The WNBA regular season is over, the playoff bracket is set and the Phoenix Mercury will begin their run on Sunday at the Minnesota Lynx.
First-round series are best-of-three, and Minnesota will host the first two games against Phoenix. The Mercury would host Game 3 if necessary.
Phoenix is the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 19-21 record. The Mercury dropped their finale to the Seattle Storm 89-70 on Thursday, a game that doubled as a celebration for legend Diana Taurasi in what may have been her final regular season contest — she has yet to say definitively if she will retire.
The No. 2 seed, Minnesota went 30-10 this season led by All-Star and Olympian Napheesa Collier. The Lynx went 3-1 this season against Phoenix.
When are the Mercury’s playoff games?
The WNBA released its playoff schedule.
Game 1 between the Mercury and Lynx is set for 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Game 3 would be Friday, Sept. 27, at a time to be determined on ESPN2.
We have 2024 WNBA playoff games, times and TV designations for the first round pic.twitter.com/lBHYLgx5sM
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) September 20, 2024
What are the WNBA playoff matchups?
The No. 8 Atlanta Dream face the top-seeded New York Liberty. The No. 3 Connecticut Sun will welcome the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever and sensational rookie Caitlin Clark.
The final opening round matchup is the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, the No. 4 seed, hosting the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm.
Las Vegas is trying to become the first team to win three titles in a row since Houston won four straight in the first four seasons of the WNBA — from 1997 to 2000.
The final playoff spot came down to the last day of the regular season. Atlanta needed a victory to clinch a spot and the Dream did just that by beating New York 78-67. The Liberty had already clinched the top seed.
All seeds and playoff spots are locked 🔒
Take a look at the official bracket for the 2024 #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google ⬇️
First Round begins Sunday September 22nd at 1pm/ET on ESPN#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/QWsC3NF7qj
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 20, 2024
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
