The 2025 WNBA Playoffs tips off on Sunday, September 14 with an all-day quadruple-header beginning at 1 p.m. ET and running through the afternoon until the final game starts at 10 p.m. ET.
The top eight teams make for the WNBA playoffs based on overall standings rather than by conference. Prior to 2022, the postseason featured a format in which the top two seeds received first-round byes and the opening rounds included single-elimination games.
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Beginning in 2022, the league adopted a new format which eliminated byes and single-elimination rounds. The playoffs now consist of three rounds, with each round played as a series.
Teams advancing from the first round play in the semifinals, and those who win their semifinal series move on to the WNBA Finals, which for the first time in league history will be a best-of-seven series.
Below is your official guide for following the 2025 WNBA postseason, which will feature the most postseason games in the league’s 29-year history.
How long do the 2025 WNBA playoffs run?
The WNBA playoffs begin with the first round on Sunday, September 14 and runs through Friday, September 19 when the third games, if necessary, will be played.
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The semifinals begin on Sunday, September 21 and that best-of-five series runs until Tuesday, September 30 with both game-fives scheduled on that Tuesday.
The WNBA Finals begin on Friday, October 3 and run through Friday, October 17, which provides the final two teams standing two weeks exactly to battle through the final series if the first seven-game series in league history does indeed go the distance.
Which teams are in the 2025 WNBA playoffs?
Minnesota Lynx (34-10)
Las Vegas Aces (30-14)
Atlanta Dream (30-14)
Phoenix Mercury (27-17)
New York Liberty (27-17)
Indiana Fever (24-20)
Seattle Storm (23-21)
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Golden State Valkyries (23-21)
Has WNBA playoff seeding been determined?
Yes, at last! Although the seeding came down to the wire with only the Lynx (No.1 seed), Mercury (No. 4 seed) and Liberty (No.5 seed) with their seeding locked in before the final evening of the regular season on Thursday.
Following the Aces’ 103-75 win over the Sparks, A’ja Wilson and company earned the No.2 seed and the Dream slid down to the No. 3 seed. While the two teams have the same record to end the season, the Aces had the tiebreaker by winning the season series against the Dream 3-0.
The Lynx will avoid playing the Storm, a team that had their number twice during the regular season. By defeating the Valkyries 72-53 on Thursday night, the Lynx instead will play the Valkyries in the first round. As a result, the Fever earned the No.6 seed and will face the Dream while the Storm slot into the No. 7 seed to play the Aces.
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Although the Storm and Valkyries have the same exact records to end the season, the Storm have the 3-1 tiebreaker over the Valkyries thanks to Tuesday night’s nail-biting 74-73 win, which clinched their playoff berth.
What does the WNBA playoff bracket look like?
First Round
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No. 1 seed Lynx vs. No. 8 seed Valkyries
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No. 2 seed Aces vs. No. 7 seed Storm
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No. 3 seed Dream vs. No. 6 seed Fever
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No. 4 seed Mercury vs. No. 5 seed Liberty
Semifinal Round
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The winner of Lynx vs. Valkyries plays the winner of Mercury vs. Liberty
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The winner of Aces vs. Storm plays the winner of Dream vs. Fever
WNBA Finals
The winners of the two semifinals series face each other in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals, the first seven-game series in league history. In a seven-game series, the first team to four wins will be crowned as the 2025 WNBA Champions.
How does home-court advantage work throughout each round?
Homecourt advantage goes to the team who had the best regular season record. In the first round the top four seeds have home court advantage which means Game 1 and Game 3 (if necessary) of the first round are played in the arena of the team with home court.
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The semifinals begin with the first two games played at the arena of the team with the better regular season record and higher seeding. Games 3 and 4 if necessary are played at the team’s arena without homecourt advantage and then Game 5 if necessary returns to the same place where Games 1 and 2 were played.
The WNBA Finals will begin with the first two games being played at the team with the homecourt advantage followed by game 3 and 4 being played in the other team’s arena. But then games 5, 6 and 7 all if necessary will be played in a 1-1-1 format where the higher seed will host games 5 and 7 in addition to games 1 and 2.
What is the WNBA Postseason schedule?
First Round
Sunday, Sept. 14
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Game 1: Lynx vs. Valkyries at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Game 1: Fever vs. Dream at 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
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Game 1: Liberty vs. Mercury at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Game 1: Storm vs. Aces at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Tuesday, Sept. 16
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Game 2: Dream vs. Fever at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Game 2: Aces vs. Storm at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Wednesday, Sept. 17
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Game 2: Mercury vs. Liberty 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Game 2: Valkyries vs. Lynx at 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Thursday, Sept. 18
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Game 3^: Fever vs. Dream 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
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Game 3^: Storm vs. Aces 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Friday, Sept. 19
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Game 3^: Lynx vs. Valkyries 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
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Game 3^: Mercury vs. Liberty 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
^ If necessary
Semifinals
Sunday, Sept. 21
Tuesday, Sept. 23
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Game 2: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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Game 2: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Sept. 26
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Game 3: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
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Game 3: 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, Sept. 28
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Game 4^: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 30
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Game 5^: 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
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Game 5^: 10: 00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
^ If necessary
WNBA Finals
Friday, Oct. 3
Sunday, Oct. 5
Wednesday, Oct. 8
Friday, Oct. 10
Sunday, Oct. 12
Wednesday, Oct. 15
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Game 6^: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 17
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Game 7^: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
^ If necessary
How do coaches’ challenges work during the WNBA playoffs?
They will work the same way they do during the regular season. A coach’s challenge is when a coach calls a timeout and then signals for it by twirling an index finger.
A coach can use as many as two challenges during a game. If a coach uses a challenge and then wins their challenge, they receive another timeout in addition to another challenge. If the call isn’t overturned and the coach’s challenge is unsuccessful, the team who called the challenge loses a timeout and doesn’t get a second opportunity to challenge at any other point throughout the game.
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What does overtime look like during the WNBA playoffs?
For all WNBA games, overtime periods are five extra minutes, and each team receives two timeouts during the five minute periods in addition to a reset timeout.
Just like in regulation and in particular in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, teams can call a reset timeout which is when a team advances the ball to mid-court to make substitutions. No huddles are allowed. These reset timeouts can be taken during the final two minutes of any overtime period.
