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WNBA playoffs: What you need to know before the first round

liz roscher
Staff writer
·2 min read

The conclusion of Thursday night's WNBA games means one thing: The playoffs are here. After one of the most dynamic and exciting regular seasons in recent memory, eight teams are about to vie for the title of 2024 WNBA Champion.

So which teams are playing? When and where will they play? What are the seedings? We've got you covered with that info and so much more.

The WNBA playoffs begin Sept. 22. The latest day they could end is Oct. 20, which would be Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.

The first round of the WNBA playoffs is best of three games. Then the semifinals and finals are best of five. The top eight teams qualify for the first round. While the league is divided into Eastern and Western conferences, they have no bearing on the playoffs or seeding. If your record is good enough, you're in the playoffs regardless of which conference you play in.

  1. New York Liberty (32-8)

  2. Minnesota Lynx (30-10)

  3. Connecticut Sun (28-12)

  4. Las Vegas Aces (27-13)

  5. Seattle Storm (25-15)

  6. Indiana Fever (20-20)

  7. Phoenix Mercury (19-21)

  8. Atlanta Dream (15-25)

The Indiana Fever, who have Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, the first overall picks in the 2023 and 2024 WNBA Draft, are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Las Vegas Aces have won the last two WNBA championships and are trying to win their third straight, which hasn't been done since the Houston Comets won four consecutive titles from 1997-2000.

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

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

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

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

The tip-off times for the first two games of each series have been announced, with Game 3 to be announced if they need to be played.

Sunday, September 22:

Tuesday, September 24

  • Dream-Liberty, Game 2 - 7:30 p.m. ET

  • Storm-Aces, Game 2 - 9:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, September 25

  • Fever-Sun, Game 2 7:30 p.m. ET

  • Mercury-Lynx, Game 2 - 9:30 p.m. ET

Thursday, September 26

  • Dream-Liberty, Game 3 (if necessary) - TBD

  • Storm-Aces, Game 3 (if necessary) - TBD

Friday, September 27

  • Lynx-Mercury, Game 3 (if necessary) - TBD

  • Sun-Fever, Game 3 (if necessary) - TBD

The semifinals are scheduled to begin on Sunday, Sept. 29, and the finals will tip off on Thursday, Oct. 10.