The 2025 WNBA Playoffs tipped off on Sunday, September 14 and will culminate with the WNBA Finals on Friday, October 3.
The top eight teams make the WNBA playoffs based on overall standings rather than by conference. Prior to 2022, the postseason featured a format in which the top two seeds received first-round byes and the opening rounds included single-elimination games.
Beginning in 2022, the league adopted a new format which eliminated byes and single-elimination rounds. The playoffs now consist of three rounds, with each round played as a series.
Teams advancing from the first round play in the semifinals, and those who win their semifinal series move on to the WNBA Finals, which for the first time in league history will be a best-of-seven series.
Below is your official guide for following the 2025 WNBA postseason, which will feature the most postseason games in the league’s 29-year history.
How long do the 2025 WNBA playoffs run?
The WNBA playoffs begin with the first round on Sunday, September 14 and runs through Friday, September 19 when the third games, if necessary, will be played.
The semifinals begin on Sunday, September 21 and that best-of-five series runs until Tuesday, September 30 with both game-fives scheduled on that Tuesday.
The WNBA Finals begin on Friday, October 3 and run through Friday, October 17, which provides the final two teams standing two weeks exactly to battle through the final series if the first seven-game series in league history does indeed go the distance.
🎟️ Which teams made the 2025 WNBA playoffs?
Minnesota Lynx (34-10)
Las Vegas Aces (30-14)
Atlanta Dream (30-14)
Phoenix Mercury (27-17)
New York Liberty (27-17)
Indiana Fever (24-20)
Seattle Storm (23-21)
Golden State Valkyries (23-21)
What does the WNBA playoff bracket look like?
First Round
- No. 1 seed Lynx vs. No. 8 seed Valkyries - Lynx won
- No. 2 seed Aces vs. No. 7 seed Storm - Aces won
- No. 3 seed Dream vs. No. 6 seed Fever - Fever won
- No. 4 seed Mercury vs. No. 5 seed Liberty - Mercury won
The official bracket for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by @Google is set 🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 12, 2025
Round 1 begins Sunday, September 14! pic.twitter.com/h591q7gCt1
Semifinal Round
- Lynx vs. Mercury - Mercury won
- Aces vs. Fever
WNBA Finals
The winners of the two semifinals series face each other in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals, the first seven-game series in league history. In a seven-game series, the first team to four wins will be crowned as the 2025 WNBA Champions.
The No. 4 seed Mercury upset the Lynx to punch their ticket to the Finals.
How does home-court advantage work?
Homecourt advantage goes to the team who had the best regular season record.
The WNBA Finals will begin with the first two games being played at the team with the homecourt advantage followed by game 3 and 4 being played in the other team’s arena. But then games 5, 6 and 7 all if necessary will be played in a 1-1-1 format where the higher seed will host games 5 and 7 in addition to games 1 and 2.
What is the WNBA Postseason schedule?
First Round
Sunday, Sept. 14
- Game 1: Lynx vs. Valkyries at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: Fever vs. Dream at 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 1: Liberty vs. Mercury at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 1: Storm vs. Aces at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 16
- Game 2: Dream vs. Fever at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: Aces vs. Storm at 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Wednesday, Sept. 17
- Game 2: Mercury vs. Liberty 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: Valkyries vs. Lynx at 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Thursday, Sept. 18
- Game 3: Fever vs. Dream 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
- Game 3: Storm vs. Aces 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Friday, Sept. 19
- Game 3: Mercury vs. Liberty 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Semifinals
Sunday, Sept. 21
- Game 1: Aces vs. Fever 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 1: Lynx vs. Mercury 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 23
- Game 2: Lynx vs. Mercury 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Game 2: Aces vs. Fever 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Sept. 26
- Game 3: Fever vs. Aces 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
- Game 3: Mercury vs. Lynx 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Sunday, Sept. 28
- Game 4: Fever vs. Aces 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Game 4: Mercury vs. Lynx 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, Sept. 30
- Game 5: Aces vs. Fever 9: 30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
WNBA Finals
Friday, Oct. 3
- Game 1: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, Oct. 5
- Game 2: 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Wednesday, Oct. 8
- Game 3: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 10
- Game 4: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, Oct. 12
- Game 5^: 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Wednesday, Oct. 15
- Game 6^: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, Oct. 17
- Game 7^: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
^ If necessary
How do coaches’ challenges work during the WNBA playoffs?
They will work the same way they do during the regular season. A coach’s challenge is when a coach calls a timeout and then signals for it by twirling an index finger.
A coach can use as many as two challenges during a game. If a coach uses a challenge and then wins their challenge, they receive another timeout in addition to another challenge. If the call isn’t overturned and the coach’s challenge is unsuccessful, the team who called the challenge loses a timeout and doesn’t get a second opportunity to challenge at any other point throughout the game.
What does overtime look like during the WNBA playoffs?
For all WNBA games, overtime periods are five extra minutes, and each team receives two timeouts during the five minute periods in addition to a reset timeout.
Just like in regulation and in particular in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, teams can call a reset timeout which is when a team advances the ball to mid-court to make substitutions. No huddles are allowed. These reset timeouts can be taken during the final two minutes of any overtime period.
