WNBA Playoff Format, Dates, Rules: Everything to Know

Karl Rasmussen | Aug 22, 2024

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) reacts after the Las Vegas Aces call a timeout in the third quarter during game three of the 2023 WNBA Finals at Barclays Center / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 WNBA playoffs will be among the most watched in the sport's history. The league is ripe with talent and drawing larger viewership than ever before, with rookie stars such as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese bringing in a fresh crop of fans.

The New York Liberty were the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season, having won 24 of their first 28 games in order to jump out to a commanding lead in the league standings. After them, the playoff race tightens up a bit, as the door as wide open for multiple teams to sneak into the postseason.

But just how will the WNBA playoffs look?

With only 12 teams in the league, two-thirds of the league will wind up playing in the postseason. The regular season, which spans 40 total games, is set to conclude on Sept. 19.

The WNBA Playoff format was adjusted ahead of the 2022 season. Previously, the first two rounds of the postseason were single-elimination, winner-take-all games. The top four seeds would also receive byes for the first round. That's no longer the case, however, so we'll break down the current WNBA playoffs format as it will play out in the 2024 season.

2024 WNBA Playoffs Format

The top eight WNBA teams will be ranked based on their regular season records—regardless of their respective conference.

The first round of play will begin on Sunday, Sept. 22. The first round of the playoffs will feature four three-game series. The semifinals round will consist of two best-of-five series. Similarly, the WNBA Finals will also be a best-of-five series. In the Finals, the higher seeded team will get home court advantage for Games 1, 2 and 5, while the lower seed will be at home in Games 3 and 4.

Exact dates for each game have not yet been announced, though we know the start date of Sept. 22. Additionally, the league has announced that Game 5 of the WNBA Finals would be played no later than Sunday, Oct. 20.