WNBA playoffs schedule 2026: Seeds set, games tip Sunday

The bracket is set. The 2026 WNBA playoffs are here. The best-of-three first round opens with four games on Sunday. The best-of-five semifinals will tip off Oct. 4. The WNBA Finals' best-of-seven series opens Oct. 17.

The first round is a 1-1-1 format, where the better seed hosts Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3. The semifinals is a 2-2-1, where the better seeds hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, Game 5. The better seed in the WNBA Finals hosts Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5 and 7 in a 2-2-1-1- format.

Check out our WNBA scoreboard page for the day-by-day schedule.

First round

Best-of-three series

(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (8) New York Liberty

Game 1: Sunday, TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3*: TBD

(2) Golden State Valkyries vs. (7) Dallas Wings

Game 1: Sunday, TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3*: TBD

(3) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana Fever

Game 1: Sunday, TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3*: TBD

(4) Atlanta Dream vs. (5) Washington Mystics

Game 1: Sunday, TBD
Game 2: TBD
Game 3*: TBD

Semifinals

Best-of-five series

Sunday, Oct. 4
Game 1: TBD, ABC
Game 1: TBD, NBC/Peacock

Wednesday, Oct. 7
Game 2: TBD, ESPN
Game 2: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN

Friday, Oct. 9
Game 3: TBD, ESPN2
Game 3: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN

Sunday, Oct. 11
Game 4*: TBD, ABC
Game 4*: TBD, NBC, Peacock

Wednesday, Oct. 14
Game 5*: TBD, ESPN
Game 5*: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN

WNBA Finals

Best-of-seven series

Saturday, Oct. 17
Game 1: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock

Monday, Oct. 19
Game 2: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock

Thursday, Oct. 22
Game 3: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock

Saturday, Oct. 24
Game 4: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock

Monday, Oct. 26
Game 5*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock

Thursday, Oct. 29
Game 6*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock

Saturday, Oct. 31
Game 7*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock

* If necessary