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The NBA Playoffs officially started over the weekend, kicking off what will end up being about two and a half months of postseason basketball. In theory, that’s very fun, but some of the opening games got me thinking about a few things the NBA can take from the WNBA to make their playoffs more thrilling.
Let’s be so honest here: Sunday’s 131-80 score between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies was not exactly the “playoff basketball” we want. The thought of even having to endure three more games of this series when we know the outcome is yawn-inducing. Why are we delaying the inevitable? And furthermore, why are we making the players compete in unnecessary games and risk more fatigue and injury?
The NBA needs to take a few hints from the W here.
If you’re unfamiliar, the WNBA has played around with its playoff format in recent years, but the main formula has stayed the same. Shorter first rounds, and then longer rounds as the playoffs continue. There’s a balance of course — the WNBA’s single-elimination first round era was lacking. They really perfected the recipe in 2024, only to change the format again heading into the 2025 season.
Here’s how the WNBA playoffs worked in 2024: Eight teams made the postseason, and seeding was the same as in the NBA — No. 1 vs No. 8, No. 2 vs No. 7 and so on. The first round was a best-of-three series, with the higher-seeded team hosting the first two games and the lower seed getting to host a potential Game 3 tiebreaker. There was a little bit of a debate about the idea that some teams did not even get to host a playoff game if their team lost in two games. To that I say, win a road game instead of complaining.
From there, the playoffs moved into a best-of-five forma. The higher-seeded team hosts Games 1 and 2, the lower-seeded team hosts Game 3 and if needed, Game 4. If it gets to a Game 5, it goes back to the higher-seeded team’s arena. This is the same format for both the semi-final and the WNBA Finals.
In 2025, there will be slight changes to the WNBA Playoffs. The first round will still be best of three, but the lower-seeded team will host Game 2 instead of Game 3. That means every team in the playoffs will at least host one game. If the league is footing the charter flights bill, sure I guess. The only other change to the 2025 Playoffs will be that the Finals will be best-of-seven instead of five. So it will go best-of-three for the first round, best-of-five for the semi-finals, and best-of-seven for the finals.
Regardless of the little details, the formula is basically the same — start smaller and grow as the playoffs continue. It means we don’t have to watch a painfully slow first round between two clearly mismatched teams. There is still the chance for a thrilling upset, but for the most part you get to move on to the better matchups faster. Plus, the players aren’t playing four gruelling games to sweep a series when the first game of the series was a 41-point deficit (*cough* OKC). Less chance for players to be injured, more exciting games for fans, and potentially more rest for these top-seeded teams.
The NBA would probably be reluctant to decrease the number of playoff games, because of (obviously) money. Even a mismatched playoff game is going to bring in gate receipts and television revenue. But the idea of player safety also needs to be considered. An 82-game season is long enough, but adding on a nearly three-month-long postseason, then only having two months off before you’re back in training camp doesn’t seem fair.
Many WNBA faithful may retaliate with the argument that a lot of WNBA players play 12 months of the year between the WNBA season and playing overseas. The only reason they do that is because of the money, and many of them would say they would play less if given the choice. It’s the whole reason offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited were created — to give players the chance to stay home and have actual breaks in their year while still getting that offseason development and salary. Plus, with the growing research that indicates women are more likely than men to sustain ligament injuries, the idea of playing less is especially appealing.
It’s a complicated subject, since the NBA playoffs are such a huge part of revenue due to sponsorships, ticket sales, and other business aspects that the league doesn’t want to give up. Yet, at a certain point, the product becomes a little diluted. Are people going to tune in to see Oklahoma City beat Memphis by 40+ for four games straight? Maybe, but it’s not going to be the most thrilling basketball of the year, and may also leave some casuals less likely to tune into the first round next time.
The WNBA has a lot more growing to do, but their current playoff structure is something to learn from. The NBA should look at the long-term health of the product vs. short-term revenue, and take some notes.
