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The 2025 WNBA regular season has ended, the standings are set and the first-round playoff matchups are locked in. On Sunday, all four first-round series will get underway, and from there it's a month-long sprint to crown a new champion. The last possible Finals date is Oct. 17. 

Here is a look at the first-round matchups:

And the full bracket:

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CBS Sports

Ahead of Sunday's quadruple header, let's take a look at how each playoff team is trending heading into the playoffs and which ones have the best chance to lift the trophy next month. Here are CBS Sports' pre-playoff power rankings. 

1
Lynx
The Lynx have been the best team in the league all season, and it hasn't been particularly close. They've had the No. 1 seed officially locked up since late August and finished first in offensive rating (109.5), defensive rating (97.5) and net rating (plus-12.1). Napheesa Collier, who recorded the second 50/40/90 season in league history, is healthy and they have plenty of motivation after last season's heartbreaking Finals defeat. They are the clear title favorites.
2
Aces
A'ja Wilson and company authored the most incredible late-season turnaround the WNBA has ever seen to earn the No. 2 seed. They were under .500 in late July, but ended the season on a 16-game winning streak, which is tied for the second-longest ever. During that surge, they beat the Lynx, Dream (twice), Mercury (twice) and Liberty to prove that they were capable of competing with the other contenders. The bracket also shook out nicely for them with both the Lynx and Liberty on the other side.
3
Liberty
The Liberty got off to a 9-0 start, but were 18-17 the rest of the way to fall to the No. 5 seed. That was almost entirely due to injuries, however. When Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones all suited up, they went 13-2, and the two defeats were games in which Jones and Stewart left early with injuries. In 234 minutes with those three on the floor, the Liberty have a plus-21.2 net rating. They have the most talented roster from top to bottom and are healthy heading into the playoffs. It would be unwise to write them off.
4
Dream
Everyone expected the Dream to be better this season after hiring Karl Smesko and signing Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones, but no one expected them to win a franchise-record 30 games and earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. They finished second in offensive rating (108.2), second in defensive rating (98.9) and second in net rating (plus-9.3). The Dream's success this season was no fluke, but it is fair to wonder if they have the top-tier talent to win a title. The Lynx and Liberty both being on the other side of the bracket does help their cause.
5
Mercury
The Mercury built a fascinating roster in the offseason, as they surrounded Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper with an array of rookies and largely unheralded veterans. All told, the experiment was successful, as they won 27 games (their most since 2014, when they last won a championship) and earned the No. 4 seed. There's no question about their top-end talent or toughness, but their depth is a concern, as is the fact that they have the toughest road of any contender, and could have to beat the Liberty, Lynx and Aces in order to win it all.
6
Storm
No team was more inconsistent this season than the Storm. They had four different winning streaks of at least three games, a three-game losing streak and a six-game losing streak, all of which added up to the No. 7 seed. Just like last season, their offense was the main issue. They were eighth in offensive rating (103), which is the second-worst mark among all playoff teams, and notably finished last in free-throw rate (.231). While they have the talent to win a single series against any team, there's no reason to trust them to make any sort of serious run.
7
Fever
If you had said back in May that the Fever would only get 13 games from Caitlin Clark, lose five players to season-ending injuries and have DeWanna Bonner quit on the team, everyone would have expected them to be in the lottery. Instead, they're the No. 6 seed after setting a new franchise record with 24 wins. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston both performed at an All-WNBA level this season, and helped maintain an elite offense (106.2 offensive rating, third) despite Clark's absence. As impressive as it was to make the playoffs, they are too shorthanded to contend.
8
Valkyries
The Valkyries far exceeded expectations this summer as they became the first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs in their inaugural season and set a new record for the highest average attendance (18,064) by selling out every home game. They had one of the best defenses in the league (99.8 defensive rating, third) but really struggled to score (101.5 offensive rating, 10th). Falling to the No. 8 seed was a real blow to their playoff hopes. It's hard to see how they can keep up with the Lynx in the first round.