The 2026 WNBA playoff bracket has arrived, with eight top teams scheduled to open a best-of-three series on Sunday, September 27th.
Snatching the top seed well before the regular season ended with a 33-11 record, Minnesota hosts a familiar opponent in No. 8 New York. The Liberty (26-18) won the 2024 championship but slid to the bottom of the bracket this year thanks to a growing injury list.
But the more compelling end-to-end clash might be between No. 3 Las Vegas and No. 6 Indiana.
The Aces own three of the last four WNBA titles, and they’re powered by MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson. The Fever, meanwhile, is sporting the league’s highest-scoring offense behind Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, but they’ve failed to convince on defense so far.
Analyzing the WNBA Playoff Bracket: Nos. 4-8
Further down the bracket, No. 4 Atlanta hosts No. 5 Washington in the tightest playoff matchup. Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray will look to fend off a young and hungry squad led by Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin.
The final clash of the day is an after-dark showdown between the No. 7 Dallas Wings and the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries. The Wings are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023 thanks to the efforts of Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and triple-double machine Jessica Shepard. But they face steep competition as the Valkyries own home-court advantage in just their second season as a franchise.
The full WNBA playoff schedule runs into October. Find key matchups, dates, and times below, with coverage across ABC, Prime, USA, and ESPN.
2026 WNBA Playoffs Bracket
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
No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics
2026 WNBA Playoffs Round 1 Schedule
Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 27th
No. 8 New York Liberty at No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, 2 PM ET on ABC
No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Las Vegas Aces, 4 PM ET on ABC
No. 5 Washington Mystics at No. 4 Atlanta Dream, 7 PM ET on Prime
No. 7 Dallas Wings at No. 2 Golden State Valkyries, 9 PM ET on USA
Game 2: Tuesday, Sept. 29th
No. 3 Las Vegas Aces at No. 6 Indiana Fever, 6:30 PM ET on Prime
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx at No. 8 New York Liberty, 8:30 PM ET on USA
Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30th
No. 4 Atlanta Dream at No. 5 Washington Mystics, 7 PM ET on ESPN
No. 2 Golden State Valkyrie at No. 7 Dallas Wings, 9 PM ET on ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 1st
No. 8 New York Liberty at No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, TBD
No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Las Vegas Aces, TBD
Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 2nd
No. 5 Washington Mystics at No. 4 Atlanta Dream, TBD
No. 7 Dallas Wings at No. 2 Golden State Valkyries, TBD