Kelsey Plum is famous for her never-give-up attitude, and her game-winning shot against the Dallas Wings was another example of it. After the game, she praised the Wings’ rookie for her efforts as the Los Angeles Sparks kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Wings, and in the process, they eliminated Paige Bueckers’ team and Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky.
The LA side now stands at the ninth position, while the 11th-placed Chicago Sky and 12th-placed Wings, numerically, have no chance of qualification for the postseason.
The Los Angeles Sparks’ Win Eliminates Paige Bueckers’ Wings and Angel Reese’s Sky
The second half of the 2025 WNBA season brought a lot of exciting results. Three teams in particular, the Los Angeles Sparks, Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream, found their ‘mojo’ and had a few winning streaks, allowing them to push for the playoff.
The Aces and Dream were already around the top-eight, playoff threshold, while the Sparks’ run put them closer to the final playoff spot. Their game against the Wings had multiple effects on the league standings, with three teams’ futures depending on the outcome.
The Wings, led by Paige Bueckers, put up a fight at the Crypto.com Arena but fell short of victory by just one point. The loss handed them a 9-27 record, 12th best in the league. With just eight games remaining in the season for the Texas side, the side is nine games behind the eighth-place Storm, making it impossible to overturn.
Update:
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 21, 2025
With the @LASparks 81-80 victory tonight over the Wings, both the Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky have now officially been eliminated from WNBA Playoffs contention.
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Similarly, the Chicago Sky is 8.5 games behind the Seattle side, eliminating them from the postseason race. Ironically the team defeated defending champions, the New York Liberty, in their recent game, but it was too late for the Windy-City team to make impact on their standings.
Dallas Wings Fail To Reach Paige Bueckers’ Ceiling
There were high hopes for the Dallas Wings with the 2025 WNBA draft’s top pick on their roster. Adding an elite shooting guard to Arike Ogunbowale handed the side a lethal backcourt duo in the league. The front office also added 2024 Most Improved Player, DiJonai Carrington, to provide support for its side.
But inconsistent performances from the players, questionable decisions by coach Chris Koclanes left Paige Bueckers helpless. The star herself had an incredible season, matching Caitlin Clark’s iconic rookie season records. She even set a few records for herself, setting herself apaet from below par Wings team.
The Sky also had similar reasons for its early exit, but its poor run was affected by Angel Reese’s injury. Both teams will now be preparing for the future, and hope to land potent support cast for their stars.