The 2026 WNBA playoffs are off and running, and there have been some fantastic games.
Eight teams began their quest for a championship on Sunday, Sept. 27, hoping to be the one that dethrones the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. While games were competitive early on, most turned into blowout victories as stars turned up the intensity and cranked out thegame-winning performances.
If you missed out on the action, not to worry. USA TODAY's Studio IX has you covered. We've compiled a handy recap of day one of the WNBA playoffs that reviews all four games and what happened in each. Here's a look back at Sunday's action as the playoffs turn to Game 2s on Tuesday and Wednesday:
New York Liberty steal Game 1 against Minnesota Lynx on the road
The New York Liberty took the first step toward their second title in three
seasons with a 91-75 win over the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the first-round WNBA playoff series on Sunday. The series shifts to New York for Game 2 on Tuesday, where the Liberty will have a chance to close out the Lynx at home at the Barclays Center.
Forward Breanna Stewart led the way with a game-high 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Stewart was one of three Liberty players in double digits, with Leonie Fiebich adding 16 points and Sabrina Ionescu 13 points.
"We were ready to go. I think our entire group, we knew what it was going to take and everything that we've been through prepared us for this moment," Stewart said after the 16-point win, the Liberty's largest road playoff win since 2015. "Playing here was hard. Obviously it was really loud, but we kept our composure. We continue to fight through and we know Tuesday's the hardest one yet."
Las Vegas Aces pummel Indiana Fever behind A'ja Wilson double-double
The No. 3 seeded Las Vegas Aces beat the No. 6 Indiana Fever 102-85 in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs on Sunday. Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson led the Aces with 38 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. She became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in multiple playoff games. It was also Wilson's 11th career 30-point playoff game, extending her lead for the most in WNBA playoff history. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray scored 21 and 14 points, respectively.
“It's what I do. I don't take a minute on this court for granted," Wilson said. "So when I come out, I try to be the best that I can be and allow my teammates to do themselves as well and allow them to be the best. So it's my job. I'm going to continue to do it at a high level always. And then we go as much as we go.”
Big second half powers Atlanta Dream past Washington Mystics
The No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream rolled over the No. 5 seed Washington Mystics, 92-77, in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday. The Mystics' defense gave the Dream all they could handle before DeWanna Bonner scored 11 in the third quarter and Rhyne Howard took over with 10 fourth-quarter points. Howard finished with a game-high 26 points, five steals and a block. Atlanta had four more players in double digits, including Angel Reese, who got her first playoff double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
"The next (game) will be harder than this one," Howard said. "They're gonna wanna come out with more aggression. They're gonna wanna fight a little bit hard because it will be their season on the line. Not ours.
"What we did in the first half, we can't have another half like that ever. I think next game, they're gonna wanna come out and capitalize on the mistakes that we did make. So I think making sure that we're playing our defense for a full 40 minutes is gonna be key because you wanna take their confidence early. (We) wanna make sure that we put them away early. There's not a team that you can just play around with."
Golden State Valkyries set scoring record in playoff win over Dallas Wings
The Golden State Valkyries have been, by almost any metric, the best defensive team in the WNBA this season. But in their postseason opener on Sunday, Sept. 27, at home at the Chase Center in San Francisco against the Dallas Wings, the Valkyries turned up the heat on offense. Cecilia Zandalasini scored 22 points, Tiffany Hayes had 21 off the bench and Gabby Williams added 20 as the Valkyries powered their way to a 104-80 Game 1 victory over the Wings in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
"The way our defense can be a little bit out of stickiness is getting stops, so we're pushing it in transition," Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. "That's our biggest thing. If we want to flow more, then we got to get stops. … we know we can control our defense.
"We don't know sometimes if we're going to shoot a high percentage, so we rely on that physicality, that lock-in, and then we're going the other way."
WNBA playoffs schedule
Here's what games to watch this week as the playoffs continue:
Game 2
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty: Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 8:30 p.m. ET | USA/CNBC
- No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings: Wednesday, Sept. 30 | 9 p.m. ET | ESPN
- No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever: Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 6:30 p.m. ET | Prime Video
- No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics: Wednesday, Sept. 30 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary)
- Thursday, Oct. 1
- If Game 3 is necessary for both Lynx vs. Liberty and Aces vs. Fever:
- Liberty at Lynx: 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
- Fever at Aces: 9:00 PM ET | USA/CNBC
- If Game 3 is only necessary for Liberty vs. Lynx: 7 p.m. ET | USA/CNBC
- If Game 3 is only necessary for Fever vs. Aces: 9 p.m. ET | USA/CNBC
- If Game 3 is necessary for both Lynx vs. Liberty and Aces vs. Fever:
- Friday, Oct. 2
- If Game 3 is necessary for both Dream vs. Mystics and Valkyries vs. Wings:
- Mystics at Dream: 7:30 p.m. ET | Prime Video
- Wings at Valkyries: 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
- If Game 3 is only necessary for Mystics vs. Dream: 8 p.m. ET | ESPN 2
- If Game 3 is only necessary for Wings vs. Valkyries: 9 p.m. | ESPN 2
- If Game 3 is necessary for both Dream vs. Mystics and Valkyries vs. Wings:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What happened in the WNBA playoffs? Day 1 recap as postseason heats up
