The Golden State Valkyries became the first expansion team in WNBA history to make the postseason in their inaugural season.[2]
This is the first time since 2011 that all playoff teams have a winning record.[3]
Format
The first round of the WNBA playoffs consists of best-of-three series, with the following matchups: No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6, and No. 4 vs. No. 5. The higher seed in the first round has home-court advantage in Games 1 and 3, if needed.
In the semifinals of the postseason, the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, and, if needed, 5 of a best-of-five series. Additionally, the WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven format for the first time in the league's history. Games 1 and 2, as well as Games 5 and 7, if needed, will be hosted by the higher seed.[4]
Broadcast
All games are being aired across the ESPN family of networks, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ABC in the US and on TSN, Sportsnet, and NBA TV Canada in Canada.[5]
All games can be watched outside USA & Canada via the WNBA League Pass.
[note 1] The Las Vegas Aces earned the second seed by virtue of the first tiebreaker, head-to-head record between the teams, as the Aces won all three regular season match-ups with the Dream.[14]
[note 2] The Phoenix Mercury earned the fourth seed by virtue of the first tiebreaker, head-to-head record between the teams, as the Mercury won three of the four regular season match-ups with the Liberty.[14]
[note 3] The Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries tied their regular season series two games a piece, so a second tiebreaker was required. The second tiebreaker was record against teams with a .500+ winning percentage. The Storm finished 10–13 in this category, while the Valkyries finished 10–18. Therefore, the Storm earned the seventh seed, and the Valkyries were the eighth seed.[14]
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx played the eighth-seeded Golden State Valkyries in the first playoff series. The Lynx entered the post-season as the top overall seed after finishing four games ahead of the Las Vegas Aces and Atlanta Dream. The Lynx finished 6–4 in their final ten games of the regular season. The Golden State Valkyries entered the series setting a record as the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their first season. They finished the regular season 5–5 in their final ten games. The regular season series between the two teams finished 4–0 in favor of the Lynx, with two of the games coming in the final three games of the season.
Game 1
Golden State started game one of the series strongly, winning the first quarter 28–21. However, they could not sustain their performance, and Minnesota won the second quarter 26–12. Minnesota took a seven-point lead into halftime and did not look back. Minnesota came out of the break and won the third quarter 32–18 and won the fourth quarter 22–14. Minnesota went on to win game one at home by twenty-nine points and improve to 5–0 against Golden State for the season. The Lynx had five players score in double figures and were lead by Napheesa Collier, who scored twenty points. Natisha Hiedeman scored eighteen, Kayla McBride scored seventeen, Jessica Shepard scored twelve, and Courtney Williams scored eleven. The Valkyries also had five players score in double figures, and they were lead by Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini who both scored fourteen points. Janelle Salaün added thirteen points, Temi Fagbenle scored twelve, and Kate Martin added eleven points.
Target Center Attendance: 8,821 Referees: Jeff Wooten, Tiara Cruse, Kevin Fahy, Gerda Gatling
Game 2
Game two saw the series move to California where the Valkyries took advantage of their home court, winning the first quarter 27–19. The second quarter was much lower scoring, with the Valkyries prevailing 14–9. Golden State took a thirteen-point lead into halftime of their first home playoff game in franchise history. The third quarter was the closest of the game, and the Valkyries prevailed 22–21 to lead by fourteen-points heading into the final frame. However, the Lynx mounted an epic comeback and won the final quarter 26–11. Their fifteen-point fourth quarter victory gave them a one-point win in the game. Minnesota trailed by as many as seventeen points during the third quarter and took the lead with just 1:24 left. They secured the series victory 2–0 and advanced to the Semifinals.
SAP Center Attendance: 18,543 Referees: Roy Gulbeyan, Gina Cross, Tim Greene, Clare Aubry
(2) Las Vegas Aces vs. (7) Seattle Storm
In the second playoff series, the second-seed Las Vegas Aces will play the seventh-seed Seattle Storm. Las Vegas finished four games out of first place during the regular season, and earned the second seed by winning a tiebreaker over Atlanta. Las Vegas enters the series after going 10–0 in their last ten games and having not lost in fourteen games. Seattle finished only one game out of being the sixth seed and won a tiebreaker with Golden State to earn the seventh seed. The Storm finished the regular season 6–4 in their final ten games. The Western Conference teams played four times in the regular season, with the teams splitting the series two games each.
Game 1
The Aces used home court to their advantage to begin the game well, winning the first quarter 22–12. The game followed a similar trajectory in the second quarter, as the Aces won the quarter 23–13. The Aces took a twenty-point lead into halftime. The game became closer in the third quarter, but the Aces prevailed again, winning the quarter 31–27. The Aces again won the fourth quarter, 26–25 and won the game by twenty-five points. Five Aces scored in double figures, lead by A'ja Wilson who had twenty-nine points. Jackie Young scored eighteen points, Jewell Loyd scored fourteen, Dana Evans scored thirteen, and NaLyssa Smith added eleven points. The Storm also had five players reach double-figures in points, and were lead by Gabby Williams with sixteen points. Both Skylar Diggins and Dominique Malonga scored twelve, Nneka Ogwumike scored eleven, and Erica Wheeler added ten. Malonga added eleven rebounds to record a double-double.
Michelob Ultra Arena Attendance: 10,407 Referees: Tim Greene, Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, Ryan Sassano, Agon Abazi
Game 2
Game two started as a close contest, with Las Vegas barely edging out the first quarter 22–21. The second quarter played out similarly, and ended tied 23–23. The Aces held a one-point halftime lead and came out of the break strongly. The Aces locked down on the defensive end, limiting the Storm to seventeen points, and won the quarter 24–17. Las Vegas led by eight points going into the final quarter, but the Storm staged a comeback. They held the Aces to just fourteen points in the fourth, and won the quarter 25–14. Their nine-point quarter win saw them win the game by three points to force a third game in the series. Four Storm players finished scoring double figures, and they were led by Skylar Diggins, who scored twenty-six points. Nneka Ogwumike scored twenty-four points, and both Dominique Malonga and Erica Wheeler added eleven points. The Aces saw three players score in double figures, and were led by Jackie Young with twenty-five points. A'ja Wilson scored twenty-one points, and Jewell Loyd added thirteen. Three players recorded double-doubles in the game. The Storm saw Malonga record her second of the series as she added ten rebounds to her eleven points. Ogwumike also recorded ten rebounds. Wilson had thirteen rebounds for the Aces to complete her double-double.
Game three started with Seattle winning the first quarter 19–14. However, the Aces played much better in the second quarter and held the Storm to just seven points. The Aces won the quarter 19–7 and took a seven-point lead into halftime. Seattle came out of the break as the stronger team and won the third quarter 22–19 to leave the Aces with just a four-point lead heading into the final quarter. The Storm won the fourth quarter to win three of the four quarters of the game. However, their 25–22 margin in the fourth was not enough to erase the deficit and the Aces won the game by one point. The Aces secured the series victory 2–1 and advanced to the Semifinals.
The Aces had three players score in double-figures and were led by A'ja Wilson who scored thirty-eight points. Jackie Young scored fourteen points and Chelsea Gray added twelve points. The Storm also had three players score in double-digits, and were led by both Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler, who each scored sixteen points. Skylar Diggins scored thirteen points.
Michelob Ultra Arena Attendance: 10,409 Referees: Eric Brewton, Amy Bonner, Jeff Wooten, Randy Richardson
(3) Atlanta Dream vs. (6) Indiana Fever
The third-seed Atlanta Dream will play the sixth-seed Indiana Fever in the third playoff series. The Dream entered the postseason as the third seed after losing a tiebreaker with the Las Vegas Aces. They finished the regular season four games out of first place, and three games ahead of the fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury. They finished the season 8–2 in their final ten games. The Fever entered the postseason as the sixth-seed after finishing three games out of fifth place, and one game ahead of seventh place. They finished the regular season 6–4 in their final ten games. The Eastern Conference teams played four times in the regular season, with the teams splitting the series two games each.
Game 1
The Fever began the game well and won the first quarter 21–18. Atlanta came back strong in the second quarter, winning 22–12. Therefore, Atlanta took a seven-point lead into halftime. The third quarter was a tight affair, with Indiana winning 20–18, cutting the deficit to five heading into the fourth quarter. Atlanta improved their defensive play and limited the Fever to fifteen points, and won the quarter 22–15. Atlanta won game one by twelve points. Atlanta had four players score in double figures. They were lead by Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard who scored twenty points each, Naz Hillmon scored sixteen points, and Brionna Jones scored twelve. Only two Fever players scored in double figures; Kelsey Mitchell scored twenty-seven and Odyssey Sims added ten. Aliyah Boston reached double-figures in rebounds with twelve.
Gateway Center Arena Attendance: 3,800 Referees: Roy Gulbeyan, Maj Forsberg, Marcy Williams
Game 2
Indiana took advantage of their home court in the second game of the series and won the first quarter 20–14. The two teams were more even in the second quarter, which played out to a 15–15 tie. Indiana came out of halftime as the stronger team and won the third quarter 24–15. Again, the second quarter of the half was the closer quarter, but the Fever prevailed in the fourth 18–16. The Fever won game two by seventeen points to force game three. The Fever had three players score in double figures and were led by Kelsey Mitchell who scored nineteen. Aliyah Boston scored fifteen points, and Natasha Howard added twelve points. The Dream had two players score in double digits: Te-Hina Paopao, who scored eleven points from the bench, and Rhyne Howard who scored ten points.
Gainbridge Fieldhouse Attendance: 16,682 Referees: Eric Brewton, Angelica Suffren, Randy Richardson, Catherine Chang
Game 3
Game three started with a high-scoring first quarter, which Indiana won 29–27. The Dream kept the pace in the second quarter, while Indiana's scoring dropped slightly, and the Dream won the quarter 29–20. The Dream took a seven-point lead into halftime at home. The Fever chipped away at the lead throughout the third quarter and won the frame 20–17 to cut the lead to four heading into the fourth. The Fever limited the Dream to just twelve points in the quarter and were able to win the quarter 18–12. That resulted in a two-point Indiana victory, which saw them take the series two games to one.
All five Indiana starters scored in double-figures and were lead by Kelsey Mitchell who scored twenty-four points. Odyssey Sims scored sixteen points, Aliyah Boston scored fourteen points, Natasha Howard scored twelve, and Lexie Hull added ten. The Dream had four players score in double-digits and were led by Allisha Gray who scored nineteen points. Jordin Canada was not far behind with eighteen points, Rhyne Howard scored sixteen, and Brionna Jones scored twelve. Three players recorded double-doubles in the game. The Fever's Aliyah Boston added twelve rebounds to her fourteen points to earn a double-double. The Dream had two players with double-doubles: Allisha Gray added twelve rebounds and Jordin Canada with ten assists. Naz Hillmon finished one point shy of becoming the third Dream player to earn a double-double, as she had nine points and ten rebounds.
Gateway Center Arena Attendance: 3,800 Referees: Tiara Cruse, Isaac Barnett, Kevin Fahy
(4) Phoenix Mercury vs. (5) New York Liberty
The final first round series will see the fourth-seed Phoenix Mercury play the fifth-seed New York Liberty. The two teams finished tied in the regular season standings, and Phoenix won the tiebreaker to earn home-court advantage for the series. The teams were both three games behind the third seed, and three games ahead of the sixth seed. Both teams enter the post-season having gone 6–4 in their final ten games. The teams played four games in the regular season, and the Mercury won three of the four games.
Game 1
Game one began with a low-scoring quarter, which was won by the Liberty 17–13. Offenses came alive in the second quarter and the Mercury won the quarter 30–27. The Liberty took a one-point lead into halftime. The third quarter was another low-scoring affair, with the Mercury winning 14–11. The game sat on a knife's edge heading into the final quarter, with the Mercury holding a two-point lead. The fourth quarter was the lowest scoring of all the quarters, and the Liberty won 10–8 and forced overtime. The Liberty's defense carried through into the overtime period, and the Liberty won overtime 11–4 to take game one by seven points. Four Liberty players scored in double-figures, and they were lead by Natasha Cloud with twenty-three points. Breanna Stewart scored eighteen points, Sabrina Ionescu added sixteen points, and Leonie Fiebich finished with ten points. Jonquel Jones reached double-figures in rebounds with twelve. The Mercury had three players reach double-figures in scoring and were lead by Kahleah Copper who scored fifteen. Alyssa Thomas scored fourteen points, and DeWanna Bonner added twelve points.
PHX Arena Attendance: 10,095 Referees: Eric Brewton, Amy Bonner, Isaac Barnett
Game 2
Game two picked up where game one left off as an even affair. The teams tied in the first quarter 25–25. Phoenix improved their defense to flip the script in the second quarter to win 26–12, which allowed them to carry a fourteen-point lead into halftime. Both teams scored fewer points in the third quarter where Phoenix won 18–10. The fourth quarter was another lower scoring affair, which the Mercury won 17–13. The Mercury dominated all but the first quarter to win the game by twenty-six points and force a deciding game three of the series. Their biggest lead was thirty one during the game.
Phoenix had five players score in double-figures and they were led by Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas who both scored fifteen points. DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper both scored fourteen points, and Kathryn Westbeld scored ten points in her second career playoff game. The Liberty had only Emma Meesseman score in double-digits, as she scored eleven points. Jonquel Jones recorded thirteen rebounds but fell short of a double-double as she only scored seven points.
Barclays Center Attendance: 17,017 Referees: Maj Forsberg, Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, Jenna Reneau, Agon Abazi
Game 3
The Mercury got out to a strong start at home, winning the first quarter 22–15. The Liberty staged a comeback during the second quarter and won the quarter 26–23. However, the Liberty didn't erase the complete deficit from the first quarter, and Phoenix took a four-point lead into halftime. New York was the stronger team in the third quarter, winning 18–15 to see the two teams only separated by a point heading into the final quarter. The Mercury finished strong, and won the fourth quarter 19–14 to win the game by six points. The Mercury won both their home games to secure the series two games to one and advance to the semifinals. New York's season ended, and they were unable to defend their title from last year.
Phoenix had four players score in double-figures and were led by Satou Sabally with twenty-three points. Alyssa Thomas scored twenty points, Sami Whitcomb added thirteen points from the bench, and Kahleah Copper scored twelve points. New York had only two players score in double-digits: Breanna Stewart with thirty points, and Sabrina Ionescu with twenty two points. Sabally earned a double-double by virtue of added twelve rebounds. Thomas recorded the seventh ever playoff triple-double, and her fifth, by added eleven rebounds and eleven assists.
PHX Arena Attendance: 13,104 Referees: Roy Gulbeyan, Gina Cross, Tim Greene
Semifinals
(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (4) Phoenix Mercury
The top seed Minnesota Lynx and fourth seed Phoenix Mercury faced-off in the first semifinal series. The Lynx entered the series having swept their first round series, while the Mercury needed all three games to eliminate the New York Liberty. The teams met four times during the regular season and the Lynx won three of the games while Phoenix won one. The teams have not played since before the All-Star Break.
Game 1
Game one began as a tight affair, with Phoenix winning the first quarter 24–22. The Mercury extended their lead in the second quarter, winning the frame 23–18 to take a seven-point lead into halftime. Minnesota's defense played much better after the intermission, limiting the Mercury to just twelve points in the third quarter. The Lynx won that quarter 19–12 to eliminate the halftime lead and leave the game tied heading into the fourth. Minnesota used their home court advantage to dominate the fourth quarter, 23–10. The Lynx took game one by a margin of thirteen points.
Minnesota had three players score in double-figures and were led by Courtney Williams who scored twenty three points. Kayla McBride added twenty one points and Napheesa Collier finished with eighteen. The Mercury had four players score in double-digits, and all other players scored just eight points for the team. They were led by Kahleah Copper with twenty two points, Alyssa Thomas added eighteen points, Sami Whitcomb scored eleven points off the bench, and Satou Sabally scored ten points.
Target Center Attendance: 10,121 Referees: Eric Brewton, Angelica Suffren, Maj Forsberg, Jeff Wooten
Game 2
Game two started off as a close contest with the Lynx winning the first quarter 21–19. Minnesota expanded their lead in the second quarter, winning the quarter 27–13. The Lynx enjoyed a sixteen-point lead at halftime. They came out of the break and started to extend their lead, which was twenty points at its peak. However, Phoenix went on a 12–0 run in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight. At the end of the third quarter, Phoenix came out on top 22–14. This left the lead at eight points heading into the fourth. The Mercury continued to whittle away at the lead throughout the fourth and Sami Whitcomb hit a three pointer with four second remaining to tie the game. Napheesa Collier had a shot at the buzzer to win, but it fell short and the game went into overtime. The Mercury won the fourth quarter 25–17. In the overtime period, Phoenix scored the first seven points and ended up winning 10–4. That gave them a six-point game win and they tied the series at one game a piece.
Phoenix had just three players score in double-figures and were led by Satou Sabally with twenty four points. Alyssa Thomas scored nineteen points and Sami Whitcomb added thirteen from the bench. The Lynx had four players score in double-digits and only had two other players score in the game. They were led by Napheesa Coller who also scored twenty four points. Kayla McBride scored twenty one points, Courtney Williams added twenty points, and Alanna Smith scored thirteen. Alyssa Thomas earned her second double-double of the playoffs by recording thirteen assists in the game.
The second seed Las Vegas Aces and the sixth seed Indiana Fever faced-off in the second semifinal series. Both teams entered the series having won their first round series two games to one. The Fever entered the series as the only Eastern Conference team remaining in the playoffs. The two teams met only three times during the regular season, and the Fever won two of those games. The teams have not played since July 24, a ten-point Indiana home win.
Game 1
Game one started as a close affair, with the Fever edging out the first quarter 19–18. The Fever won the second quarter as well, increasing their margin slightly to win 22–18. The Fever took a five-point lead into the road locker room at halftime. The Fever came out of the break on a scoring streak, winning the third quarter 28–19. The Aces could not used home court to their advantage as they also lost the fourth quarter 18–20. Indiana won the same by sixteen points, winning each quarter.
The Fever had three players score in double-figures and were led by Kelsey Mitchell who scored thirty four points. Odyssey Sims scored seventeen points and Natasha Howard added twelve points. The Aces had four players score in double-digits and were led by Jackie Young who scored nineteen points. A'ja Wilson scored sixteen points, Dana Evans added fourteen points, and Chelsea Gray scored thirteen points. Two players scored double-doubles in the game. Wilson recorded her second of the playoffs for the Aces by added thirteen rebounds to her sixteen points. Howard added eleven rebounds to her twelve points to record her first double-double of the playoffs.
The Aces got off to a strong start in game two of the series, winning the first quarter 26–17. The second quarter was a closer affair, but the Aces still came out on top 20–18. The Aces took and eleven point lead into the break. They came out of the break and continued their dominating play, winning the third quarter by seven points, 24–17. The Aces completed the game winning all four quarters and they won the fourth 20–16. Overall, Las Vegas took game two by twenty two points to tie the series at one game a piece.
The Aces had five players score in double-figures and were led by A'ja Wilson who scored twenty five points. NaLyssa Smith scored eighteen, Jackie Young added thirteen, and both Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans added ten points from the bench. Chelsea Gray finished in double-figures in another statistic with ten assists. The Fever had four players reach double figures and were led by Odyssey Sims who scored eighteen points. Lexie Hull scored fifteen points, Kelsey Mitchell scored thirteen points, and Aliyah Boston added ten points. Boston earned her second double-double of these playoffs by added thirteen rebounds.
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