The WNBA playoffs are set to begin Sunday with New York looking to become the fourth team to repeat as champions and Minnesota trying to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss in the Finals.
Minnesota, which lost in overtime in a decisive Game 5 to New York last year, is the No. 1 seed and has looked like the best team for much of the season. The Lynx have made it their mission to win the franchise’s first championship since 2017. The team has been led by Napheesa Collier, who became the second player in WNBA history to record a season where she shot over 50% from the fiield, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the free throw line.
She’s one of the top candidates to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award. Minnesota will face expansion Golden State in the opening round.
The opening round schedule, which is a best-of-3:
Sunday: Golden State at Lynx, 12 p.m.
Wednesday: Lynx at Golden State, 9 p.m.
Friday, if necessary: Golden State at Lynx, time TBD
The WNBA changed its format this season with the first round best-of-3 series playing the first two games on each team’s homecourt with a decisive third game at the better-seeded team if necessary. The WNBA Finals will now be a best-of-7, up from the best-of-5 it’s been for the last two decades.
Standing in the Lynx’s way of a title could be the Las Vegas Aces — the last team to repeat as champions in 2022 and 2023. Las Vegas is the hottest team heading into the postseason with a 16-game winning streak. That’s tied for the second longest winning streak in the league’s history.
Golden State became the first expansion team to make the postseason in its inaugural year. The Valkyries were a surprise all season led by Veronica Burton, a leading candidate for the league’s Most Improved Player Award. The Valkyries went 23-21.
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