When do the WNBA Playoffs start?
When does the 2024 WNBA regular season end?
The 2024 WNBA regular season is set to end soon. The season's final regular season games are scheduled for Thursday, September 19.
Final day of the WNBA season
The September 19 games will feature plenty of exciting action. All 12 teams will play on the final day of the regular season.
The Connecticut Sun will host the Chicago Sky in what could be a crucial affair as Chicago fights for a playoff spot. Other games such as the Indiana Fever-Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream-New York Liberty and Seattle Storm-Phoenix Mercury will be important contests. Other games include the Dallas Wings-Las Vegas Aces and Los Angeles Sparks-Minnesota Lynx.
Importance of the final day of the WNBA season
As of this story's writing, the Sky, Dream and Mystics are all competing for the No. 8 spot in the standings. The No. 8 position is the final postseason spot remaining. The Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks have already been eliminated from postseason contention, while the other seven teams are headed to the playoffs.
Those seven teams are looking to clinch the best possible standings spot for the postseason, though. As a result, the final day of the season may prove to be of the utmost importance for teams looking to reach the playoffs or improve their standings placement for the postseason.
Historical context: Regular season end dates
The regular season end date has not always been the same throughout the history of the WNBA. It could change again if the WNBA adds more games to the schedule.
Traditional timing of the regular season's end
The season tends to end in September, but there have been exceptions. Of course, the 2024 season included the Olympic break which impacted the schedule.
In 2023, the WNBA season ended on September 10. The season ended in mid-August in 2022, though. 2021 saw the year end in September once again.
Looking back on the early days of the WNBA, the season ended on August 24 in 1997. August was the consistent end month through the 2003 campaign. In 2004, the regular season ended in mid-September, however. The season ended in August once again in 2005, something that would continue until 2008.
Since then, the WNBA season has ended in both late August and early or mid-September for the most part.
When do the playoffs begin?
The playoffs are set to begin on Sunday, September 22.
Key storylines as the regular season ends
There are a number of intriguing storylines as the 2024 WNBA season winds down. Many teams are looking to either reach the postseason or improve their standings placement.
Playoff races and final standings
Barring a collapse, the Liberty should be able to earn the league's best record. They are currently three games ahead of the Lynx for the best record in the WNBA.
The Sun are a game behind the Lynx, however. Those teams will battle throughout the remainder of the '24 campaign in hopes of earning the No. 2 overall spot.
The Aces are a game ahead of the Storm for the No. 4 spot. That will be another intriguing battle to watch as the season comes to an end. The Fever are just a couple of games back of those teams, so perhaps Indiana could make things interesting as well.
As aforementioned, the Sky, Dream and Mystics are competing for the final playoff spot. That will likely be the most attention-catching storyline from a standings perspective moving forward.
Milestones and records
Caitlin Clark is enjoying a tremendous rookie season. The Fever star has already made plenty of WNBA history.
The final attendance statistics for the 2024 WNBA season will be especially worth monitoring. There is no question that the WNBA has seen immense growth in 2024. The league is on track to shatter previous full season attendance records.
Final farewells
42-year-old Diana Taurasi may retire following the 2024 season. Nothing is confirmed as of this story's writing, but she is set to enter free agency at season's end.
Her final regular season game will not be her last in a Mercury uniform even if 2024 is her final season, as Phoenix is set to play in the playoffs. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that Taurasi will announce her retirement after the 2024 campaign.