The WNBA Playoffs are right around the corner, and fans who are new to the league might expect the women's playoff format to be the same as the NBA. However, there are several key differences in the playoffs of both leagues, and this article will try to cover them in sufficient detail. So, here are some answers to the question, “How does the WNBA playoff format work?”
First, while the WNBA employs the Western and Eastern Conference divisions, like the NBA, only the top eight teams in the entire league can qualify for the Playoffs. This is different from the NBA, who takes the top eight teams from each conference to the postseason.
Playoff time in the WNBA
How does seeding work in the WNBA? There are only 12 teams in the WNBA, and just the same as in the NBA, their playoff seedings depend on their regular season records. Top-seeded teams also enjoy homecourt advantage in each series, including the WNBA Finals.
Meanwhile, playoff matchups in the WNBA work along a similar vein with the NBA bracket. The first seed matches up with the eighth, the second with the seventh, the third with the sixth, and the fourth with the fifth.
Since the women's postseason doesn't follow conference divisions, it only has three rounds (without a conference finals). Moreover, their playoff series are shorter. Instead, teams play a best-of-three series in the first round, then two more best-of-five series for the semifinals and finals.
Last season, the Las Vegas Aces dominated the New York Liberty, 3-1, to win their second straight WNBA championship. A'ja Wilson won Finals MVP. This year, the Aces look to complete a three-peat, a feat no other team has achieved since the former Houston Comets won four straight titles from 1997 to 2000, the first four years of the women's league.
Caitlin Clark's record-breaking rookie season should finish with a playoff spot for her team, the Indiana Fever. The 2024 WNBA No. 1 overall pick helped bring the Fever to their first playoffs since 2016, as the sixth seed, though winning a championship is an entirely different task. Only the Houston Rockets have won a title as the sixth seed in 1995.
Only two No. 1 picks have won the WNBA championship in their rookie years: legends Tina Thompson and Maya Moore. Thompson started for the Comets' four-peat teams, while Moore helped bring the Minnesota Lynx a league championship in 2011.
When do the WNBA Playoffs start?
The WNBA Playoffs start on September 22, per a report from ESPN.com. If all series go to the limit, then Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, the last possible game of the season, will be on October 20. Meanwhile, the final regular season games are on September 19.
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