It’s now or never for the Chicago Sky.

As the 2024 season winds down, Chicago is one of three 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 and star rookie Angel Reese is out for the remainder of the season with a wrist injury.

With three 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 Saturday, Sept. 14.

Chicago Sky updated WNBA playoff picture, standings

With five games remaining in the 2024 WNBA season, the Sky are ninth in the WNBA standings with a 13-24 record. The top eight seeds advance to the playoffs.

Rank
Team
W-L
Win Pct.
GB

1.
x – New York Liberty
31-6
.838
—

2.
x – Minnesota Lynx

3.
x – Connecticut Sun
27-10
.730
4

4.
x – Las Vegas Aces
24-13
.649
7

5.
x – Seattle Storm
23-14
.622
8

6.
x – Indiana Fever
19-10
.500
12.5

7.
x – Phoenix Mercury
17-20
.459
14

8.
Washington Mystics
13-24
.351
18

—
Chicago Sky
13-24
.351
18

—
Atlanta Dream
12-25
.324
19

—
Dallas Wings
9-29
.237
22.5

—
Los Angeles Sparks
7-30
.189
24

X: Clinched playoffs

Eliminated from WNBA playoffs contention: Wings, Sparks

If the WNBA season ended today…

The No. 9 Sky would miss out on the 2024 playoffs.

Despite having the same record as 8th-seeded Washington, Chicago has lost two-of-three matchups this year to the Mystics. Therefore, the Sky would lost the head-to-head and subsequently find themselves at home for the postseason.

Chicago Sky remaining schedule

Two of the Sky’s three remaining games come against teams that have clinched a spot in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. Their other game will take place in Atlanta against the Dream, who are currently also fighting for a playoff spot in 10th.

Date
Opponent
Time (ET)
TV channel

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.
—

Chicago Sky WNBA playoff clinching scenarios

With three games remaining, the Sky hold the ninth spot, just outside of making the WNBA Playoffs. Chicago is in contention with Atlanta and Washington for the WNBA’s eighth seed.

The Sky currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Dream (2-1) but not the Mystics (1-2). Chicago plays the Dream before the end of the season and also recently lost to the Washington by a 31-point margin.

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:

Better record in head-to-head games

Better winning percentage within own conference

Better winning percentage against all teams with .500 or better record at the end of the season

Better point differential in head-to-head games

Coin toss

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

Better winning percentage among all head-to-head games involving tied teams

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)

Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the season

Better point differential in games involving tied teams

Coin toss