Chicago Sky WNBA playoff picture: Updated standings, schedule, scenarios for Angel Reese to make postseason

2024-09-04
5 min read
(NBAE via Getty Images)

It's now or never for the Chicago Sky.

As the 2024 season winds down, Chicago is one of four teams in contention for the final spot in the WNBA Playoffs. At one point, the Sky appeared poised for the postseason but the team has stumbled since the Olympics, losing six of its first seven games out of the break.

With under 10 games remaining in the regular season, can the Sky hold on to make the playoffs? Here is an updated look at Chicago's place in the WNBA standings, its remaining schedule, and playoff-clinching scenarios.

Standings through games played Tuesday, Sept. 3

MORE: WNBA playoff picture: Updated standings as Fever, Sky battle for postseason

Chicago Sky updated WNBA playoff picture, standings

With seven games remaining in the 2024 WNBA season, the Sky are eighth in the WNBA standings with an 11-22 record. The top eight seeds advance to the playoffs.

Rank Team W-L Win Pct. GB
1. x-New York Liberty 27-6 .818
2. x-Connecticut Sun 24-9 .727 3
3. x-Minnesota Lynx 24-9 .727 3
4. x - Las Vegas Aces 21-12 .636 6
5. x - Seattle Storm 20-13 .606 7
6. x - Indiana Fever 17-16 .515 10
7. x- Phoenix Mercury 17-17 .500 10.5
8. Chicago Sky 11-22 .333 16
Atlanta Dream 11-22 .333 16
Washington Mystics 10-23 .303 17
Dallas Wings 9-24 .273 18
Los Angeles Sparks 7-25 .219 19.5

X: Clinched playoffs

If the WNBA season ended today…

The No. 8 Sky would face the No. 1 Liberty in a best-of-three playoff series.

Chicago can only finish eighth in the standings while New York is poised to clinch the top seed. The Sky lost three of four meetings with the Liberty in the 2024 season.

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MORE: Angel Reese sets WNBA single-season rebounding record

Chicago Sky remaining schedule

Three of the Sky's seven remaining games come against teams that have clinched a spot in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. They'll also play in three crucial games against teams in contention for the No. 8 seed.

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV channel
Friday, Sept. 6 vs. Sparks 9:30 p.m. ION
Sunday, Sept. 8 vs. Wings 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. Mystics 8 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13 at Lynx 7:30 p.m. ION
Sunday, Sept. 15 vs. Mercury 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at Dream 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19 at Sun 7 p.m.

MORE: Angel Reese is having a Dennis Rodman effect for the Sky

Chicago Sky WNBA playoff clinching scenarios

With seven games remaining, the Sky hold the eighth and final spot in the WNBA Playoffs. Chicago is in contention with Atlanta, Washington, and Dallas for the WNBA's eighth seed.

The Sky currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Dream (2-1) and Wings (2-1) but not the Mystics (1-2). Chicago plays each of those teams once more before the season ends.

Winning head-to-head meetings with direct competition will give the Sky's playoff hopes a great boost, but the race for the final playoff spot could come to the final day of the season, which falls on Thursday, Sept. 19.

The 2024 WNBA Playoffs begin on Sunday, Sept. 22.

WNBA playoff tiebreakers

The WNBA has five playoff seeding tiebreakers in place if two teams finish with the same record:

  1. Better record in head-to-head games
  2. Better winning percentage within own conference
  3. Better winning percentage against all teams with .500 or better record at the end of the season
  4. Better point differential in head-to-head games
  5. Coin toss

If there are more than two teams tied for the same seed, the tiebreakers are similar but have a slightly different twist:

  1. Better winning percentage among all head-to-head games involving tied teams
  2. Better winning percentage against teams within the conference (if all teams are from the same conference) or better record against teams in the opposite conference (if one or more teams are in different conferences)
  3. Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the season
  4. Better point differential in games involving tied teams
  5. Coin toss