WNBA postseason race heats up with teams jockeying for playoff position behind Minnesota

With less than a month left in the WNBA regular season, the Minnesota Lynx have a firm lock on the top seed in the playoffs. The rest of the postseason picture is still up in the air, with more than half the league jockeying for positioning.

Minnesota has looked like the best team all season even with star forward Napheesa Collier sidelined for the past few weeks with a right ankle sprain. The Lynx have won five straight and hold a 6 1/2-game lead in the standings heading into Tuesday night's game at New York.

The Lynx look in great shape to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, which could be key since they lost a decisive Game 5 in overtime to the Liberty in the WNBA Finals last year.

Atlanta, New York, Phoenix and Las Vegas are all within 1 1/2 games of one another for the second through fifth seeds. No team has been hotter lately than Las Vegas.

The Aces have won seven straight heading into Tuesday night's game against Atlanta. The streak started after a record blowout loss to Minnesota on Aug. 2. Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson has been huge during the winning streak, averaging 26.1 points and 13.3 rebounds. She topped the 30-point mark three times in the past four games.

The Dream have a gauntlet of a schedule in front of them, with two games against Las Vegas and contests against Minnesota and New York over the next eight days.

Indiana, Golden State, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington all are vying for the sixth through eighth seeds. Only a few games separate them.

The league switched its first-round format this season, with the best-of-three series having each team get at least one home game. In the past, the higher-seeded team would host the first two games of the series with a deciding Game 3 if necessary being on the lower-seeded team's home court.

Minnesota remained the No. 1 team in the poll, with Atlanta still second. Las Vegas jumped two spots to third. New York and Phoenix followed the Aces. Golden State and Indiana were the next two. Washington, Los Angeles and Seattle came after the Fever. Dallas, Connecticut and Chicago rounded out the poll.

The Cleveland expansion WNBA team hired Allison Howard as its president, the franchise announced Tuesday. Howard will continue to serve as executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Rock Entertainment Group and the Cleveland Cavaliers, where she oversees corporate and ticket sales revenue and strategy, corporate partnership, membership sales and service, venue experience, ticket operations and youth sports programming.

Wilson of Las Vegas was the AP player of the week for the second consecutive week. She averaged 27 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks to help the Aces win all three of their games last week. Other players receiving votes included Sonia Citron of Washington and Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix.

New York at Atlanta, Saturday. In a week that features games between Atlanta-Las Vegas, Phoenix-Las Vegas and the Liberty at the Dream, there might be a clearer divide among the top teams. The Liberty have rallied twice to beat the Dream, overcoming double-digit deficits in the victories.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Minnesota Lynx guard DiJonai Carrington (3) attempts a layup while being defended by New York Liberty center Emma Meesseman (33) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)

New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) loses control of the ball as she attempts to drive between Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams (10) and Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) in the fourth quarter of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) reacts after making a basket against the Dallas Wings during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith (8) blocks a lay-up attempt by New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) late in the fourth quarter of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday in the first verdict from eight criminal trials over the martial law debacle that forced him out of office and other allegations.

Yoon was impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024 triggered huge public protests calling for his ouster.

The most significant criminal charge against him alleges that his martial law enforcement amounted to a rebellion, and the independent counsel has requested the death sentence in the case that is to be decided in a ruling next month.

In Friday's case, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon for defying attempts to detain him, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting.

Yoon has maintained he didn’t intend to place the country under military rule for an extended period, saying his decree was only meant to inform the people about the danger of the liberal-controlled parliament obstructing his agenda. But investigators have viewed Yoon’s decree as an attempt to bolster and prolong his rule, charging him with rebellion, abuse of power and other criminal offenses.

Judge Baek Dae-hyun said in the televised ruling that imposing “a grave punishment” was necessary because Yoon hasn’t shown remorse and has only repeated “hard-to-comprehend excuses.” The judge also restoring legal systems damaged by Yoon’s action was necessary.

Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, hasn’t immediately publicly responded to the ruling. But when the independent counsel demanded a 10-year prison term in the case, Yoon’s defense team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such “an excessive” sentence.

Prison sentences in the multiple, smaller trials Yoon faces would matter if he is spared the death penalty or life imprisonment at the rebellion trial.

Park SungBae, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law, said there is little chance the court would decide Yoon should face the death penalty in the rebellion case. He said the court will likely issue a life sentence or a sentence of 30 years or more in prison.

South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997 and courts rarely hand down death sentences. Park said the court would take into account that Yoon’s decree didn’t cause casualties and didn’t last long, although Yoon hasn’t shown genuine remorse for his action.

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)