
AI-generated summary
The 2026 WNBA playoffs began after a historic labor battle that increased the salary cap from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026, leading to multiple regular-season records being broken.
The 2026 WNBA playoffs continued on Tuesday night with the Fever and Lynx facing elimination in the first round. For Indiana, Caitlin Clark was not going 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 set up a win-or-go-home Game 3 back in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The top-seeded Lynx were unable to do the same against the Liberty. 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.
Elsewhere, the Valkyries and Dream have 1-0 leads in the first round against the Wings and Mystics. Golden State and Atlanta can advance to the semifinals with a win.
The higher seeds will host a deciding Game 3, if necessary, later in the week. After that, the second round is best-of-five and the Finals will be a best-of-seven series for just the second time in league history.
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)
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Dream vs. Mystics, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 2: Valkyries vs. Wings, 9 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Thursday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Aces vs. Fever, 9 p.m., USA/fubo
Friday, Oct. 2
Game 3*: Dream vs. Mystics, TBD
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)
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
AI outlook ā possibilities, not facts
The Indiana Fever will win Game 3 against the Las Vegas Aces to advance to the semifinals.
Possible Ā· Within days
The New York Liberty will continue their playoff run after defeating the Minnesota Lynx.
Likely Ā· Within weeks

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