WNBA playoffs begin
The gist
The 2026 WNBA playoffs open Sunday with four Game 1s, Minnesota holding the top seed.
The season drew over 88.5 million unique viewers, and the field is tighter.
How it unfolded
- Sep 24, 2026The playoff bracket is entering play but is not yet final; every seed will be finalized Thursday, the last night of the regular season.
- Sep 25, 2026The regular season ended the previous night, with the Minnesota Lynx holding the top spot.
- Sep 27, 2026The first round begins Sunday with four Game 1s: Liberty @ Lynx at 2 p.m. ET on ABC; Fever @ Aces at 4 p.m. ET on ABC; Mystics @ Dream at 7 p.m. ET on Prime; Wings @ Valkyries at 9 p.m. ET on USA Network.