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The WNBA playoffs are nearly here after a blistering end to the regular season, which officially wraps up Thursday night. The Seattle Storm clinched the final postseason spot on Tuesday night, too, and eliminated the Los Angeles Sparks from playoff contention.
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx have been dominating all season long, even while MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier was sidelined. The team that beat them in last year’s WNBA Finals can’t say the same — the New York Liberty have dealt with injuries and inconsistency, causing them to miss out on home-court advantage in these playoffs.
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The Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries and Indiana Fever have also clinched spots. The Aces, who won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, have been on a tear, winning 14 straight after a rough start to the season. The expansion Valkyries are heading to the postseason in their first season, while the Fever will be without Caitlin Clark after a year marred by injuries.
The postseason opens with four first-round games on Sunday, Sept. 14, and concludes on or before Friday, Oct. 17, when a potential Finals Game 7 would occur.
WNBA postseason format
The top eight teams (by record) in the 13-team league make the playoffs, with the top four seeds earning home-court advantage in the first round. This season, the first round will feature a 1-1-1 format, with the higher seed hosting Game 1 and a potential Game 3, and the lower seed hosting Game 2. The semifinals are best of five, while the WNBA Finals are best of seven for the first time, in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. Last year’s Finals went the distance, with the New York Liberty defeating the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5.
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WNBA playoff teams
1. Minnesota Lynx
2. Las Vegas Aces
3. Atlanta Dream
4. Phoenix Mercury
5. New York Liberty
6. Golden State Valkyries
7. Indiana Fever
8. Seattle Storm
WNBA playoffs schedule, scores
Sunday, Sept. 14
Series 1, Game 1: 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Series 2, Game 1: 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Series 3, Game 1: 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Series 4, Game 1: 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Game 2: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Game 2: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Thursday, Sept 18
Game 3 (if necessary): 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Game 3 (if necessary): 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Friday, Sept. 19
Game 3 (if necessary): 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Game 3 (if necessary): 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, Sept. 21
Semifinals Game 1: 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Semifinals Game 1: 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Semifinals Game 2: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Semifinals Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Sept. 26
Semifinals Game 3: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Semifinals Game 3: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, Sept. 28
Semifinals Game 4 (if necessary): 1/5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Semifinals Game 4 (if necessary): 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Semifinals Game 5 (if necessary): TBD (ESPNU)
Semifinals Game 5 (if necessary): TBD (ESPNU)
Friday, Oct. 3
Finals Game 1: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, Oct. 5
Finals Game 2: 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Finals Game 3: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 10
Finals Game 4: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, Oct. 12
Finals Game 5 (if necessary): 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Wednesday, Oct. 15
Finals Game 6 (if necessary): 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 17
Finals Game 7 (if necessary): 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
How to watch the WNBA playoffs
The WNBA playoffs will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.
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