2026 WNBA Playoffs: Dream and Wings Advance, Liberty Stuns Lynx
Quick Look
- In the 2026 WNBA playoffs, the Atlanta Dream defeated the Washington Mystics 93-75 to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2018, while the Dallas Wings forced a Game 3 with a 108-100 overtime win over the Golden State Valkyries, powered by Arike Ogunbowale's playoff-record 45 points.
- The Indiana Fever extended their series against the Las Vegas Aces with a 99-89 win, led by Caitlin Clark's historic 25-point, 15-assist performance.
- Meanwhile, the New York Liberty swept the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first No.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The 2026 WNBA season featured a historic salary cap increase from $1.5 million to $7 million following a labor battle, and multiple regular-season records were set, including Caitlin Clark's 40-point, 10-assist game and Angel Reese's 26-rebound performance.
The first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs continued on Wednesday night with two more teams -- the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings -- facing elimination. In the first game, the Atlanta Dream downed the Mystics 93-75 to advance to the semifinals, where the No. 4 seed will host the No. 8-seeded New York Liberty in a best-of-five series that begins on Sunday. This is the first time since 2018 that the Dream have reached the semis.
Later in the evening, Arike Ogunbowale scored a playoff-record 45 points for the Dallas Wings to force a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Golden State Valkyries. After getting decimated by the Valkyries in Game 1, the Wings looked like a brand new team in front of their home crowd in Dallas, downing the Valkyries 108-100 in overtime. Ogunbowale was 12 of 23 from the field for 45 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three assists, including the game-tying 3-pointer that sent the game into an extra frame. The series will head back to the Bay Area for Game 3 on Friday night.
On Thursday, the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces will also face off in a Game 3 of their own. The Fever faced elimination in Game 2, but Caitlin Clark refused to let her team go down without a fight. Clark posted the first 25-point, 15-assist performance in WNBA history, pushing the Fever past the Aces 99-89 to extend the series.
The top-seeded Lynx were unable keep their season alive against the Liberty on Tuesday night. After a Game 1 home loss on Sunday, Minnesota was blown out 87-71 in Game 2 in a shocking result as the Liberty became the first No. 8 seed in WNBA history to knock off a No. 1 seed.
The Lynx entered the postseason as the favorite and instead became the first team eliminated.
The 2026 WNBA season has been groundbreaking, on and off the court. It launched on the heels of a contentious and extended labor battle that resulted in a historic raise for the players (the salary cap increased from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026), and in return, the players raised the bar on a weekly basis. Multiple regular-season records fell this year, from Caitlin Clark becoming the first player in WNBA history with a 40-point, 10-assist game, to Angel Reese breaking the single-game rebounding record with 26 to Kelsey Mitchell passing A'ja Wilson's single-season points record.
Here's how you can follow the playoffs.
2026 WNBA playoff bracket
2026 WNBA playoff schedule
First-round schedule
(All times ET)
Thursday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Aces vs. Fever, 9 p.m., USA/fubo
Friday, Oct. 2
Game 3: Valkyries vs. Wings, TBD
First-round scores
Sunday, Sept. 27
Game 1: No. 8 Liberty 91, No. 1 Lynx 75
Game 1: No. 3 Aces 102, No. 6 Fever 85
Game 1: No. 4 Dream 92, No. 5 Mystics 77
Game 1: No. 2 Valkyries 104, No. 7 Wings 80
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Game 2: No. 6 Fever 99, No. 3 Aces 89
Game 2: No. 8 Liberty 87, No. 1 Lynx 71 (New York wins 2-0)
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: No. 4 Dream 93, No. 5 Mystics 75
Game 2: No. 7 Wings 106, No. 2 Valkyries TK
Semifinals
Sunday, Oct. 4
Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, NBC/fubo
Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, ABC/fubo
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, ESPN/fubo
Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, NBCSN
Friday, Oct. 9
Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, NBCSN
Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, ESPN2/fubo
Sunday, Oct. 11
Game 4*: TBD vs. TBD, NBC/fubo
Game 4*: TBD vs. TBD, ABC/fubo
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD, ESPN/fubo
Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD, NBCSN
WNBA Finals
Saturday, Oct. 17
Game 1: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. ET | NBC/fubo
Monday, Oct. 19
Game 2: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. ET | USA/fubo
Thursday, Oct. 22
Game 3: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET | USA/fubo
Saturday, Oct. 24
Game 4: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. ET | NBC/fubo
Monday, Oct. 26
Game 5*: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET | USA/fubo
Thursday, Oct. 29
Game 6*: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET | USA/fubo
Saturday, Oct. 31
Game 7*: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET | USA/fubo
* - denotes if necessary
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Atlanta Dream will host the New York Liberty in the semifinals starting Sunday.
Very likely · Within days
The Dallas Wings will play Game 3 against the Golden State Valkyries in the Bay Area on Friday night.
Very likely · Within days
The Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces will play Game 3 on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
Very likely · Within hours
Open Questions
- Which teams will advance to the WNBA Finals?
- Will the Atlanta Dream reach the Finals for the first time in franchise history?
- Can the Dallas Wings overcome the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3?
