Updated 2025 WNBA Playoff Bracket, Standings After Liberty Clinch Playoff Spot

The New York Liberty will be back in the playoffs to defend their WNBA title.

The reigning champions secured a place in the postseason thanks to the Indiana Fever’s 85-79 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. The Liberty sit fifth in the league standings with a 24-17 record.

2. Las Vegas Aces, 26-14 (6 GB)

3. Atlanta Dream, 26-14 (6 GB)

4. Phoenix Mercury, 26-14 (6 GB)

5. New York Liberty, 24-17 (8.5 GB)

6. Golden State Valkyries, 22-18 (10 GB)

7. Seattle Storm, 22-20 (11 GB)

8. Indiana Fever, 21-20 (11.5 GB)

9. Los Angeles Sparks, 19-20 (12.5 GB)

The Liberty’s repeat bid suffered a blow before the season even tipped off. Two-time All-Defensive honoree Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a meniscus injury while playing in Unrivaled, and that ruled her out for all of 2025.

That foreshadowed how the campaign as a whole would unfold for New York. Stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones have both missed some time, and the same goes for members of the supporting cast.

Signing Emma Meesseman did provide an unexpected midseason boost. The 32-year-old was the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP and was fresh off leading Belgium to victory in the Women’s EuroBasket.

Even with Meesseman in the fold, the Liberty aren’t as deep as they were when they lifted a title in 2024. Laney-Hamilton’s injury compounded the effect of losing Kayla Thornton through the expansion draft. Thornton parlayed her bigger role with the Golden State Valkyries into her first All-Star nod.

That’s a lot of perimeter defense gone in the space of one offseason, and the pair of Laney-Hamilton and Thornton were effective in spacing the floor.

Still, the case for New York going back-to-back is pretty straightforward.

A roster that includes Stewart, Jones, Meesseman, Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud is pretty tough to beat in a playoff series. Marine Johannes is a component head coach Sandy Brondello didn’t have last season, either.

The 2025 Liberty could be a prime example of a contender to gets through the grind of the regular season and then peaks when it counts in the playoffs.