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The 2025 WNBA playoffs are down to four teams.
The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, No. 2 Las Vegas Aces, No. 4 Phoenix Mercury and No. 6 Indiana Fever emerged from the first round of the postseason. And there won’t be a repeat champion this year after Phoenix eliminated the defending champion New York Liberty in the final game of the opening round.
The top-seeded Lynx were the only team to record a Round 1 sweep, bouncing the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries in two games. Minnesota overcame a 17-point deficit on the road in Game 2 to eliminate the Valkyries, who made league history as the first expansion team to reach the postseason in its debut season. Napheesa Collier and Co. are looking to follow up last year’s runner-up finish with a championship.
The No. 2 Aces entered the postseason riding a 16-game winning streak and took their playoff opener from the No. 7 Seattle Storm. Seattle used a fourth-quarter rally in Game 2 at home to even up the series, but Las Vegas avoided an upset in Game 3 thanks to 38 points from three-time MVP A’ja Wilson and a go-ahead putback from Jackie Young late. Las Vegas has reached the semifinals for a seventh straight year, looking to win the franchise’s third title in four years.
The No. 4 Mercury brought the No. 5 Liberty’s repeat bid to an abrupt end. New York took Game 1 on the road in overtime, but Phoenix responded with a blowout Game 2 win in Brooklyn. Alyssa Thomas‘ 20-point triple-double then helped the Mercury outlast the Liberty in a Game 3 thriller to book their first trip to the semifinals since 2021.
The Caitlin Clark-less No. 6 Fever pulled off the first upset of the postseason, stunning the No. 3 Atlanta Dream. The Fever crushed the Dream in Game 2 at home to stay alive before Aliyah Boston converted a go-ahead layup inside the final 10 seconds of Game 3 to steal a series-clinching win on the road. The upset secured Indiana’s first semifinal appearance since 2015.
So, what are the semifinal matchups? And when will the next round begin? Here’s what to know:
Do the WNBA playoffs reseed teams?
The WNBA playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams after the first round.
What are the semifinal matchups in the WNBA playoffs?
Here’s a look at the semifinal bracket:
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 4 Phoenix Mercury
- No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
How many games are in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs?
After a best-of-three opening round, the semifinals feature a best-of-five format where the higher seed has home-court advantage in Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
When do the WNBA semifinals start?
Both semifinal series will tip off Sunday, Sept. 21.
What is the semifinal schedule in the WNBA playoffs?
Here’s what we know about the semifinal schedule so far (this section will be updated as more details are announced):
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 4 Phoenix Mercury
- Game 1: Mercury at Lynx — Sunday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 3: Lynx at Mercury — Friday, Sept. 26, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 2
- Game 4 (if necessary): Lynx at Mercury — Sunday, Sept. 28, time TBD, TV channel TBD
- Game 5 (if necessary): Mercury at Lynx — Tuesday, Sept. 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
- Game 1: Fever at Aces — Sunday, Sept. 21, 3 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Fever at Aces — Tuesday, Sept. 23, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 3: Aces at Fever — Friday, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 2
- Game 4 (if necessary): Aces at Fever — Sunday, Sept. 28, time TBD, ABC
- Game 5 (if necessary): Fever at Aces — Tuesday, Sept. 30, time TBD, TV channel TBD
How to watch, stream the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs
The WNBA postseason is airing across ESPN networks and ABC. All the action is available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark won’t return this season as injuries have forced the Indiana Fever guard to miss the remainder of 2025.
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Eric Mullin
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