The most-hyped WNBA regular season since the league’s inception delivered excitement from start to finish, but the real drama is just getting started. After a 2023 season that seemed like one long prelude to the Aces-versus-Liberty finals, the 2024 playoffs promise more chaos and intrigue from the get-go.
Here are five burning questions for the 2024 postseason, starting with how this whole format works and a breakdown of each series.
How are the playoffs structured?
The top eight teams in the league, regardless of conference, qualify for the postseason. The first-round matchups are 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5. There is no re-seeding in between rounds, so the victor of 1 vs. 8 plays the winner of 4 vs. 5, and the 2 vs. 7 winner faces the 3 vs. 6 victor.
The playoffs last for three rounds, starting with a three-game series in the first round, in which the higher seed hosts the first two games. That format helped simplify travel before the league started flying exclusively on charters this season. The 2-1 series has been in place since 2022, and though the lower seed has forced a decisive Game 3 three times at its home arena, the higher seed has never failed to advance. The semifinal round is a five-game series (2-2-1 format), as are the WNBA Finals.
