The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has officially finished its 2026 Regular Season. Each of the 15 teams played 44 games from May 8 to Sept. 24. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs to fight for the WNBA Championship, while the bottom seven teams have finished their seasons.
On Aug. 9, the Minnesota Lynx became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, while the Dallas Wings were the final team to do so on Aug. 25. While the playoff teams have been determined for nearly a month, the seeding came down to the final day of the regular season. After coming back from the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Break, each team had four remaining games to fight for their seeding.
In order from No. 1 to No. 8, the playoff teams are: the Minnesota Lynx, the Golden State Valkyries, the Las Vegas Aces, the Atlanta Dream, the Washington Mystics, the Indiana Fever, the Dallas Wings, and the New York Liberty. For the first round of playoffs, the No.1 team will face the No. 8 team, the No. 2 team will face the No. 7 team, and so on.
Teams play for best of three in this 1-1-1 format. The team with the higher seed will host the first game, and the lower-seeded team will host the second game. If a third game happens, the higher seed will host the tie-breaker.
The Minnesota Lynx vs. The New York Liberty
Now, it might seem obvious that the No. 1 team has it the easiest and will clearly beat the No. 8 team. In reality, these two teams played each other just on Sept. 18, with the Liberty taking the win 93 to 81. They also faced off two previous times this season, each team having won once.
With the recent win and the better record, New York has the advantage. In their final games for the season on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, respectively, both teams dealt with injuries to star players. New York’s Breanna Stewart missed the entire game, and Jonquel Jones suffered an ankle injury during the game. Olivia Miles of the Lynx also missed her game. While no real update has come, both teams will want their top players on the court.
The Golden State Valkyries vs. The Dallas Wings
This will be the Wings’ first playoff appearance since 2023 and after finishing with the worst record in the league just last season. They will face the Valkyries, who have won every matchup this season. With their 2026 First Overall Draft Pick, Azzi Fudd, out for the rest of the season, the cards seem to be stacked against Dallas.
Following their loss against the Portland Fire on Sept. 22 and an incredible close game with the Los Angeles Sparks on Sept. 24, this might be the opportunity for the Wings to finally see a victory. Dallas is led by Paige Bueckers, who averaged 25 points per game after winning gold with Team USA at the 2026 World Cup. With what appears to be upward momentum from the Wings and a downward slide from the Valkyries, neither team will see an easy win.
The Las Vegas Aces vs. The Indiana Fever
As the current reigning champions, the Aces have won three of the last four. In previous games with the Fever, they have the disadvantage. The first two meetups went to the Fever by a large margin, while the Aces managed to win the third match in overtime.
The Aces’ trio composed of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray will face off against the Fever’s trio of Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, and Aliyah Boston. Indiana will look for their first WNBA championship since 2012, while Las Vegas will achieve their fourth.
The Atlanta Dream vs. The Washington Mystics
With the Mystics leading the Dream 2-1, not including a Mystics win in the preseason, the Dream have much to prove. As the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, there isn’t much of a separation between their two records. Atlanta finished at 30-14, and Washington finished at 28-16.
Being the youngest team in the league, with 11 of their 14 players being either in their rookie or sophomore year, Washington is showcasing that veteran experience is not always needed.
The most important thing to know about the WNBA playoffs is that anything can happen. As a fan, you can’t have any expectations for how a game will go. Each team has something to prove, but ultimately only one team will become the 2026 champions.
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