WNBA: Atlanta Dream earn No. 8 seed as first-round playoff matchups set

The matchups for the 2024 WNBA playoffs are set:

No. 1-seed New York Liberty vs. No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream

No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7-seed Phoenix Mercury

No. 3-seed Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6-seed Indiana Fever

No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5-seed Seattle Storm

The playoffs begin on Sunday with a quadruple header, kicking off with the Liberty hosting the Dream at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. On ABC at 3 p.m. ET, the Sun and Fever will tip off their series. The Lynx and Mercury then meet at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Aces and Storm facing off at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

On Thursday, the Dream defeated the Liberty 78-67 to punch their postseason ticket for the second-straight season. It was a mostly uneventful affair, with New York managing core players’ minutes ahead of the postseason. Tina Charles, however, did make history, with the New York native and former Liberty star becoming the WNBA’s all-time leader in rebounds (4,014) and double-doubles (194). She finished the game with 10 points and 10 boards.

The Sun locked up the No. 3 seed with an authoritative 87-54 win over the Sky. Sunk by an injury-induced 3-13 record since the Olympic break, Chicago misses the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. Despite a one-point win over the Fever, 92-91, in front of the largest crowd in WNBA history, the Mystics also end up outside the postseason picture. Washington and Chicago will join the Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks in the lottery. LA has the best odds for the No. 1 pick; however, because Dallas has the right to swap picks with Chicago (a condition of the 2023 trade that sent Marina Mabrey from Dallas to Chicago), the Wings have two stabs at the No. 1 selection.

The Sun’s win over the Sky rendered the Aces’ finale against the Wings meaningless, with Vegas, locked into the No. 4 seed, resting their usual starting five, but still getting the 98-84 win. The Lynx likewise rested Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, resulting in the Sparks closing out a disappointing campaign with a 68-51 victory.

While the matchup between the Storm and Mercury also had no implication on playoff positioning, it might have had much for league history, as it could have been the last home game for Diana Taurasi. The No. 7 seed, Phoenix will only host a home playoff game if they extend their first-round series against No. 2-seed Minnesota to three games. Whether or not that happens, Taurasi continued to remain evasive about whether or not this is, in fact, her final season, despite the celebratory atmosphere.

A contingent of Taurasi’s family and friends, including her parents, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and longtime friend/teammate/rival Sue Bird, were in attendance, while her teammates wore various editions of her jersey before the game. Taurasi also entered the game late in the fourth quarter for a final curtain call, as the crowd at Footprint Center showered her with “DT” and “one more year” chants. After the game, the team played short tribute video before Taurasi spoke to the crowd, ending her comments by saying, “If this was the last time, it felt like the first time.”

Postgame, Taurasi elaborated on her mindset, sharing, “I think once’s the season’s over, I’ll have a better idea of what it looks like for me in the future.” She played 18 minutes and scored nine points in the 89-70 loss to Seattle. And, if this is it, Taurasi finishes her career with 10,646 points, starting all 565 regular-season games in her 20-year career.

First-round schedule

No. 1-seed New York Liberty vs. No. 8-seed Atlanta Dream

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN) in New York

Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) in New York

Game 3: Thursday, Sept. 26 at TBD (ESPN2) in Atlanta [if necessary]

No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7-seed Phoenix Mercury

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Minnesota

Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Minnesota

Game 3: Friday, Sept. 27 at TBD (ESPN2) in Phoenix [if necessary]

No. 3-seed Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6-seed Indiana Fever

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. ET (ABC) in Connecticut

Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Connecticut

Game 3: Friday, Sept. 27 at TBD (ESPN2) in Indiana [if necessary]

No. 4-seed Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5-seed Seattle Storm

Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Las Vegas

Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) in Las Vegas

Game 3: Thursday, Sept. 26 at TBD (ESPN2) in Seattle [if necessary]