When Do the 2024 WNBA Playoffs Start?

Madison Williams | Aug 14, 2024

Oct 18, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; The Las Vegas Aces celebrate after defeating the New York Liberty to win the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center. / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 WNBA regular season is winding down, meaning the playoffs are quickly approaching.

The WNBA returns to action on Thursday, Aug. 15 after nearly a month break due to the All-Star Weekend and the Paris Olympics. Once play resumes, teams will only have about a month left of the regular season before the postseason begins and a new champion is crowned.

The top eight teams in the WNBA, regardless of conference, will advance to the playoffs at the end of the season. Instead of the seeds being determined by conference, the teams will be placed in order of winning percentage. There will be first-round matchups, followed by the semifinals and then the WNBA Finals.

Here's some key dates you need to know in regards to the WNBA playoffs.

When Do the WNBA Playoffs Start?

The 2024 WNBA playoffs will begin on Sunday, Sept. 22 with the first-round matchups. The eight teams will play a best-of-three series against their opponent to advance to the semifinals. The semifinals and final rounds are played in a best-of-five series.

Each round's start date will depend on when the previous round ended. The last possible date of the WNBA Finals, though, is Sunday, Oct. 20.

When Is the Last Day of the WNBA Regular Season?

Like previously mentioned, the WNBA teams still have some of the regular season left to play. The teams will compete for a spot in the playoffs up until Thursday, Sept. 19. This gives the teams advancing to the playoffs a couple days off before the postseason begins.

What Would the Playoffs Look Like If the Season Ended Today?

The playoffs seeds won't be determined until play ends on Thursday, Sept. 19. But, if the seeds were figured out through play on July 17 and before the WNBA returns to action on Thursday, Aug. 15, this is what the postseason would look like.

Seed	Team	Winning Percentage
1	New York Liberty	21–4 (.840)
2	Connecticut Sun	18–6 (.750)
3	Minnesota Lynx	17–8 (.680)
4	Seattle Storm	17–8 (.680)
5	Las Vegas Aces	16–8 (.667)
6	Phoenix Mercury	13–12 (.520)
7	Indiana Fever	11–15 (.423)
8	Chicago Sky	10–14 (.417)