The race for the No. 8 seed came down until the final day of the regular season. The Sky were without Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter, and Kamilla Cardoso and were no match for the Sun. The Mystics lost by one point to the Fever. The Dream secured the final playoff spot with a win over the Liberty, the team they'll face in the first round.
All eight teams will have a couple of days off before they play on Sunday.
What is the 2024 WNBA playoff format?
The first round of the postseason is a best-of-three-games format. The higher seed hosts the first two games, and if a third game is needed, the lower seed hosts it. The semifinals and finals are best-of-five-games format. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, and 5, while the lower seed hosts Games 3 and 4.
2024 WNBA playoff standings
Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | New York Liberty | 32-8 |
2 | Minnesota Lynx | 30-10 |
3 | Connecticut Sun | 28-12 |
4 | Las Vegas Aces | 27-13 |
5 | Seattle Storm | 25-15 |
6 | Indiana Fever | 20-20 |
7 | Phoenix Mercury | 19-21 |
8 | Atlanta Dream | 15-25 |
Full 2024 WNBA first-round playoff schedule
Sunday, Sept. 22
Game 1: Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty (1 p.m. ET on ESPN) Liberty win 83-69
Game 1: Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (3 p.m. ET on ABC) Sun win 93-69
Game 1: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx (5 p.m. ET on ESPN) Lynx win 102-95
Game 1: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces (10 p.m. ET on ESPN) Aces win 78-67
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Game 2: Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) Liberty eliminate Dream with 91-82 win
Game 2: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) Aces eliminate Storm with 83-76 win
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Game 2: Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) (Connecticut has 1-0 lead) Sun eliminate Fever with 87-81 win
Game 2: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) (Minnesota has 1-0 lead) Lynx sweep Mercury with 101-88 win
Thursday, Sept. 26
Game 3 (if needed): New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream (series over)
Game 3 (if needed): Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm (series over)
Friday, Sept. 27
Game 3 (if needed): Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever (TBD, ESPN 2) (series over)
Game 3 (if needed): Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury (TBD, ESPN 2) (series over)
How can I watch the WNBA playoffs on ESPN and ABC?
If you need a streaming service to watch the WNBA playoffs, check out fuboTV for a free seven-day trial.
When is the last time Caitlin Clark and the Fever won a playoff series?
Indiana last made the playoffs in 2016 but lost in the first round. It's been nine years since the Fever won a playoff series. In 2015, Indiana made it to the WNBA Finals but lost to Minnesota.
When will the second round of the WNBA playoffs start?
The semifinals will start on Sunday, Sept. 29. Game 2 will be on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Game 3 on Friday, Oct. 4, Game 4 on Sunday, Oct. 6, and Game 5 on Tuesday, Oct. 8.