The Quick Version
- Game 2s tip Tuesday, Sept. 29 (Prime Video, USA Network) and Wednesday, Sept. 30 (ESPN). Any Game 3s land Oct. 1 and 2, and the semifinals open Sunday, Oct. 4 on NBC and ABC.
- A’ja Wilson opened the first round with 38 points and 16 rebounds, the same day she won her third straight AP Player of the Year award.
- Angel Reese, the new AP Defensive Player of the Year, helped Atlanta erase an 11-point deficit in her first career playoff game.
- Scroll to the How to Watch box below and screenshot it. It covers every game from Sept. 29 through Oct. 4.
The WNBA playoffs 2026 opened on Sunday, Sept. 27, and by the end of the night the biggest story in the league was the same one it has been all year: Black women carrying the sport at its highest level. A’ja Wilson dropped 38 on Indiana. Angel Reese played her first playoff game in an Atlanta uniform and helped flip a double-digit deficit. And every first-round series now has a team one win from the semifinals.
Here is where things stand, who to watch, and exactly when and where to tune in from Tuesday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 4.
Where the WNBA playoffs 2026 stand right now
The first round is best-of-three, and the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 3. After one night, all four series sit at 1-0, per the CBS Sports bracket:
- No. 8 Liberty 91, No. 1 Lynx 75. The top seed is one loss from elimination.
- No. 3 Aces 102, No. 6 Fever 85. A rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Las Vegas won in five games on its way to a third title in four years.
- No. 4 Dream 92, No. 5 Mystics 77. Atlanta rallied from 11 down.
- No. 2 Valkyries 104, No. 7 Wings 80. Golden State’s first playoff win in franchise history.
The WNBA calendar has the first round wrapping by Oct. 2, the semifinals starting Oct. 4, and the Finals starting Oct. 17. The Finals are best-of-seven, and a Game 7 would fall on Halloween.
A’ja Wilson is playing like she has something to prove
On Sunday, Sept. 27, the Associated Press named Wilson its WNBA Player of the Year for the third straight season and the fourth time overall. She took 15 of 17 first-place votes after leading the league at 26.2 points per game, with nearly 53% shooting, 9.4 rebounds and a career-best 3.2 assists, according to the AP awards story. That breaks a tie with Breanna Stewart for the most AP Player of the Year awards since 2016.
Hours later she went out and scored 38 points with 16 rebounds and 4 blocks on 15-of-19 shooting against the Fever, tying her career playoff high in points, per the official WNBA recap. CBS Sports noted it was her sixth 30-point, 10-rebound playoff game, the most by any player in league history.
“She was a clinic tonight,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said afterward. Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists, and Chelsea Gray moved into second on the all-time playoff assists list with 397.
Wilson has also been gracious about the competition. “My counterparts in this league are really good,” she told the AP. The counterpart to watch in Game 2 is Aliyah Boston, who put up 18 points and 8 rebounds for Indiana in the opener.
Watch: Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | September 27, 2026 from WNBA
Angel Reese’s first playoff game was not pretty, and Atlanta still won
The Dream traded two future first-round picks to Chicago to land Reese on April 6, 2026. The move paid off during the season. The AP named her its Defensive Player of the Year after she ranked third in steals and led the league in rebounding for a third straight year, ending Wilson’s run at that award too.
Her playoff debut was a grind. Reese shot 4-of-15 but still finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, per the AP game story. The scoring came from her teammates:
- Rhyne Howard: 26 points, 5 steals and a perfect 10-of-10 at the free-throw line.
- Allisha Gray: 22 points.
- Jordin Canada: 10 points and 11 assists.
Atlanta trailed 41-36 at the half, then outscored Washington 18-5 in a third-quarter run. The Dream finished with 16 steals, a franchise playoff record and two short of the league mark, turning 22 Mystics turnovers into 27 points, per the WNBA recap. That defense is why this team won 30 games, tying the franchise record, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Do not sleep on Washington’s young frontcourt either. Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and 14 rebounds, 9 of them offensive, and Shakira Austin added 12 points and 16 boards. If the Mystics cut down on turnovers at home Wednesday, this series goes three.
Watch: Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | September 27, 2026 from WNBA
The other two series to watch
Liberty vs. Lynx. New York’s upset was driven by Breanna Stewart’s 34 points. Minnesota lost Napheesa Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard to fouls, per MPR News. The Lynx must win Tuesday in Brooklyn to force a Game 3 at home Thursday. It is also a rematch of the 2024 Finals, which New York won.
Valkyries vs. Wings. Golden State shared the ball beautifully in Game 1. Tiffany Hayes scored 21 and Gabby Williams added 20, with just 4 team turnovers, according to CBS Sports. The Valkyries are in only their second season, and a sweep would put them in the semifinals.
How to Watch This Week (all times Eastern)
- Tue., Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m.: Aces at Fever, Game 2 (Amazon Prime Video). Aces lead 1-0.
- Tue., Sept. 29, 8:30 p.m.: Lynx at Liberty, Game 2 (USA Network). Liberty lead 1-0.
- Wed., Sept. 30, 7 p.m.: Dream at Mystics, Game 2 (ESPN). Dream lead 1-0.
- Wed., Sept. 30, 9 p.m.: Valkyries at Wings, Game 2 (ESPN). Valkyries lead 1-0.
- Thu., Oct. 1: Game 3s if needed for Liberty vs. Lynx and Fever vs. Aces. Times and networks TBD.
- Fri., Oct. 2: Game 3s if needed for Mystics vs. Dream and Wings vs. Valkyries. Times and networks TBD.
- Sun., Oct. 4: Both semifinal Game 1s, one on NBC and one on ABC. Matchups and times TBD.
Streaming: Prime Video needs an Amazon Prime membership. ESPN, ABC, NBC and USA Network games also stream through live TV services such as Fubo, and NBC says Peacock will carry games in the semifinals and Finals. Schedules can shift, so check the WNBA app on game day.
What to look for from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4
- Can the Fever solve Wilson in Indiana? Game 2 is the first playoff game in Indianapolis this year. A loss ends Indiana’s season.
- Does Reese’s shot fall on the road? Her rebounding travels. If she finishes better around the rim, Atlanta could close it out Wednesday.
- Possible semifinal matchups. The Aces and Fever winner meets the Valkyries and Wings winner. The Dream and Mystics winner meets the Liberty and Lynx winner, per the Yahoo Sports bracket guide. An Aces vs. Valkyries semifinal or a Dream vs. Liberty rematch would be must-watch TV.
- The semifinals are best-of-five. Games run Oct. 4, 7, 9, 11 and 14 across ABC, NBC, Peacock, ESPN and NBCSN, according to NBC Sports.
You can catch full-game highlights from every series on the league’s official WNBA YouTube channel after each game, which is handy if a work night or a school night gets in the way.
Why this postseason matters
The most decorated player in the league right now is a Black woman from South Carolina. The best defender is a Black woman from Baltimore who reinvented herself in Atlanta. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, Aliyah Boston, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin are all playing central roles in series that could turn in a single quarter.
That is worth celebrating out loud, in the group chat and at the watch party. If your weekend is already packed with homecoming plans, our HBCU homecoming 2026 guide can help you plan around the Oct. 4 semifinal openers. And if you are sorting out which streaming services are worth keeping this fall, our fall streaming guide breaks down what is on each one.
Save the schedule, pick your team, and let us know who you have winning it all.