta, keeping alive the Lynx's playoff hopes—a streak they hadn't broken since 2010, when Collier was starting eighth grade. The team had won three of its past four games after losing four of the previous five, a volatile stretch that reflected the unpredictability of the final stretch.
Los Angeles Sparks, ranked 11th at 13-20, had seemed destined to fade after a grueling four-game road swing through the Eastern time zone that left them with six consecutive losses. But on Sunday, they pulled off an improbable victory at Washington, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a win that felt like a lifeline. The Sparks had shown a three-game winning streak earlier in the season, so a late-season surge wasn't impossible.
Indiana Fever, eliminated long ago and ranked last at 5-29, kept competing anyway. They had lost 16 consecutive games, with their last victory coming on June 19. Yet on Saturday, they pushed Dallas to overtime before losing. The Fever's losing streak could reach 18 games by the end of the week, though it would still fall short of the WNBA record of 20, set by the Tulsa Shock in 2011. No team had thrown in the towel, even the teams with nothing left to play for but pride.
The regular season would end on Sunday, August 14. The playoffs would begin three days later, on August 17. By then, the eight teams would be set, home-court advantage would be determined, and the individual awards would be finalized. But for now, in this final week, everything remained undecided.
Citações Notáveis
A'ja Wilson had 29 points and six rebounds in Las Vegas's win over Seattle, fueling her MVP candidacy despite a crucial missed layup earlier in the week— ESPN power rankings
Natasha Cloud of Washington called officials 'trash' on social media after a non-call on a potential game-tying 3-point attempt against Los Angeles— Natasha Cloud, Washington Mystics guard
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does the final week matter so much more than any other week in the season?
Because the margin for error disappears. A team that's been coasting can't coast anymore. A team that's been fighting can't afford to lose focus. Every game now directly determines whether you make the playoffs or go home, whether you get home-court advantage or play on the road.
The Fever are 5-29 and eliminated. Why do you think they're still competing hard?
Because they're professionals. You don't stop trying just because the outcome is decided. There's pride in it, and there's also the fact that these players want to show what they can do, want to prove they belong in this league, even if this season didn't go their way.
Dallas went undefeated this week without their best player healthy. How does that happen?
Depth and desperation. When your star is out, other players step up because they have to. Teaira McCowan and Marina Mabrey played like they understood this was their moment. And Dallas had been waiting for a moment like this—they've made the playoffs three times since moving to Dallas but never won a postseason game. They know what's at stake.
Napheesa Collier coming back—is that just a feel-good story, or does it actually change Minnesota's chances?
It's both. Yes, it's moving that she's back after having a baby. But it's also real basketball. Minnesota hasn't missed the playoffs since 2010. That's a streak they take seriously. Collier is a good player, and having her back gives them a legitimate chance to keep that streak alive.
Why are individual awards still being decided in the final week?
Because voters are still watching. They want to see how players perform when everything is on the line. A'ja Wilson's 29 points against Seattle in a crucial game matters more to voters than 29 points in a blowout in March. The final week shows you who shows up when it counts.