Overview
- The WNBA on Friday confirmed the 2026 first-round playoff matchups and full schedule, with all four Game 1s set for Sunday, Sept. 27 and staggered national windows on ABC, Prime Video, USA and ESPN.
- The bracket pairs No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty, No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings, No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever, and No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics.
- Games 2 and potential Game 3s are scheduled across Sept. 29–Oct. 2 with the first round played as best-of-three, the semifinals best-of-five, and the Finals best-of-seven.
- Coverage and betting markets have focused on the Las Vegas–Indiana matchup as the most star-driven series, while analysts note league parity means lower seeds like Dallas and New York still have realistic paths to advance.
- Minnesota earned the top seed after a 32-11 regular season and the Aces enter as defending champions, a context that frames national broadcasters’ scheduling choices and raises expectations for quick, high-pressure series under the short format.