2025 WNBA playoff bracket: Schedule, matchups, postseason game times, odds, TV channel with first round set

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The 2025 WNBA playoffs are here. After a regular season that was filled with surprises, disappointments, winning streaks, an intriguing MVP race and key injuries, the action is about to heat up as the postseason gets started. The eight-team playoff bracket was finalized on Thursday night, and playoff action tips off on Sunday. All eight teams will take the floor as the best-of-three first round starts with a quadruple-header.

The Minnesota Lynx enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after being the WNBA’s most dominant team throughout the 44-game regular season. The Lynx, looking for the fifth championship in team history and their first since 2017, will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The defending champion New York Liberty, meanwhile, will have no such luxury as injuries and inconsistency led them to the No. 5 seed in the bracket. The Liberty will face the Phoenix Mercury in the first round. The Mercury won’t be an easy opponent as Alyssa Thomas is fighting to extend her outstanding season.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces were not playing like a championship contender early on, but A’ja Wilson made a strong push for her fourth MVP award by leading her team to a 16-game winning streak to close out the season with the No. 2 seed. Becky Hammon’s group is chasing its third championship in four years.

The Atlanta Dream have also exceeded expectations with successful offseason moves that included the addition of star veteran players Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner. As for the Indiana Fever, they reached the playoffs last year for the first time since 2016 and are back again despite multiple injuries to key players — including 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, who only appeared in 13 games in 2025 before announcing her season was over earlier this month.

Caitlin Clark’s injury-plagued sophomore season was a disaster for the WNBA, the Fever and herself

Jack Maloney

Below is a look at the first-round matchups and the full schedule for the 2025 playoffs.

WNBA playoff bracket

Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

The full playoff bracket was set after the action on Thursday. Here are the four first-round matchups:

No. 1 Lynx vs. No. 8 ValkyriesNo. 2 Aces vs. No. 7 StormNo. 3 Dream vs. No. 6 FeverNo. 4 Mercury vs. No. 5 Liberty

Teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round, a best-of-five series in the semifinals, and — in a new change this year — a best-of-seven affair in the Finals.

In 2024, the first round had a 2-1 format, which meant the higher seed got the first two games at home, while the lower seed only got to host if they made it to Game 3. This year it will be a 1-1-1 format, with Games 1 and 3 hosted by the higher seed while the opponent hosts Game 2.

First-round schedule (best-of-three)

All times Eastern

Sunday, Sept. 14

Game 1: No. 8 Valkyries at No. 1 Lynx, 1 p.m. — ESPN/fuboGame 1: No. 6 Fever at No. 3 Dream, 3 p.m. — ABC/fuboGame 1: No. 5 Liberty at No. 4 Mercury, 5 p.m. — ESPN/fuboGame 1: No. 7 Storm at No. 2 Aces, 10 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Tuesday, Sept. 16

Game 2: No. 3 Dream at No. 6 Fever, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fuboGame 2: No. 2 Aces at No. 7 Storm, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Wednesday, Sept. 17

Game 2: No. 4 Mercury at No. 5 Liberty, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fuboGame 2: No. 2 Lynx at No. 7 Valkyries, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Thursday, Sept. 18

*Game 3: No. 6 Fever at No. 3 Dream, TBD — ESPN2/fubo*Game 3: No. 7 Storm at No. 2 Aces, TBD — ESPN2/fubo

Friday, Sept. 19

*Game 3: No. 7 Valkyries at No. 2 Lynx, TBD — ESPN2/fubo*Game 3: No. 4 Liberty at No. 5 Mercury, TBD — ESPN2/fubo