Minnesota has three games left: Phoenix (away), LA (away), and Detroit (home).

Sacramento has three games left: Houston (home), Phoenix (home), and Seattle (away).

Seattle has four games left: Houston (away), San Antonio (away), Houston (home), and Sacramento (home).

It appears that if the Lynx can win 2 of 3, they're in -- at worst, they'd have the same record as either Sacramento or Seattle (since one of those teams will lose one more game since they play each other), and they hold the tie-breaker over both.

Seattle has the toughest road. They have four games and two back-to-back on the road. San Antonio is the only game where Seattle would be the favorite, and the Stars have been playing better lately. Plus, the Storm are playing injured and at least a little tired.

It remains totally up in the air, but if I had to bet, I'd bet that Seattle will be the team left out of the Western Conference playoffs.

Which brings us to a subsidiary question: if Seattle doesn't make the playoffs, can LJ still win the MVP? My vote would probably be no... but I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.