WNBA playoffs

The WNBA playoffs is an elimination tournament among eight teams in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.

Format

In the current format of the WNBA playoffs, the top eight teams in the regular season – regardless of conference – participate in a single-elimination tournament system. The eight teams are seeded by their regular season records, with the higher seeded team (or the team with the better record) in each series given homecourt advantage.

Since 2025, the Quarterfinals are a best-of-three series, played with a homecourt pattern of odd–even (the higher seed hosts games 1 and 3, the latter if needed; while the lower seed hosts game 2). The Semifinals are a best-of-five series, played with a homecourt pattern of 2–2–1 (the higher seed hosts games 1 and 2, plus 5 if needed, while the lower seed hosts game 3, plus 4 if needed). The WNBA Finals are a best-of-seven series using a 2-2-1-1-1 homecourt pattern, with the first two games hosted by the higher seed, the next two by the lower seed, and alternating for the last three, all if needed.

Tiebreaker procedures

In case of ties, the following procedures are followed:

1. Better winning percentage among all head-to-head games involving tied teams.
2. Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the season.
3. Better point differential in games involving tied teams.
4. Better point differential in all games.
5. Coin toss (or draw of lots, if at least 3 teams are still tied after the first 4 tiebreakers fail).

History

The playoff format has changed throughout the years ever since the league's establishment.

In the league's first two seasons, 1997 and 1998, only the top four teams overall advanced to the playoffs, which comprised only two rounds. In 1997, only a single game was played in all matches. In 1998, each match became a best-of-three series. The homecourt pattern for best-of-three was odd-even.

As expansion began, the playoff format accommodated more teams. 1999 featured six teams, with the top three teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs, and the top seed of each conference getting a bye into the Conference Finals. The following season, it was expanded to eight teams with the top four teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs. In 2005, the WNBA Finals became a best-of-five series. Despite the departure of some teams later on, this format continued until 2015.

From 2016-2021, a new format was introduced, featuring a stepladder-like system. In this format, the first- and second-seeded teams entered the tournament at the Semifinals, third and fourth places started at the Second Round, and the remaining four began at the First Round. The format also eliminated conference seeding, instead having the top eight teams overall advance. The First and Second Rounds were only a single game, with the winning team immediately advancing to the next round. The Semifinals and Finals were both best-of-five series. After each round, the lower surviving seed faced the higher seed in the next round, while the higher surviving seed faced the lower seed.

The current format was adopted in 2022 and features the top 8 teams in the league (regardless of conference) playing a three-round series for the championship. The quarterfinals was a best-of-three series with the higher seed hosting the first two games, the latter at lower-seed if needed; while the Semifinals and Finals remain a best-of-five series. The higher seed hosts the first, second, and (if needed) fifth games. Since 2025, Quarterfinals had gone back to an odd-even pattern, and the Finals became a best-of-seven series, utilising a 2–2–1–1–1 pattern similar to the NBA & NHL, with the higher seed hosting the first and second games, plus the fifth and seventh games if needed.

Playoff series history

2025 season

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court-advantage

2024 season

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court-advantage

2023 season

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2022 season

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2021 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.

• Bold – Game or series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2020 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.

• Bold – Game or series winner

2019 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after each round.

• Bold – Game or series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2018 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after second round and semi-finals.

• Bold – Game or series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2017 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after second round and semi-finals.

• Bold – Game or series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2016 season

Note: Teams re-seeded after the second round and semifinals.

• Bold – Game or series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2015 season

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2014 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2013 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2012 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

2011 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2010 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four. Starting in 2010, the first two rounds changed to a 1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded team hosting games 1 & 3.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2009 season

There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2008 season

There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2007 season

There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2006 season

There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2005 season

There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four, this was also the first season where the WNBA finals was expanded to a best-of-5 game series.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2004 season

There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2003 season

There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2002 season

There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2001 season

There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

2000 season

There were 16 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

1999 season

There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the three teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to three. The top seeded team in each conference got a bye for the first round.

• Bold – Game or Series winner
• Italics – Team with home-court advantage

1998 season

There were 10 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four. Houston was switched to the Western Conference so two Western Conference teams matched up in the WNBA Finals.

• Bold – Series winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

1997 season

This was the first year of existence for the WNBA. There were only 8 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in the league were seeded one to four. Houston was in the Eastern Conference so two Eastern Conference teams matched up in the WNBA Championship.

• Bold – Game winner
• Italic – Team with home-court advantage

See also

• Women's National Basketball Association
• WNBA Finals

External links