Photo by: David Gonzales
Six Pro Bruins Start 2025 WNBA Playoffs Sunday
September 12, 2025 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Six UCLA Women's Basketball alumni begin the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google on Sunday, Sept. 14.
First Round Matchups
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and forward Monique Billings will take on the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx beginning Sunday. The No. 8-seed Valkyries (23-21) take on the top-seed team in a best-of-three series; Nakase led the playoff team to 23 wins, which marks the most by an expansion team in its inaugural season in WNBA history. Billings, who joined Golden State via the expansion draft, provided key veteran leadership to the first-year squad. The forward appeared in 26 contests, scoring 7.3 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field; she wrangled 4.5 rebounds per game with the Valkyries.
Kennedy Burke and Rebekah Gardner suit up with the No. 5-seed New York Liberty against No. 5-seed Phoenix Mercury starting Sunday. The defending champions ended the regular season on a three-game win streak; Burke and Gardner played 36 and 41 games, respectively, in an injury-heavy year for New York. Both Bruins shot over forty percent from 3-point range (Burke – .414 3FG%; Gardner - .427 3FG%) during the regular season.
Head coach Noelle Quinn leads No. 7-seed Seattle Storm to battle against No. 2-seed Las Vegas in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. A defensive juggernaut, Seattle leads the league in steals (8.5) and blocks (5.1) per game this season, while ranking third in assists per game (21.3). The Storm also ranks atop the league in fast-break points (12.9) and points off turnovers (17.6).'
Jordin Canada and the Atlanta Dream enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, facing off against No. 6-seed Indiana in the opening round. Canada started 26 of her 28 appearances during the 2025 season; the point guard put in 11.3 points per game, marking the third-consecutive season in double-digit scoring. The Dream set its franchise record for wins in a season (3); Canada's 5.7 assists per game helped Atlanta to a third-best rank in the league (21.4 APG).
The first round is a best-of-three series in a 1-1-1 format.
Postseason Award Race
Burke is in the running for the 2025 Sixth Player of the Year after an impressive campaign with the Liberty. She averaged a career-high 8.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game; Burke finished the regular season with career-best shooting splits (.468/.414/.759), cashing in an impressive 41.4 percent of her 3-point attempts in 2025.
Nakase was ESPN's unanimous vote for the Coach of the Year; she was named 2025 Coach of the Year by the Associated Press on Friday, Sept. 12. The Valkyries finished the regular season with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league (99.9), allow the fewest opponent points (76.5 PPG), and a Most Improved Player candidate under Nakase's guidance.
2025 WNBA Playoffs Schedule
Round One
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries
No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 New York Liberty
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Seattle Storm
No. 3 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
The full schedule can be found here.
First Round Matchups
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and forward Monique Billings will take on the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx beginning Sunday. The No. 8-seed Valkyries (23-21) take on the top-seed team in a best-of-three series; Nakase led the playoff team to 23 wins, which marks the most by an expansion team in its inaugural season in WNBA history. Billings, who joined Golden State via the expansion draft, provided key veteran leadership to the first-year squad. The forward appeared in 26 contests, scoring 7.3 points per game on 47.7 percent shooting from the field; she wrangled 4.5 rebounds per game with the Valkyries.
Kennedy Burke and Rebekah Gardner suit up with the No. 5-seed New York Liberty against No. 5-seed Phoenix Mercury starting Sunday. The defending champions ended the regular season on a three-game win streak; Burke and Gardner played 36 and 41 games, respectively, in an injury-heavy year for New York. Both Bruins shot over forty percent from 3-point range (Burke – .414 3FG%; Gardner - .427 3FG%) during the regular season.
Head coach Noelle Quinn leads No. 7-seed Seattle Storm to battle against No. 2-seed Las Vegas in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. A defensive juggernaut, Seattle leads the league in steals (8.5) and blocks (5.1) per game this season, while ranking third in assists per game (21.3). The Storm also ranks atop the league in fast-break points (12.9) and points off turnovers (17.6).'
Jordin Canada and the Atlanta Dream enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, facing off against No. 6-seed Indiana in the opening round. Canada started 26 of her 28 appearances during the 2025 season; the point guard put in 11.3 points per game, marking the third-consecutive season in double-digit scoring. The Dream set its franchise record for wins in a season (3); Canada's 5.7 assists per game helped Atlanta to a third-best rank in the league (21.4 APG).
The first round is a best-of-three series in a 1-1-1 format.
Postseason Award Race
Burke is in the running for the 2025 Sixth Player of the Year after an impressive campaign with the Liberty. She averaged a career-high 8.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game; Burke finished the regular season with career-best shooting splits (.468/.414/.759), cashing in an impressive 41.4 percent of her 3-point attempts in 2025.
Nakase was ESPN's unanimous vote for the Coach of the Year; she was named 2025 Coach of the Year by the Associated Press on Friday, Sept. 12. The Valkyries finished the regular season with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league (99.9), allow the fewest opponent points (76.5 PPG), and a Most Improved Player candidate under Nakase's guidance.
2025 WNBA Playoffs Schedule
Round One
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries
No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 New York Liberty
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Seattle Storm
No. 3 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
The full schedule can be found here.
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