Buckle up, it's playoff time in the WNBA.
With the historic 44-game regular season coming to an end on Thursday, Sept. 11, postseason play in the W will begin on Sunday, Sept. 14. This year's playoffs will be the first of their kind, with more travel in the opening round and a best-of-seven Finals format.
Though some things have changed, the league's eight playoff teams still qualify regardless of conference, making for a wide variety of potential matchups in the lead-up to the Finals. The Minnesota Lynx secured the league's No. 1 seed relatively early, but they are followed closely by the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury.
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This year, more than others, feels like it could be anyone's to compete for a title, and the defending champion New York Liberty must not be counted out, either. As the 2025 season ends, Sporting News has you covered with updates on the standings, playoff picture, and matchups in the WNBA.
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WNBA playoff bracket 2025
Here's a look at the official WNBA playoff bracket for the 2025 season.
WNBA standings 2025
WNBA playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 1. | Minnesota Lynx* | 34-10 | – |
| 2. | Las Vegas Aces* | 30-14 | 4.0 |
| 3. | Atlanta Dream* | 30-14 | 4.0 |
| 4. | Phoenix Mercury* | 27-17 | 7.0 |
| 5. | New York Liberty* | 27-17 | 7.0 |
| 6. | Indiana Fever* | 24-20 | 10 |
| 7. | Seattle Storm* | 23-21 | 11 |
| 8. | Golden State Valkyries | 23-21 | 11 |
*clinched WNBA Playoff berth
Eliminated from WNBA Playoff contention: Sparks, Mystics, Sun, Sky, Wings
2025 WNBA playoff matchups
Here are the official 2025 playoff matchups:
- (1) Lynx vs. (8) Valkyries
- (2) Aces vs. (7) Storm
- (3) Dream vs. (6) Fever
- (4) Mercury vs. (5) Liberty
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First Round schedule
| Date | Matchup | Game | Time (ET) | TV |
| Sunday, Sept. 14 | Golden State vs. Minnesota | 1 | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Indiana vs. Atlanta | 1 | 3 p.m. | ABC | |
| New York vs. Phoenix | 1 | 5 p.m. | ESPN | |
| Seattle vs. Las Vegas | 1 | 10 p.m. | ESPN | |
| Tuesday, Sept. 16 | Atlanta vs. Indiana | 2 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Las Vegas vs. Seattle | 2 | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN | |
| Wednesday, Sept. 17 | Phoenix vs. New York | 2 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Minnesota vs. Golden State | 2 | 10 p.m. | ESPN | |
| Thursday, Sept. 18 | Indiana vs. Atlanta | 3* | TBD | ESPN2 |
| Seattle vs. Las Vegas | 3* | TBD | ESPN2 | |
| Friday, Sept. 19 | Golden State vs. Minnesota | 3* | TBD | ESPN2 |
| New York vs. Phoenix | 3* | TBD | ESPN2 |
*if needed