WNBA Playoffs 2026: Bracket, Schedule and How to Watch as Lynx Clinch No. 1 Seed

Marvellous Ordia

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The WNBA playoffs 2026 tip off on Sunday 27 September, and the Minnesota Lynx will start as the No. 1 seed with home-court advantage all the way through. Minnesota locked up top spot on Tuesday night after the Portland Fire beat the Golden State Valkyries in overtime, which left Golden State unable to catch them, according to CBS Sports.

All eight playoff places are now filled. However, a handful of seeding spots will only be decided on the final night of the regular season, Thursday 24 September, before the first game tips off at 2pm ET (7pm in London and Lagos).

Who Has Qualified for the WNBA Playoffs 2026?

The eight qualifiers are the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings and New York Liberty, the WNBA confirmed. The top eight teams go through regardless of conference. That is also the first time the format has applied to a 15-team league, after the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joined as expansion sides this season.

Here is where the seeding stands going into the last day:

No. 1: Minnesota Lynx (confirmed)
No. 2 and No. 3: Golden State Valkyries and Las Vegas Aces, in that order heading into Thursday
Top four: Atlanta Dream (home-court advantage secured)
No. 5 and No. 6: Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics, in that order heading into Thursday
No. 7: Dallas Wings (confirmed)
No. 8: New York Liberty (confirmed)

First-Round Matchups Taking Shape

The Lynx will face the Liberty in a one-versus-eight series. New York slipped to eighth after the Dream beat them 83–65 on Wednesday, a result that also secured home-court advantage for Atlanta. Earlier this week, we previewed the Liberty vs Dream rivalry ahead of their Monday meeting.

Meanwhile, Dallas confirmed seventh place with a 103–91 win in Seattle on the same night. As a result, the Wings will meet whichever of Golden State or Las Vegas finishes second. Paige Bueckers scored 25 points in that game, capping a week in which she broke two scoring records.

The other two series will pit the No. 3 seed against No. 6 and the No. 4 seed against No. 5.

Lynx Beaten in Indiana but Still Favourites

Minnesota did not celebrate with a win. On the same night they clinched top spot, the Lynx lost 96–77 to the Fever in Indianapolis, the Associated Press reported. Caitlin Clark led Indiana with 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points and extended her league record to 27 straight games with at least 20. Minnesota, by contrast, played without rookie guard Olivia Miles, who missed out with a left calf injury.

Even so, the Lynx have held sole first place since 12 July and enter the postseason as title favourites, according to CBS Sports. The two sides meet again in Minnesota on Thursday, although the result no longer affects the Lynx’s seeding.

Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, who face the Lynx in the WNBA playoffs 2026 first round

WNBA Playoffs 2026 Schedule and Format

The postseason runs across three rounds, with the WNBA Finals once again played as a best-of-seven series. Key dates, per the league, are:

First round: 27 September to 2 October, best of three (1-1-1 format)
Semi-finals: 4 to 14 October, best of five (2-2-1 format)
WNBA Finals: 17 to 31 October, best of seven (2-2-1-1-1 format)

The top four seeds host the first and third games of their opening series. In addition, the Lynx will have home-court advantage in every round, as long as they keep winning.

How to Watch the WNBA Playoffs

In the United States, games will be shown on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC and Peacock, USA Network and Prime Video, according to the WNBA. Fans in the UK, Nigeria and elsewhere should check local listings, as international rights vary by country.

For more background, read our guide to the WNBA’s September restart after the World Cup break. You can also catch up on how the USA won the Women’s Basketball World Cup earlier this month.