WNBA Playoffs 2026: Schedule, Teams, Bracket and What to Know

The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are underway, bringing the league’s top eight teams into the postseason battle for the championship. The playoffs began on September 27, 2026, with the opening round featuring eight teams seeded according to their regular-season records.

2026 WNBA Playoff Teams

The eight teams competing in the 2026 WNBA Playoffs are:

• Minnesota Lynx
• Golden State Valkyries
• Las Vegas Aces
• Atlanta Dream
• Washington Mystics
• Indiana Fever
• Dallas Wings
• New York Liberty

The Minnesota Lynx entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed, while the Golden State Valkyries earned the No. 2 seed. The Las Vegas Aces entered as the No. 3 seed, followed by the Atlanta Dream at No. 4.

WNBA Playoffs Format

The 2026 postseason has three rounds.

The First Round is a best-of-three series using a 1-1-1 format. The Semifinals are best-of-five series, while the WNBA Finals are best-of-seven.

Unlike some other professional basketball leagues, the WNBA seeds playoff teams based on regular-season records regardless of conference.

First-Round Matchups

The opening round features four series:

No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty

Minnesota entered the playoffs with a 33-11 regular-season record. New York finished 26-18 and entered as the No. 8 seed.

The Liberty won the first two games of the series, advancing past Minnesota and moving into the next round.

No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings

Golden State finished the regular season 32-12 and earned the No. 2 seed. Dallas finished 27-17.

The Valkyries entered the postseason with one of the league’s strongest defenses, while Dallas brought a high-scoring offense led by Paige Bueckers.

No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever

The defending champion Las Vegas Aces finished 31-13, while the Indiana Fever finished 28-16.

This series features several of the WNBA’s biggest offensive names, including A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. After Las Vegas won Game 1, Indiana responded with a Game 2 victory to tie the series.

No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics

Atlanta finished the regular season 30-14, matching its record from the previous season. Washington finished 28-16 and earned the No. 5 seed.

The series features a matchup between Atlanta’s strong offense and Washington’s defensive approach, making it one of the closely watched first-round series.

Key Players to Watch

Several stars are expected to play important roles throughout the 2026 WNBA postseason.

A’ja Wilson remains a major scoring and defensive presence for the Las Vegas Aces. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell lead an Indiana offense that produced 96.0 points per game during the regular season.

For Minnesota, Natasha Howard, Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride were among the team’s key contributors. New York is led by veteran star Breanna Stewart.

Golden State has built its identity around defense, while Dallas enters the postseason with Paige Bueckers as one of its key offensive players.

What Comes Next?

The First Round determines the four teams that advance to the WNBA Semifinals. The semifinals are scheduled to begin October 4, followed by the WNBA Finals beginning October 17.

The Finals will use a best-of-seven format, giving the remaining teams a longer series to compete for the championship.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 WNBA Playoffs feature a mix of established championship contenders, emerging teams and young stars. With several first-round series going down to the final games, basketball fans can expect plenty of competitive postseason action as the league moves toward the semifinals and eventually the WNBA Finals.

For the latest scores, playoff results and schedule updates, fans should check the official WNBA playoff schedule throughout the postseason.