WNBA playoff action is right around the corner. Playoff seeds weren't decided until the final day of the regular season, but now we know what teams will be facing each other in the first round.
With that said, below is everything you need to know in regard to the WNBA playoffs in 2023.
WNBA playoffs: Format
The WNBA regular season consists of 40 games. The top eight teams out of the 12-team league advance to the playoffs. The first round begins on Wednesday, September 13. The first round is a best-of-three series. The higher seed hosts the first two games, and if necessary, the third and final game is played at the lower seed's home arena.
The semifinals and WNBA Finals are a best-of-five series.
WNBA playoffs: Teams/seeding
Las Vegas Aces (1)
New York Liberty (2)
Connecticut Sun (3)
Dallas Wings (4)
Atlanta Dream (5)
Minnesota Lynx (6)
Washington Mystics (7)
Chicago Sky (8)
WNBA playoffs: Schedule
Round 1:
Las Vegas Aces vs. Chicago Sky
Game 1: Sept. 13, 10 p.m. ET @ Las Vegas
Game 2: Sept. 17, 3 p.m. ET @ Las Vegas
Game 3: Sept. 20, TBD @ Chicago (if necessary)
New York Liberty vs. Washington Mystics
Game 1: Sept 15, 7:30 p.m. ET @ New York
Game 2: Sept. 19, 7 p.m. ET @ New York
Game 3: Sept. 22, TBD @ Washington (if necessary)
Connecticut Sun vs. Minnesota Lynx
Game 1: Sept. 13, 8 p.m. ET @ Connecticut
Game 2: Sept. 17, 1 p.m. ET @ Connecticut
Game 3: Sept. 20, TBD @ Minnesota (if necessary)
Dallas Wings vs. Atlanta Dream
Game 1: Sept. 15, 9:30 p.m. ET @ Dallas
Game 2: Sept. 19, 9 p.m. ET @ Dallas
Game 3: Sept. 22, TBD @ Atlanta (if necessary)
Semifinals:
Game 1: Sept. 24
Game 2: Sept. 26
Game 3: Sept. 29
Game 4: Oct. 1
Game 5: Oct. 3
Finals:
Game 1: Oct. 8
Game 2: Oct. 11
Game 3: Oct. 15
Game 4: Oct. 18
Game 5: 20
Storylines
2023 was one of the most thrilling seasons of the WNBA to date. We are in the era of the superteam, and both the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty dominated throughout the campaign. Both teams have superstar-filled rosters, and both teams' loss column didn't exceed single digits.
The Aces (34-6) finished with the league's best record. The Aces were league champions last year, but no one has won the WNBA Finals in back-to-back years since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. If there is a team that can accomplish this feat, it is the Aces.
Led by reigning MVP Aj'a Wilson, the Aces have three of the league's top 11 scorers. Kelsey Plum (18.7 points) and Jackie Young (17.6 points) form one of the best foursomes in the history of the league alongside Wilson (22.8 points) and Chelsea Gray (7.3 assists per game), the league's third-highest assister. Candace Parker was the team's fifth starter for most of the year. She is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, but she is currently sidelined due to a foot injury.
The Liberty had a chance to secure the top seed, but they lost their last game of the season 90-88 to the Washington Mystics on a buzzer-beater. Brittney Sykes hit the game-winning shot off of an inbound pass alley-oop, and she shot it over potential MVP Breanna Stewart.
Now, the Liberty have a chance for revenge since they play the Mystics in the first round of the playoffs. New York had won eight straight prior to the heartbreaking loss. The devastating end to the season is sure to motivate the squad, but the outcome of the regular season finale proves that the Mystics will be a threat in this showdown. In a best-of-three series, upsets are even more common, especially when the underdog gets to play a potential Game 3 at home.
Like the Aces, the Liberty have a great starting lineup. Stewart's 23 points per game are second in the league, while Sabrina Ionescu is one of the most entertaining players in basketball. The team also has Jonquel Jones, an MVP winner in 2021. Many experts expect the first two rounds of the playoffs to be a seat warmer for an inevitable Finals clash between the Aces and Liberty, but anything can happen.
The Connecticut Sun (27-13) and Dallas Wings (22-18) were the only other two teams to finish the regular season with a record above .500. The Sun faced the Aces in the WNBA Finals last season, losing in four games. They were expected to take a step back after losing Jonquel Jones, but the team has been great this season. They are the squad most likely to play spoiler to the top teams.
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