The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are underway, with eight teams competing for the league championship. The postseason opened with four best-of-three first-round series before the field narrows to the semifinals and ultimately the 2026 WNBA Finals.
As of September 29, 2026, the New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries have each taken an early 1-0 advantage in their respective first-round series.
Here is a look at the complete 2026 WNBA Playoffs bracket, current matchups and the road to the championship.
2026 WNBA Playoffs First-Round Bracket
The opening round features the No. 1 seed against No. 8, No. 2 against No. 7, No. 3 against No. 6 and No. 4 against No. 5.
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty
Series: New York leads 1-0
The Liberty opened the postseason with an impressive 91-75 victory over Minnesota on September 27.
New York now has an opportunity to eliminate the top-seeded Lynx and advance to the WNBA semifinals.
No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings
Series: Golden State leads 1-0
Golden State opened its playoff run with a dominant 104-80 victory over Dallas.
The Valkyries are now one victory away from advancing to the semifinals.
No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
Series: Las Vegas leads 1-0
Las Vegas took control of the series with a 102-85 Game 1 victory over Indiana.
The Aces can move into the next round with another victory, while the Fever need a win to extend the series to a decisive Game 3.
No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics
Series: Atlanta leads 1-0
Atlanta defeated Washington 92-77 in Game 1, putting the Dream one victory away from the semifinals.
Washington will need to respond in Game 2 to keep its 2026 championship hopes alive.
2026 WNBA Playoffs Bracket
The postseason bracket currently looks like this:
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty
New York leads 1-0
No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics
Atlanta leads 1-0
No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings
Golden State leads 1-0
No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
Las Vegas leads 1-0
2026 WNBA Semifinals Bracket
The WNBA does not reseed teams following the opening round.
That means the winner of Minnesota vs. New York will face the winner of Atlanta vs. Washington.
On the other side of the bracket, the winner of Golden State vs. Dallas will meet the winner of Las Vegas vs. Indiana.
The semifinals switch from a best-of-three format to a best-of-five series.
The 2026 WNBA semifinals are scheduled to begin Sunday, October 4.
2026 WNBA Finals
The winners of the two semifinal series will advance to the 2026 WNBA Finals.
Unlike the opening two rounds, the championship series is played as a best-of-seven.
The 2026 WNBA Finals are scheduled to begin Saturday, October 17. If the series requires all seven games, Game 7 is scheduled for October 31.
How Does the 2026 WNBA Playoff Format Work?
The WNBA postseason consists of eight teams seeded according to their regular-season records.
The format is:
- First Round: Best-of-three
- Semifinals: Best-of-five
- WNBA Finals: Best-of-seven
There is no reseeding following the first round, meaning every team knows its potential path to the WNBA Finals from the beginning of the postseason.
Updated 2026 WNBA Playoff Picture
Entering the next group of games, all four higher seeds except Minnesota hold a series advantage.
New York has already created the biggest early development of the postseason by defeating the No. 1-seeded Lynx in Game 1. Minnesota now faces pressure to respond and avoid an early elimination.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas, Golden State and Atlanta each have opportunities to close out their respective series and secure spots in the semifinals.
With the first round being only a best-of-three, every game carries significant weight as the race toward the 2026 WNBA championship continues.