2026 WNBA Playoffs Semifinals Begin with Dream and Valkyries Wins
Quick Look
- The 2026 WNBA playoffs semifinals began with the Atlanta Dream defeating the New York Liberty 92-82 and the Valkyries beating the Las Vegas Aces 71-60 in Game 1 on Sunday.
- Key players Allisha Gray and Jewell Loyd exited with injuries.
- Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday evening, with the full playoff bracket and schedule outlined for the best-of-five series leading to the WNBA Finals.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The 2026 WNBA playoffs began after a historic labor agreement increased the salary cap from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026. The Dream, Valkyries, and Aces advanced to the semifinals, while the eighth-seeded Liberty upset the top-seeded Lynx in the first round.
We're down to the final four in the 2026 WNBA playoffs. The semifinals tipped off Sunday with both home teams getting big wins over their more proven opponents, as the Dream defeated the Liberty 92-82 and the Valkyries' defense dominated the Aces' offense for a 71-60 win. All four teams now have a couple of days off, as both Game 2s of the best-of-five series won't tip off until Wednesday evening. That delay could be important for the Dream and Aces, as they both saw key players leave their games on Sunday with health concerns -- Allisha Gray with a hand injury and Jewell Loyd with a left leg injury.
Three of the top four seeds advanced past the first round, with one notable exception, as the eighth-seeded Liberty knocked out the top-seeded Lynx. The Dream advanced to their first semifinal since 2018 with a sweep of the Mystics, the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces took care of Caitlin Clark and the Fever in three games and the Valkyries overcame a 16-point deficit in an elimination game to knock out the Wings.
The thrilling start to the playoffs is fitting, since 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 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
Semifinals schedule
(All times Eastern)
Sunday, Oct. 4
Game 1: No. 4 Dream 92, No. 8 Liberty 82
Game 1: No. 2 Valkyries 71, No. 3 Aces 60
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Game 2: Dream vs. Liberty, 7:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 2: Valkyries vs. Aces, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Friday, Oct. 9
Game 3: Dream vs. Liberty, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2/fubo
Game 3: Valkyries vs. Aces, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Sunday, Oct. 11
Game 4*: Dream vs. Liberty, TBD, ABC/fubo
Game 4*: Valkyries vs. Aces, TBD, NBC/fubo
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Game 5*: Dream vs. Liberty, TBD, ESPN/fubo
Game 5*: Valkyries vs. Aces, 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
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 (Atlanta wins 2-0)
Game 2: No. 7 Wings 108, No. 2 Valkyries 100 (OT)
Thursday, Oct. 1
Game 3: No. 3 Aces 94, No. 6 Fever 83 (Las Vegas wins 2-1)
Friday, Oct. 2
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Dream and Valkyries will win Game 2 of their semifinal series.
Likely · Within days
The WNBA Finals will feature two of the four semifinalists.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will Allisha Gray and Jewell Loyd be available for Game 2?
- Can the Liberty or Aces force a Game 3 after losing Game 1 on the road?
- Which teams will advance to the WNBA Finals?
