WNBA Playoffs 2024: Schedule, how does it work, format, bracket, rounds, past winners |Max Sporty|

What has been an unrivaled, wildly popular WNBA season is now headed for its brightest spotlight – the playoffs.

The New York Liberty have been the best team in the W all season, but the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces have put it together lately behind A’Ja Wilson, who is about to win his third MVP award, and is a threat. to win it all. Then lurking to surprise everyone is Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, who found their rhythm and went 11-5 down the stretch of the season.

If you have questions about the WNBA playoffs, we have answers.

When do the WNBA playoffs start?

The WNBA Finals playoffs with four first-round games on Sunday, September 22, and the best-of-three first round continues through September 27. The WNBA semifinals—a best-of-five series—will begin. a week after the first round, on Sunday 29th September and will continue until 8th October

The WNBA Finals will begin on October 10 and is a best-of-five series that can last until October 20.

What is the format of the WNBA playoffs?

The eight teams with the best records from the 12 WNBA teams make the playoffs, and they are seeded into a standard tournament bracket based on where they finished (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5 ). ). The first round is a best of three series, followed by a best of five semifinal and final.

Which WNBA teams will be in the playoffs?

The eight teams that made the WNBA playoffs are (in ranking order):

1. New York Liberty (32-8)
2. Minnesota Lynx (30-10)
3. Connecticut Sun (28-12)
4. Las Vegas Aces (27-13)
5. Seattle Storm (25-15)
6. Indiana Fever (20-20)
7. Phoenix Mercury (19-21)
8. Atlanta Dream (15-25)

The playoff matchups for the first round are:

Atlanta vs. New York
Phoenix vs. Minnesota
Indiana vs. Connecticut
Seattle vs. Las Vegas

Which team won the 2023 WNBA championship?

The Las Vegas Aces repeated as champions when they held off the New York Liberty in four games to take the 2023 WNBA title. inals MVP A’Ja Wilson led the Aces by averaging 21.3 points and 12.5 rebounds a game, anchoring the team’s defense. Guard Kelsey Plum also averaged 21.3 points per game.

In 2022, the Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun in four games to take the WNBA crown. Chelsey Gray was named Finals MVP after averaging 18.3 points and 6 assists a game for Las Vegas, while Wilson was again dominant averaging 20 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks a game.

Has a team ever won three straight WNBA championships?

Yes. In the first four years of the WNBA’s existence – 1997 to 2000 – Houston Comets won the title every year behind four-time Finals MVP and WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper. They beat the New York Liberty in three of those four seasons, and the Phoenix Mercury once.

The Los Angeles Sparks won two WNBA titles in a row in 2001 and 2002, but the Detroit Shock and Ruth Riley kept them from a three-peat in 2003. The Minnesota Lynx won four titles between 2011 and 2017, winning one every other year, but they never repeated as champions. They three-peat if the Lynx didn’t lose to Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever in the 2012 Finals.

Has a #1 pick ever won the WNBA championship in their first season?

Yes, twice.

In the first year of the WNBA’s existence, Tina Thompson was the number 1 pick of the Houston Comets and the team went on to win the inaugural WNBA title (and the next three after that). In what was a one-game, winner-take-all Finals against New York, Thompson scored 18 points and had 6 rebounds for the Comets.

Maya Moore was the 2011 #1 pick of the Minnesota Lynx out of NCAA power UConn, and that season the Lynx went on to sweep the Atlanta Dream out of the WNBA Finals. Moore started all three games and averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds a game for the Lynx, however she was still not their best player (2006 #1 pick Seimone Augustus won the Finals MVP award averaging 24.7 points per game).

There was an interesting situation in 2007 when the Phoenix Mercury used the number 1 pick on Lindsey Harding from Duke, but then on draft night traded her to Minnesota for Tangela Smith. The Mercury went on to win the Finals and Smith started all five games of that series averaging 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a night.

When is Caitlin Clark playing in the WNBA playoffs?

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever begin the WNBA playoffs on the road in Connecticut on Sunday (September 22) at 3 pm (the game is on ABC). Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Wednesday (September 25) at 7:30 pm (ESPN). Game 3, if necessary, is in Indiana on Sept. 27, time to be determined.

WNBA Playoffs schedule 2024

Here is the full schedule for the first round of the WNBA Finals (all times are Eastern):

Sunday, September 22 (Game 1)
13:00: Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty (ESPN)
3 pm: Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (ABC)
5 pm: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx (ESPN)
10:00 p.m.: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces (ESPN)

Tuesday, September 24 (Game 2)
7:30 pm: Atlanta Dream at New York Liberty (ESPN)
9:30 p.m.: Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces (ESPN)

Wednesday, September 25 (Game 2)
7:30 pm: Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (ESPN)
21:30: Phoenix Mercury at Minnesota Lynx (ESPN)

Thursday, September 26 (Game 3, If Necessary)
TBD: New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream (ESPN2)
TBD: Las Vegas Aces at Seattle Storm (ESPN2)

Friday, September 27 (Game 3, If Necessary)
TBD: Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever (ESPN2)
TBD: Minnesota Lynx at Phoenix Mercury (ESPN2)

Odds of winning WNBA Playoffs 2024

The odds are courtesy of our partners at BetMGM.

“BetMGM experienced historic interest in the WNBA during the 2024 regular season with a 108% increase in betting year-over-year. Caitlin Clark established herself as a star player and veterans like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson continued to dominate fueled the impressive. Consistent interest on Clark props and Fever, and a significant number of bets on the Fever are in no doubt that these trends will be very competitive and exciting.” – Hannah Luther, Sports Trader, BetMGM

Championship Line movement (open to current)

• Freedom +250 to +125

• Aces +115 to +225

Highest Ticket %

• Fever 46.8%

• Freedom 12.7%

• Aces 11.1%

Highest Holder% (most money bet)

• Fever 61.7%

• Freedom 16.7%

• Aces 7.9%

List of all-time WNBA Finals winners

1997 – Houston Comets
1998 – Houston Comets
1999 – Houston Comets
2000 – Houston Comets
2001 – Los Angeles Sparks
2002 – Los Angeles Sparks
2003 – Detroit Shock
2004 – Seattle Storm
2005 – Sacramento Monarchs
2006 – Detroit Shock
2007 – Phoenix Mercury
2008 – Detroit Shock
2009 – Phoenix Mercury
2010 – Seattle Storm
2011 – Minnesota Lynx
2012 – Indiana Fever
2013 – Minnesota Lynx
2014 – Phoenix Mercury
2015 – Minnesota Lynx
2016 – Los Angeles Sparks
2017 – Minnesota Lynx
2018 – Seattle Storm
2019 – Washington Mystics
2020 – Seattle Storm
2021 – Chicago Sky
2022 – Las Vegas Aces
2023 – Las Vegas Aces