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The hype surrounding the WNBA has never been higher, and now, fans are ready for an epic postseason. Caitlin Clark is fresh off of arguably the best rookie season in league history, and A'ja Wilson just had arguably the best season in WNBA history overall. Eight teams are in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, and in this article, we are going to detail everything that you need to know about the postseason.
WNBA Playoffs format
In the WNBA, eight of the 12 teams make the postseason. That means only the Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and Los Angeles Sparks were eliminated from championship contention this year. There is no reseeding, and WNBA teams get right into the action after the conclusion of the regular season.
The first round is a best-of-three series, whereas the semifinals and WNBA Finals are both best-of-five series. Round 1 sees the higher seed serve as the host for Games 1 and 2, and the next two rounds have the higher seed get home-court advantage in Games 1, 2, and 5.
WNBA seeding
- New York Liberty
- Minnesota Lynx
- Connecticut Sun
- Las Vegas Aces
- Seattle Storm
- Indiana Fever
- Phoenix Mercury
- Atlanta Dream
WNBA Playoffs schedule
*Watch WNBA playoff games live with fuboTV (free trial)*
First round
New York Liberty (1) vs. Atlanta Dream (8):
Game 1: Dream @ Liberty, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 2: Dream @ Liberty, Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 3: Liberty @ Dream, Thursday, Sept. 26 at TBD – ESPN2
Minnesota Lynx (2) vs. Phoenix Mercury (7)
Game 1: Mercury @ Lynx, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 2: Mercury @ Lynx, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 3: Lynx @ Mercury, Friday, Sept. 27 at TBD – ESPN2
Connecticut Sun (3) vs. Indiana Fever (6)
Game 1: Fever @ Sun, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. ET – ABC
Game 2: Fever @ Sun, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 3: Sun @ Fever, Friday, Sept. 27 at TBD – ESPN2
Las Vegas Aves (4) vs. Seattle Storm (5)
Game 1: Storm @ Aces, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 2: Storm @ Aces. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
Game 3: Aces @ Storm, Thursday, Sept. 26 at 26 at TBD – ESPN2
Semifinals
(Both matchups occur on the same day. Times are TBD)
Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 29
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Friday, Oct. 4
Game 4: Sunday, Oct. 6
Game 5: Tuesday, Oct. 8
WNBA Finals
Game 1: Thursday, Oct. 10
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 18
Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 20
WNBA Playoffs storylines
After the most anticipated WNBA regular season ever delivered with a season full of fun and excitement, there has never before been a WNBA postseason surrounded by more buzz. Of course, tons of that stems from Caitlin Clark. While it took the likely Rookie of the Year a little while to get her feet under her, her squad ended the year .500 after a 3-10 start.
The Iowa product and all-time NCAA scoring leader broke the league record for single-season assists (337), and no one has ever averaged more at all three major statistical categories than she did this year. Clark put up averages of 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. Putting up big numbers won't be easy against the Sun and their top-ranked defense, though. Five players on Connecticut's roster rank within the top 20 in the WNBA in defensive win shares.
While the Fever are trying to make a name for themselves in the WNBA Playoffs (their first since 2016), there is another frequently discussed team that already knows what postseason success feels like. Although the Aces are only the fourth seed, they are defending back-to-back champions and are looking to three-peat for the first time in the WNBA since the Houston Comets won the first four WNBA championships.
No one has been able to slow down A'ja Wilson this year. In what was her third MVP season, Wilson put up 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. She became the first player ever with 1,000 points in a season, and she has plenty of help around her, too. The championship core of Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray is still intact, making Las Vegas legitimate threats to win it all again.
The Seattle Storm are the most improved team in the WNBA, though. Nneka Ogwumike and Skyler Diggins-Smith were offseason additions who took the team to the next level, and Gabby Williams was a late-season addition who added even more to the Seattle roster. They all join Jewell Loyd to create what is one of the deepest rosters in the WNBA.
Diana Taurasi, who plays on the Phoenix Mercury, has been a staple in the WNBA Playoffs for decades. This could be her last run, though, as she is nearing retirement. Taurasi, along with her star center Brittney Griner, have a tough matchup in front of them in the first round. The Mercury are taking on a Lynx team with a stacked starting five that features great chemistry together.
The 1-seed in these WNBA Playoffs is the New York Liberty. Despite being a consistent force for a long time, and especially in recent seasons, New York has never won the WNBA Finals before. They made it that far last season before falling to the Aces. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu's squad is heavily favored against the Atlanta Dream, considering Atlanta only has 15 wins on the year.
The Dream did catch a little bit of momentum late in the season, though. Atlanta won each of their last three games in order to clinch a postseason berth. One of those wins was an overtime thriller, and the final win of the season actually came against the Liberty.
Women's basketball is rapidly increasing in popularity, and the 2024 playoffs will play a big part in further increasing the viewership of the sport. With that said, you won't want to miss any if the action in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs.
