The WNBA’s road to the championship is officially locked in. Eight teams have punched their tickets, and the postseason bracket only came together after a dramatic finish on the very last night of regular-season action. The defending champion New York Liberty are back in the mix, hoping to protect their crown, but this time they won’t enter as the top dog.

That honor belongs to Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx, who turned last year’s championship heartbreak into fuel and stormed to a record-tying 34 wins. Right behind them sit the Las Vegas Aces, who rode a jaw-dropping 16-game win streak to close the season. Meanwhile, Atlanta and Phoenix earned themselves Round 1 home-court advantage thanks to their revamped rosters and consistent play.

History was also made out West. The Golden State Valkyries, in their very first season as an expansion franchise, secured a playoff berth. It’s a feat no new team had ever pulled off before.

Filling out the rest of the bracket are the Indiana Fever, who proved they could lift hardware by winning the Commissioner’s Cup even without Caitlin Clark, and the Seattle Storm, steady as ever. Unfortunately for Fever fans, Caitlin Clark’s injury-plagued sophomore campaign ended after only 13 games, meaning their postseason push will have to be made without her.

As for the teams that missed the cut, they will now turn their attention to the draft lottery. They are:

• the Los Angeles Sparks,
• Washington Mystics,
• Connecticut Sun,
• Chicago Sky,
• and Dallas Wings.

Each of them is hoping a little lottery luck can change their fortunes for 2026, that will be interesting to watch. But first, let’s dive into postseason 2025.

How to Watch WNBA Playoff 2025: Full Schedule, Date & Time, TV and Streaming

The 2025 WNBA Playoffs are set to tip off on September 14, 2025, with the postseason expected to run through mid-October. It will potentially conclude on October 19, 2025, if the series reach the maximum number of games.

Fans in the United States can follow the action live on WNBA League Pass as well as ESPN’s digital platforms, ensuring comprehensive coverage across devices. For international audiences, select regional broadcasting partners will provide access. It will allow fans worldwide to stay connected to every round of the playoffs.

Semifinals Schedule:

• Sunday, Sept. 21: Game 1 at 3:00 PM (ABC) and 5:00 PM (ESPN)
• Tuesday, Sept. 23: Game 2 at 7:30 PM (ESPN) and 9:30 PM (ESPN)
• Friday, Sept. 26: Game 3 at 7:30 PM (ESPN2) and 9:30 PM (ESPN2)
• Sunday, Sept. 28 (if necessary): Game 4 at 1:00/5:00 PM (ESPN) and 3:00 PM (ABC)
• Tuesday, Sept. 30 (if necessary): Game 5 (TBD, ESPNU)

WNBA Finals Schedule

• Friday, Oct. 3: Game 1 at 8:00 PM (ESPN)
• Sunday, Oct. 5: Game 2 at 3:00 PM (ABC)
• Wednesday, Oct. 8: Game 3 at 8:00 PM (ESPN)
• Friday, Oct. 10: Game 4 at 8:00 PM (ESPN)
• Sunday, Oct. 12 (if necessary): Game 5 at 3:00 PM (ABC)
• Wednesday, Oct. 15 (if necessary): Game 6 at 8:00 PM (ESPN)
• Friday, Oct. 17 (if necessary): Game 7 at 8:00 PM (ESPN)

Here’s the playoff bracket-

WNBA Playoff Key Match-Ups for First Round Bracket

• No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 seed Golden State Valkyries.

If you’re only circling one matchup to watch, without a doubt, make it Lynx-Valkyries. Minnesota is entering as the No. 1 seed at 34-10 but there’s a twist. After losing last year’s Finals in a brutal winner-take-all Game 5, they’re playing with a chip on their shoulder. ESPN’s BPI may give Minnesota a 49.7% title chance and the Valks just an 11% shot to survive this round, but that only makes it more intriguing. The best team in the league, chasing its first title since 2017, against the newest team in the league daring to crash the party.

• No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs No. 5 New York Liberty

If the Lynx-Valkyries are the headliner, then Mercury-Liberty is the spicy undercard with real drama baked in. Phoenix hasn’t won a playoff game since 2021, when they fired Sandy Brondello after losing in the Finals. And now, to advance, they’ll have to go through… Brondello’s defending champion New York Liberty. You can’t script it better.

• No.6 Atlanta Dream vs No.3 Indiana Fever

Atlanta is the feel-good story of the season, and now they’re about to find out if this run has a championship ending. The Dream doubled their win total from last year. They finished 30-14 (their best record in franchise history), and rode into the playoffs on a six-game heater. That kind of turnaround makes their matchup with the Indiana Fever so intriguing: two young, hungry teams colliding, but with Atlanta holding a 68.1% chance to advance and real title hopes (15.3% per ESPN’s BPI).

• No.2 Las Vegas Aces vs No.7 Seattle Storm.

It feels almost unfair that a team this hot only gets the No. 2 seed. The Las Vegas Aces (30-14) charge into the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak. The two-time champs have been back to looking like, well, the two-time champs. The question is whether Seattle, with just a 38.9% chance to advance, can slow down a team that’s rediscovered its championship DNA. The Aces haven’t been back to the Finals since their 2022 and 2023 titles, and this group looks desperate to prove they’re still the standard.

Players & Teams to Watch in WNBA Playoff 2025

Players:

To begin with, A’ja Wilson is the ultimate playoff weapon. She is the league’s leading scorer at 23.4 PPG, a defensive wall with a WNBA-best 2.6 blocks, and the rare star who can guard 1 through 5. She shattered the record for most 30-point games in a season (13), seven of them double-doubles, proving she can flip a series on her own.

Napheesa Collier is just as must-watch too. She’s a three-level bucket-getter with that silky turnaround jumper, pouring in 23 points per game and stringing together 22 games of 20+ points this season. Add in her defense (top five in both steals and blocks) and you’ve got a player who can torch you on one end and erase you on the other.

Teams:

You already know that the Golden State Valkyries are the ultimate wild card. They are the first expansion team ever to crash the playoffs in Year 1.

Built from castoffs, internationals, and overlooked vets, they clawed to a 23-21 record despite injuries and midseason Eurobasket exits. With Veronica Burton’s breakout at point, Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite’s fearless growth, and the league’s fourth-ranked defense, the Valks embody chaos, grit, and history-making energy. No one plays freer, and no one’s more dangerous with nothing to lose.

What Makes WNBA Playoff 2025 Unique?

The 2025 WNBA Playoffs are a turning point in the league’s history. For the first time, the Finals will stretch into a best-of-seven series. Yes it is a move that echoes the NBA but more than that, it signals the WNBA’s arrival as a league ready for primetime drama stretched over weeks, not just days.

The build-up was equally unprecedented: a 44-game regular season, the longest ever, strategically slotted into a year free of Olympics or FIBA tournaments. This wasn’t a scheduling accident. It was done intentionally to have more games for fans, more content for networks ahead of looming media rights negotiations, and a test run of just how far the league can push under the current CBA cap.

Then, the newest jewel: the Golden State Valkyries, an expansion team, storming their way into the postseason in year one. They embody the league’s growth which is backed by new markets, new energy, and proof that the momentum isn’t slowing. Put it all together, and the 2025 playoffs are a statement season and a proof that the WNBA is done playing catch-up.