The WNBA playoffs is an elimination tournament among eight teams in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.
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Format
In the current format of the WNBA playoffs, the top eight teams in the regular season – regardless of conference – participate in a single-elimination tournament system. The eight teams are seeded by their regular season records, with the higher seeded team (or the team with the better record) in each series given homecourt advantage.
Since 2025, the Quarterfinals are a best-of-three series, played with a homecourt pattern of odd–even (the higher seed hosts games 1 and 3, the latter if needed; while the lower seed hosts game 2). The Semifinals are a best-of-five series, played with a homecourt pattern of 2–2–1 (the higher seed hosts games 1 and 2, plus 5 if needed, while the lower seed hosts game 3, plus 4 if needed). The WNBA Finals are a best-of-seven series using a 2-2-1-1-1 homecourt pattern, with the first two games hosted by the higher seed, the next two by the lower seed, and alternating for the last three, all if needed.
Tiebreaker procedures
In case of ties, the following procedures are followed:
Better winning percentage among all head-to-head games involving tied teams.
Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the season.
Better point differential in games involving tied teams.
Better point differential in all games.
Coin toss (or draw of lots, if at least 3 teams are still tied after the first 4 tiebreakers fail).
History
The playoff format has changed throughout the years ever since the league's establishment.
In the league's first two seasons, 1997 and 1998, only the top four teams overall advanced to the playoffs, which comprised only two rounds. In 1997, only a single game was played in all matches. In 1998, each match became a best-of-three series. The homecourt pattern for best-of-three was odd-even.
As expansion began, the playoff format accommodated more teams. 1999 featured six teams, with the top three teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs, and the top seed of each conference getting a bye into the Conference Finals. The following season, it was expanded to eight teams with the top four teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs. In 2005, the WNBA Finals became a best-of-five series. Despite the departure of some teams later on, this format continued until 2015.
From 2016-2021, a new format was introduced, featuring a stepladder-like system. In this format, the first- and second-seeded teams entered the tournament at the Semifinals, third and fourth places started at the Second Round, and the remaining four began at the First Round. The format also eliminated conference seeding, instead having the top eight teams overall advance. The First and Second Rounds were only a single game, with the winning team immediately advancing to the next round. The Semifinals and Finals were both best-of-five series. After each round, the lower surviving seed faced the higher seed in the next round, while the higher surviving seed faced the lower seed.
The current format was adopted in 2022 and features the top 8 teams in the league (regardless of conference) playing a three-round series for the championship. The quarterfinals was a best-of-three series with the higher seed hosting the first two games, the latter at lower-seed if needed; while the Semifinals and Finals remain a best-of-five series. The higher seed hosts the first, second, and (if needed) fifth games. Since 2025, Quarterfinals had gone back to an odd-even pattern, and the Finals became a best-of-seven series, utilising a 2–2–1–1–1 pattern similar to the NBA & NHL, with the higher seed hosting the first and second games, plus the fifth and seventh games if needed.
Playoff series history
2021 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
2020 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
2019 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.
2018 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after second round and semi-finals.
2017 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after second round and semi-finals.
2016 season
Note: Teams re-seeded after the second round and semifinals.
2014 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2013 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2012 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2011 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2010 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four. Starting in 2010, the first two rounds changed to a 1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded team hosting games 1 & 3.
2009 season
There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2008 season
There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2007 season
There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2006 season
There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2005 season
There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four, this was also the first season where the WNBA finals was expanded to a best-of-5 game series.
2004 season
There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2003 season
There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2002 season
There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2001 season
There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2000 season
There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
1999 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the three teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to three. The top seeded team in each conference got a bye for the first round.
1998 season
There were 10 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four. Houston was switched to the Western Conference so two Western Conference teams matched up in the WNBA Finals.
1997 season
This was the first year of existence for the WNBA. There were only 8 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four. Houston was in the Eastern Conference so two Eastern Conference teams matched up in the WNBA Championship.