Swish City: Playoff Previews and Recaps 2026

Playoffs RD1

#3 AURA (7-4) vs #6 DELD (5-6)

Despite being 1-3 over the past month, AURA seems to have a big edge here. Their losses were against the three top teams and they also acquired A’ja Wilson during this span, at the cost of some roster depth.

Meanwhile, DELD has been 3-2 in their run up to the playoffs, but their two losses have also come against current playoff teams. They slipped into the playoffs themselves on a tie-breaker, and the question is: which of these teams is actually doing better right now?

If we shorten the stats to look at the last four weeks, AURA has the edge in every category save TOS, which doesn’t bode well for DELD’s upset chances. It would take a heck of a week for DELD to pull this off, but both teams are fully healthy and locked and loaded for a fun matchup!

#4 SIXS (6-4-1) vs #5 GWFC (5-5-1)

The last time these two teams faced off, we got Swish City’s only tie in WK8. The rematch between these two teams promises to be explosive! Based on just the last month’s stats, GWFC has the edge, with a projected 6-3 category advantage—they have clear advantages in FT%, AST, STL and BLK. They are also entering the playoffs on a 4-1-1 streak, with trade acquisitions Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young both playing great. Can they upset their way to the second round?

Despite being the on-paper higher seed, SIXS have their work cut out for them if they want to advance. Newly traded Kelsey Plum needs to hit the floor running in Phoenix, because rookie find Sydney Taylor is dinged up, and while the rest of this roster is currently healthy—minus Satou Sabally in a basically lost season—SIXS has to fear the surging GWFC team.

BYE: #1 RCEJ and  #2 NINT

Playoffs RD1 Recap

We predicted a blow out for #3 AURA over #6 DELD, but instead the week came down to a handful of PTS, as AURA narrowly avoided an upset by the women of Greece! Sunday saw A’ja Wilson and Carla Leite sitting out, but incredibly, the DELD trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Courtney Williams, and Veronica Burton only combined for fifteen total points, while Olivia Miles dropped in five threes and twenty points to seal the 5-4 win for AURA. Whew!

Over on the other side of the bracket, #5 GWFC did pull off the 7-1 upset over #4 SIXS, but the matchup was much closer than the final score indicated. Kelsey Plum left Sunday’s game early, and SIXS ended up tying in AST, while losing behind a smidge of FG%, one rebound, one steal, and a handful of threes. GWFC had Jackie Young sitting on Sunday as well, with Flau’jae Johnson leaving early due to an injury as well. So maybe it all evened out, but we would have liked to see this matchup in a healthier world, but for now, GWFC advances!

Playoffs RD2

#1 RCEJ vs #5 GWFC

Fully healthy and ready to compete for the first Swish City championship, RCEJ has basically intimated that this season was just too easy for them. “Who needs a bench?! I’ve got the best starters in the league!” It’s time to see if Sin is ready to take the next step from regular season juggernaut to postseason destroyer! As for GWFC, they’ve only suffered one loss since mid-June and they could muscle their way to another huge upset behind Dominique Malonga and Breanna Stewart. Let's see which of these teams will hit the first ever Finals!

#2 NINT vs #3 AURA

For most of the season, advanced analytics has told us that NINT has been the best team overall, boasting the best offense and efficiency in the league. After an 0-3 start, they have now won eight games in a row, dating back to the beginning of June. It could be argued that they are the title favorites… For their first playoff matchup, NINT comes face to face with AURA, who boasts the second-best combined ODE rating, and has actually been more efficient than NINT over the past month. However, AURA has stumbled a bit after their quick start to the season, and they’ve already lost 3-6 to NINT in WK10, just a few weeks ago.

Both teams have minor injuries to contend with, as Jessica Shepard for NINT and Carla Leite for AURA could miss a game or two. Is this the Alanna Smith revenge series? After being cut by AURA, Smith is now playing meaningful minutes for the Wings and could swing the matchup. Also, shout out to Kayla McBride’s record breaking ten threes on Sunday, which didn’t count for fantasy but could portend a hot streak to come! 

Playoffs RD2 Recap

AURA tried to make a comeback versus NINT, putting in a full seven games on Sunday, but they fell short, buried by a FT% category that they rarely ever lose. The 5-4 victory for NINT was sealed with stellar percentages, a tight win in rebounds, and just simply taking care of the ball. Not having Jessica Shepard opened the door for an upset, but in the end, NINT hung on to reach the final two!

On the other side of the bracket, RCEJ actually put in one more Games Played than GWFC, securing a 7-2 win that was closer than it looked on paper. RCEJ won by +3 3PT, +4 AST, and +29 PTS. Both teams shot poorly from the field but GWFC’s 38.5 FG% was certainly a huge factor in their loss. RCEJ received a huge Sunday from DeWanna Bonner, which sealed the deal and sets up our Finals matchup!

Playoffs RD3 Finals

#1 RCEJ vs #2 NINT

Here we go, the two best teams in Swish City, facing off in the championship! Based on last week’s numbers, NINT would have won 5-4, and they also dominated versus RCEJ in a WK9 matchup. Still, we can’t underestimate the regular season champion, as RCEJ is definitely in the driver’s seat for this Finals matchup.

Injury wise, a huge factor will be whether Jessica Shepard—and to a lesser extent Natisha Hiedeman—will be healthy. Paige Bueckers, Jonquel Jones, and Kayla McBride can keep NINT humming offensively, but Shepard and Hiedeman’s assists would surely be missed if they can’t play. Can NINT upset RCEJ on Paige and a prayer?

Meanwhile the Dream duo of Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese continue to be perfect complements to each other, while super vets Chelsea Gray, Natasha Howard, and DeWanna Bonner give RCEJ dangerous depth. For a team that usually relies on a short rotation of six players to win, if either rookies Kiki Rice or Awa Fam can step their game up in a timely fashion, the Swish City championship could be in Sin’s grasp by this time next week!

These were the two best teams all season long, now let’s see who will receive the ring and the parade!