Aces playoff seeding: What’s at stake in final 3 games of season?

The Las Vegas Aces begin their final homestand of the regular season Sunday against the Seattle Storm at Michelob Ultra Arena, with three games left to shape their playoff positioning. Currently third in the WNBA standings at 28‑13, the Aces are riding a four‑game winning streak that started before the FIBA World Cup break. The Minnesota Lynx have already clinched the No. 1 seed, eliminating any chance for Las Vegas to overtake them for top honors. The Golden State Valkyries hold a two‑game lead over the Aces for the No. 2 spot. To move up, Las Vegas would need to win all three remaining contests while receiving help from Golden State. The Valkyries have three games left, all against teams outside the playoff picture, giving the Aces a narrow path to second place if circumstances align. More realistically, the Aces are focused on preserving their current standing by defeating the Storm, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury. A “magic number” of two means Las Vegas can afford one loss in the final three games and still guarantee home‑court advantage in the opening playoff round. Sweeping the trio would push the record to 31‑13 and extend the winning streak to seven games. Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream each sit one game behind Las Vegas at 27‑14. The Aces own the regular‑season tiebreaker over Atlanta, having won the season series 2‑1. Conversely, Indiana holds the tiebreaker over Las Vegas after winning two of their three meetings. Should Las Vegas finish 1‑2, ending with a 29‑15 record, while the Fever and Dream each win two of their last three games, all three teams would finish tied at 29‑15. The league’s tiebreaker procedures would then determine final placement. In that scenario, a 1‑2 finish coupled with Indiana and Atlanta winning out would drop the Aces to the No. 5 seed. If the Aces retain their present position, they would face the No. 6 seed in the first round, a spot currently held by the Dallas Wings. Dallas secured sixth place Saturday with a victory over Phoenix, though the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics remain in contention with three games left. A slip to No. 4 would open a potential matchup against the No. 5 seed. The only way for Las Vegas to avoid meeting either Indiana or Atlanta in the opening round is to clinch the No. 3 seed. Regardless of seeding, the Aces would host the opening game of the best‑of‑three series and, if required, the decisive contest. **Upcoming game** Who: Las Vegas Aces (28‑13) at Seattle Storm (8‑33) When: 6 p.m. Sunday Where: Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas TV: KMCC‑TV (Channel 34), CNBC, USA Network Streaming: Prime Video