NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are poised to make their WNBA playoff debuts, while Caitlin Clark returns to postseason action after missing last year due to injury.
The WNBA playoffs kick off Sunday with four opening-round matchups. Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever will face A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of last season’s semifinals. Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream will take on the Washington Mystics, Paige Bueckers’ Dallas Wings will battle the Golden State Valkyries, and New York will play Minnesota, revisiting last year’s WNBA Finals pairing.
Reese, who spent her first two seasons in Chicago before being traded to Atlanta, has thrived in her new environment. She led the league in rebounding again and has cemented her reputation as one of the WNBA’s premier defenders. Bueckers has delivered a strong season, helping the Wings return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, ranking fifth in scoring and eighth in assists across the league.
Here are some key storylines to watch this postseason:
The Golden State Valkyries have burst onto the scene, making the playoffs in just their second season—the first expansion team to do so last year—and are now the No. 2 seed. They boast a 17-5 home record, the best in the league, fueled in part by enthusiastic crowds averaging over 18,000 fans per game at Chase Center.
Defensively, Golden State leads the league in rating, points allowed, and three-point defense. Offensively, they’re deadly from beyond the arc, leading the league by averaging 10.4 made three-pointers per game.
Playoff Format Expansion
The first round is a best-of-three series using a 1-1-1 home-court format, ensuring each team gets at least one home game. Previously, formats varied, including instances where the higher seed hosted the first two games. Coaches have expressed support for expanding the first round to a best-of-five series. Currently, only the semifinals are best-of-five, while the WNBA Finals are a best-of-seven series, with last season marking the first time the Finals stretched that long—culminating in Las Vegas sweeping Phoenix in four games.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, “I love the idea. Looking at these eight teams in the field playing great basketball, the series should go as long as possible—that’s where the money is. We’d love to see a new commissioner and the competition committee move in that direction. There’s been disappointment around the three-game series this season for these closely matched teams. Expanding to a longer series feels like the next step in the league’s evolution.”
Broadcast Coverage
The new media rights deal starting this season means that playoff games will be televised across ESPN, NBC, USA Sports, Amazon Prime, and Peacock. From 2016 through last season, ESPN held exclusive rights to all postseason contests.
For the first round, coverage will be on ESPN, Prime, and USA Sports. The semifinals will air on ESPN, NBC, and Peacock, while NBC and USA Sports will televise the WNBA Finals, with additional streaming on Peacock. ESPN had previously broadcast every Finals game from 2003 to 2025.
Officials on Duty
Roy Gulbeyan will officiate his 27th consecutive WNBA postseason this year, having started in 2000. The league does not publicly disclose officials’ playoff appearance numbers, but Gulbeyan has been with the WNBA for 29 of its 30 seasons.
Seventeen officials, along with three alternates, have been selected to work the playoffs. Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations, commented, “We’re proud to honor this group of officials for their expertise and commitment in being chosen to officiate the 2026 playoffs. Just like players and coaches, making the postseason is a significant achievement for officials.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here.
Fan Take: This year’s playoffs highlight the exciting growth and competitiveness of the WNBA, especially with rising stars like Reese, Bueckers, and Clark making their mark. The potential expansion of early playoff rounds to longer series could elevate fan engagement and showcase the league’s depth, signaling a bright future for women’s basketball.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
