With the WNBA playoffs kicked off and underway, women’s basketball is thriving and provides plenty of entertainment for lovers of sport.
The WNBA has risen in viewership and media attention. As we head into the season of winter sports, the WNBA playoffs are the perfect prerequisite before NBA basketball in late October. The playoffs include a total of eight teams, three in the Eastern Conference and five in the West. The Eastern teams included the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, and Indiana Fever. The West included the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and the playoff debut of the WNBA’s new expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries.
Playoff qualifications are formatted with the top eight teams in the league. Conferences are eliminated when it comes to seeding. Similar to the NBA, the 1 seed plays the 8 seed, the 2 seed plays the 7 seed, and so on and so forth. The playoffs only consist of three rounds: the first round being best two out of three games, the second round best of five, and the Finals newly formatted as an original best-of-seven playoff series.
The first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs was filled with drama and some surprises. The Lynx swept the newly expanded Golden State Valkyries, and Las Vegas defeated Seattle in a hectic and highly competitive Game 3. Phoenix rallied past the reigning champions, the New York Liberty, and forced a new champion to be crowned. Finally, similar to the Pacers of the NBA, the Indiana Fever delivered an upset, knocking out the 3 seed Atlanta Dream, making it their first playoff series win in about a decade.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of the current standing of the WNBA playoffs. The Mercury have had an excellent regular season and postseason. They finished 27–17, which placed them fourth in league standings, and they’re led by Alyssa Thomas, a playmaking forward who leads the league in assists. Their opponent, the Minnesota Lynx, are led by Napheesa Collier, who finished second in scoring during the regular season. Minnesota looks to apply pressure being down 2–1 in the series. The series right now is in the Mercury’s favor after the head coach for the Lynx blasted officiating and is now serving a one-game suspension.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever series has been entertaining and filled with grit. Star forward and current league MVP A’ja Wilson has been nothing but dominant in the playoffs, averaging 24.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 2.6 blocks. As for the Fever, they are depleted of star power with lead guard Caitlin Clark on the sideline with a right groin injury and expected to miss the remainder of the season. Despite the huge loss, team leaders such as Aliyah Boston, forward for the Fever, and Kelsey Mitchell, Fever guard, have been holding down the fort with big performances and winning plays.
Hopefully the second round finishes off in a nice fashion. Phoenix looks to finish the Lynx, and the Aces and Fever will finish business in game 5. With stars like A’ja Wilson, Pheonix’s Satou Sabally, and Indiana’s Aliyah Boston the storylines will only get better. This year’s postseason proves that women’s basketball is worth watching and the perfect time to start is now.