The 2025 WNBA Playoffs officially began on Sunday, September 14 as the league’s most anticipated postseason tipped off . A packed quadruple-header launched the action, with games scheduled throughout the afternoon and evening across ESPN and ABC:
- 1 PM ET: No. 1 Lynx vs. No. 8 Valkyries
- 3 PM ET: No. 6 Fever @ No. 3 Dream
- 5 PM ET: No. 5 Liberty @ No. 4 Mercury
- 10 PM ET: No. 7 Storm @ No. 2 Aces
🗓 First Round (Best-of-3; 1-1-1 format)
- Games 1–3 run September 14 through September 19
- Higher seeds host Games 1 and 3 if needed
🗓 Semifinals (Best-of-5; 2-2-1 format)
- Begin September 21, end by September 30
- Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and Game 5 if needed
🗓 WNBA Finals (First-ever Best-of-7; 2-2-1-1-1)
- Kicks off October 3, concluding by October 17
- Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 if needed
📅 Summary Timeline
| Round | Format | Dates | Home-court format |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Best-of-3 | Sept 14–19 | 1-1-1 (higher seed gets 1 & 3) |
| Semifinals | Best-of-5 | Sept 21–30 | 2-2-1 (higher seed gets 1,2 & 5) |
| WNBA Finals | Best-of-7 | Oct 3–17 | 2-2-1-1-1 (higher seed gets 1,2,5,7) |
