WNBA Preview | September 23, 2026
Two games close out a busy stretch of the regular season, with the Dream-Liberty season series tied 1-1 and a rubber match tonight to settle it. Minnesota (32-11) has effectively clinched the No. 1 overall seed after Golden State's (31-12) loss to Portland dropped the Valkyries a full game back with only one game left for each team \u2014 and Minnesota holds the tiebreaker regardless. Elsewhere, the 6-7-8 logjam remains unsettled, with Mystics (27-16) safely in and Wings and Liberty (both 26-17) still separating themselves. Dream at Liberty tips at 8:00, and Wings at Storm follows at 10:00.
Dream and Liberty Meet for the Season-Series Decider
Atlanta Dream @ New York Liberty | 8:00 PM ET | USA Network
KEY STAT
179
Combined points scored when these two teams met Monday \u2014 a 95-84 Atlanta win \u2014 almost exactly matching tonight's total line.
New York won the first meeting back on June 11, then Atlanta answered Monday with a 95-84 win at Barclays, setting up tonight's rubber match with the tiebreaker on the line. Atlanta is 29-14 and locked into a top-four seed, while New York is 26-17 and still fighting to climb out of the bottom of the playoff bracket.
Breanna Stewart moved into eighth place on the WNBA's all-time scoring list during Friday's win over Toronto, and the Liberty have been the better offense in this series at 90.1 points a game, though Atlanta's defense has been the steadier unit all season.
The line sits at New York -1.5, with the total at 176.5. Atlanta just won at this same building three days ago, and the Dream's defensive consistency has been the more reliable trait between these two teams all year. Lean Atlanta +1.5, and lean the over.
New York wins if Stewart and the Liberty protect home court and even the season series with the tiebreaker on the line.
Atlanta wins if the Dream's defense travels well again and Angel Reese continues matching Jonquel Jones's physicality inside, same as Monday.
PICK
ATL +1.5
O/U 176.5
Over ↑
Atlanta just won at Barclays three days ago behind the steadier defense in this series.
Bueckers and the Wings Close Their Regular Season in Seattle
Dallas Wings @ Seattle Storm | 10:00 PM ET | USA Network / CNBC
Tonight is Dallas's regular-season finale, and the Wings arrive at 26-17 having already clinched a playoff berth and holding series leads over both remaining opponents on their schedule. Paige Bueckers dropped 30 points in her last outing, and the Wings still have a mathematical path to as high as the No. 5 seed depending on how the final tiebreakers shake out.
Seattle is 8-35, the worst record in the league, and closes its home schedule with little left to play for.
The line sits at Dallas -9.5, with the total at 170.5. Dallas has the far superior roster and every incentive to finish strong, while Seattle's defense has been the league's least competitive for most of the year. Lean Dallas -9.5, and lean the over.
Seattle wins if the Storm's youngsters play loose in a home finale with nothing on the line and Dallas looks ahead to the postseason.
Dallas wins if Bueckers closes the regular season the way she's played it recently and the Wings' talent gap shows up early.
PICK
DAL -9.5
O/U 170.5
Over ↑
A hot Bueckers-led offense against the league's worst defense clears this number.
What to Watch For Tonight.
The Dream-Liberty rubber match carries real playoff weight — the winner takes the tiebreaker into a stretch run where every seed from four through eight is still in motion. Keep an eye on Dallas's finale too, since the Wings' final tiebreaker math depends partly on what happens in Brooklyn. Two games tonight, both on USA Network, with the rest of the league wrapping up its regular season Thursday, September 24.

