Liberty clinch No. 1 seed in WNBA playoffs with win over Mystics; Lynx nab No. 2 seed - The Athletic

Las Vegas Liberty take the No. 1 seed in the playoffs as they beat Washington Mystics

The New York Liberty clinched the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs with an 81-76 win over the Washington Mystics on Sunday. The Liberty finished the regular season with a 22-10 record, one game ahead of the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

The Liberty's victory was their sixth in a row, and it secured them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Mystics, who had already clinched a playoff berth, finished the regular season with a 20-12 record.

The Liberty were led by Betnijah Laney, who scored 23 points. Marine Johannès added 18 points, and Natasha Howard had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Minnesota Lynx secure No. 2 seed after win over Indiana Fever

The Minnesota Lynx clinched the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs with a 102-77 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The Lynx finished the regular season with a 21-11 record, one game behind the No. 1-seeded New York Liberty.

The Lynx's victory was their fourth in a row, and it secured them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Fever, who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss, finished the regular season with a 5-27 record.

The Lynx were led by Sylvia Fowles, who scored 30 points. Aerial Powers added 19 points, and Bridget Carleton had 14 points.

Playoff matchups set aside

With the top two seeds in the playoffs now set, the rest of the playoff matchups are also set.

The No. 3-seeded Atlanta Dream will host the No. 6-seeded Dallas Wings in the first round. The No. 4-seeded Chicago Sky will host the No. 5-seeded Connecticut Sun in the other first-round matchup.

The playoffs begin on Wednesday, August 24th.