WNBA playoffs 2026: Matchups, bracket, full schedule and how to watch

The postseason picture is set and the 2026 WNBA playoffs are upon us, tipping off on Sunday, Sept. 27, and running through Saturday, Oct. 31, if the Finals go the distance.

This will be the second season of the WNBA's expanded, seven-game Finals schedule, though last year's series went only four games as the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury . The series features a 2-2-1-1-1 structure, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, and the lower seed hosting Games 3, 4 and 6. The semifinals are five-game series, while the first round is a best-of-three.

The seeding shuffle went down to the wire, with the final four teams locking in their seed numbers during the final seconds of the final regular-season games on Thursday night. The matchups are listed below:

(3) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana Fever

Mystics vs. Dream, 7 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime)

Wings vs. Valkyries, 9 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC)

Aces vs. Fever, 6:30 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime)

Lynx vs. Liberty 8:30 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC)

Thursday, Oct. 1, Game 3s (if necessary)

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

Game 2: Monday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock)

Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock)

Game 4: Saturday, Oct. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)

*Game 5: Monday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock)

*Game 6: Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock)

*Game 7: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. ET (USA/Peacock)