The post 8 bold predictions for final month of 2025 WNBA season appeared first on ClutchPoints.
As the 2025 WNBA regular season barrels toward its dramatic conclusion, a string of bold and electrifying predictions has taken hold, each capturing the simmering tensions, rising stars, and fractured playoff race etched across the league. The W finds itself at a fascinating crossroads where playoff spots are in flux, MVP debates are white-hot, and the battle lines between contender and pretender have never been more blurred. With just weeks remaining, every possession, injury update, coaching decision, and rookie outburst carries monumental weight.
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This season has already delivered some of the most electric storylines in recent memory: The impact of transformational additions like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, the resilience of underdog franchises like the expansion Golden State Valkyries, and the commanding excellence of seasoned stars. But if history tells us anything, it’s that the closing month of WNBA play tends to rip up scripts and write new ones. This is the time of year when the improbable becomes possible and bold predictions begin to look more realistic.
From shocking comebacks to dramatic collapses and jaw-dropping MVP surges, let’s break down eight bold predictions that could reshape the WNBA’s final act and rewrite the playoff map before the dust settles in early September.
1. Atlanta steals New York’s dream
First among these is the forecast that the Atlanta Dream will usurp the New York Liberty to claim the top ranking in the Eastern Conference. As of now, the Liberty still lead with a superior record, but the Dream are on a strong upward swing, currently riding a streak of six consecutive wins and positioned at 21-11 compared to the Liberty’s 21-12.
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2. Caitlin Clark won’t return for the regular season
Caitlin Clark most likely will not return to complete the remainder of the regular season with the Indiana Fever. Head coach Stephanie White confirmed that Clark, still recovering from a groin injury suffered in mid‑July, remains unfit for practice and hasn’t resumed full team drills. Her absence now extends over 11 straight games, and though she’s running full court, a cautious approach remains in place, and with only a handful of regular‑season games left, the push for her return seems increasingly unlikely before the playoffs. Given the high stakes and Indiana’s precarious position, it’s plausible the Fever will opt to prioritize her health and not risk rushing her back, effectively ruling her out for the regular season.
3. The Storm won’t right the ship in time for playoffs
It’s looking like the Seattle Storm will miss the playoffs entirely, a shocking fallout for a franchise accustomed to postseason runs. Yet, the odds sit heavily in their favor—ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives them a 99.2 % chance of making the playoffs; if today were the end, they’d slot in as the No. 5 seed, facing Atlanta. Still, their recent form (a 2‑8 record in their last 10 per standings), mounting internal turmoil, including franchise investigations, and a trade‑heavy, unsettled roster make for a precarious scenario. Should a wave of last‑minute losses collide with controversies bubbling, that improbable collapse could materialize: A missed playoff berth for the Storm would shake the league to its core.
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4. Wings continue being experts at spoiling
The Dallas Wings will keep being spoiler extraordinaires, disrupting elite teams and playoff hopefuls in the final stretch. With a poor 8-19 record, Dallas may seem inconsequential, but underdogs often bring a bite. Recent reports note key roster churns and veterans waived late in the season, but these shakeups may free opportunities for players on fire like rookie Paige Bueckers, who just delivered 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in a narrow loss to the Fever and is in the Rookie of the Year conversation. If they rally around her, with nothing to lose, they could ambush a playoff‑chasing powerhouse searching for rhythm, flipping the race and altering seeding in dramatic fashion.
5. Sparks will steal a playoff berth from another team
The Sparks are one of a few on‑the‑bubble teams left after a slow start to the season. Currently sitting with just 11 wins, gleaning barely a .440 winning percentage. They sit in the weeds but have shown sparks of life thanks to the stealth leadership of Kelsey Plum. If that leadership, coupled with late schedule favorability and other teams faltering, allows LA to reel in and overtake a sputtering opponent (say, the Mystics or Storm), a Cinderella‑style playoff entry is not beyond reach.
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6. Phoenix stabilizes to threaten the Lynx’s dominance
The Phoenix Mercury will ascend to become the Western Conference’s second‑best team by season’s end. Currently sitting at 19-12, ranking third behind Minnesota and New York in the league, and second in the West behind Minnesota’s dominant 27-5 campaign, Phoenix is positioning well. With Alyssa Thomas tallying double‑double after double‑double — 27 points, 11 boards, 8 dimes, even 32‑15‑7 stat lines in recent games — and key wins over rivals, including a dominating win at Indiana and earlier successes, their upward trajectory is real. If they continue to hold ground and slightly outpace Seattle or Las Vegas in the coming weeks, they can lock in the No. 2 spot behind Lynx for the Western Conference.
7. Angel Reese won’t finish a season for the second-straight year
The Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese will be ruled out for the season for the second consecutive year. Her back injury has sidelined her since late July, and though not officially season‑ending, there’s no concrete return timeline, and criticism is mounting over her continuing absence. With Malone of ambiguity around her health, and the team already floundering at 7-17, the Sky may elect to shut her down entirely this season — both to protect her long‑term health and to shift focus to rebuilding. If she is indeed deemed out for the season again, it underscores her rapidly shifting narrative from fire starter to fragile cornerstone.
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8. Napheesa Collier’s MVP campaign will be threatened
Serious MVP candidacies from A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas will coalesce to challenge Napheesa Collier for the 2025 award. As of mid‑July, Collier remained the frontrunner, but Wilson was “closing the gap” with dominant output and improved shooting, while Thomas impressed with high assists and a career‑best field goal percentage. Now Collier is hampered by an ankle sprain and is temporarily sidelined. Meanwhile, Thomas is producing triple‑doubles and leading her team to win after win; Wilson continues to carry the Aces as the consummate scorer and rebounder. Should Collier’s injury linger into the playoffs, those two will firmly establish themselves as MVP contenders, closing or even leapfrogging her, and creating a tight three‑horse race at the very top.
As the 2025 WNBA regular season reaches its fever pitch, these bold predictions offer a lens into just how volatile and thrilling this league has become. Whether it’s the Dream soaring past the Liberty to seize Eastern Conference supremacy, Clark’s silence on the court creating waves far louder than any 3-pointer, or the Storm suffering an unthinkable collapse, this final stretch promises more twists than a full playoff series.
Teams like the Sparks and Wings are flipping expectations, either clawing into contention or interfering with postseason pushes with reckless abandon. Meanwhile, individual sagas, from Reese’s concerning second-straight shutdown to the high-stakes MVP chess match between Wilson, Thomas, and Collier, underscore how much is at stake not just for teams, but for legacies.
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The final month of the WNBA season will test stamina, depth, and heart. In a league where parity and star power are constantly colliding, some bold predictions may seem extreme now but may look more like inevitabilities than hypotheticals come September. The WNBA has never been more balanced, dramatic, unpredictable or exciting, and the final act of 2025 is set to deliver a spectacle worthy of its stars.
