The Atlanta Dream secured the final playoff spot in the WNBA on Thursday night, completing the league’s postseason lineup. The Dream, seeded eighth, will face the top-seeded New York Liberty in a best-of-three first-round series starting on Sunday in New York.
Other matchups set to kick off on Sunday include the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx against the seventh-seeded Phoenix Mercury, the third-seeded Connecticut Sun facing the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever, and the fourth-seeded Las Vegas Aces taking on the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm.
In these opening rounds, the higher-seeded teams will host Games 1 and 2, while the lower-seeded team will host Game 3 if it is necessary. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces were competing for the No. 3 seed on Thursday, but the Connecticut Sun clinched that spot with a decisive 87-54 victory over the Chicago Sky.
Las Vegas aims to be the first team to achieve three consecutive titles since the Houston Comets won four straight from 1997 to 2000. Atlanta clinched the final playoff position after defeating the Liberty 78-67, edging out the Washington Mystics, who managed a close 92-91 win over the Indiana Fever.
Dream coach Tanisha Wright expressed pride in her team’s resilience during a challenging season. “This year is special. This has definitely been the toughest year for us with everything that has gone on. I’m really proud of our athletes for continuing to fight and never giving in,” she remarked.
The first game featuring Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever against the Connecticut Sun will be broadcast on ABC, while the other three matchups will be on ESPN.
The schedule for the week includes Games 2 and 3 of the Atlanta-New York and Seattle-Las Vegas series on Tuesday and Thursday, contingent on the necessity of a Game 3. The Indiana-Connecticut and Phoenix-Minnesota series are set for Wednesday and Friday, respectively, also depending on whether Game 3 is needed.
The best-of-five semifinals are planned to begin on September 29, with the WNBA Finals, which will also be five games, starting on October 10. A potential Game 5 would take place on October 20, if required.