Basketball
WNBA
2026 season
Playoffs
Format
- 8 teams seeded 1 to 8.
- First round: 1 plays 8, 2 plays 7, 3 plays 6, and 4 plays 5.
- First round: best of 3 games.
- Semifinals: best of 5 games.
- Finals: best of 7 games.
Who gets in
The top eight teams in the overall standings make the playoffs, regardless of conference. They are seeded 1 to 8 and the first round pairs 1 with 8, 2 with 7, 3 with 6 and 4 with 5.
The first round is best of 3, the semifinals best of 5, and the Finals best of 7 for the first time. The 2026 playoffs open on September 27 with all four first-round series, which finish by October 2. The semifinals start October 4 and finish by October 14. The Finals start October 17 and finish by October 31, in a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern where the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
First-round games air on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, USA Network and Prime Video; the semifinals on ABC, ESPN, NBCSN and Peacock; the Finals on NBC, USA Network and Peacock.
Seeding
Seeds follow regular-season record, and the league's published tiebreakers settle any ties. Conference does not matter for seeding.