From the Connecticut Sun's heartfelt goodbye to Los Angeles Sparks legend Nneka Ogwumike's final game, the WNBA's 2026 regular-season finale was an emotional one. But now, it's time to wipe those tears. The playoffs are here.
Although the Sparks and Sun were long eliminated from the postseason, their Thursday night matchups were still key for the standings. For every team other than the Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings and New York Liberty, seeding was still on the line.
Can the Lynx return to their dynastic roots? Will the Las Vegas Aces claim their fourth WNBA title in five years and go back-to-back again? Is Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase going to supersede owner Joe Lacob's mandate to win a championship in the first five years of
the team's existence and do it in two? Can the Indiana Fever's All-Star core bring home their first league title since 2012? Or will the champion be a wild card like the young Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings or championship-less Atlanta Dream?
The road to determining those answers begins when the playoffs officially tip off on Sunday, Sept. 27, and each team's respective journeys will be impacted by variables that have now been determined; including who drew who in the matchups, and which teams will start with home court advantage.
USA TODAY has you covered with all the details. Here's everything you need to know:
WNBA playoff teams
1. Minnesota Lynx (33-11)
The Lynx clinched the No. 1 seed back on Tuesday, and ended the campaign with a dominant 86-66 win over the Indiana Fever. They'll have home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs, starting with Game 1 of the first round against the New York Liberty.
2. Golden State Valkyries (32-12)
On Thursday night, Golden State needed a win over the Sparks or for the Aces to lose to secure the No. 2 seed. It seemed like neither would happen, until the Sparks fell in a disastrous collapse to spoil Ogwumike's final WNBA game. The Valkyries secured the No. 2 spot and will have home court advantage in the first round against the Wings.
3. Las Vegas Aces (31-13)
The Aces are a top-3 seed, just like they were last season − but this time it didn't take a historic winning streak to close the regular season. They'll have home court advantage in the first round against the Fever after beating the Phoenix Mercury in their regular-season finale on Thursday.
4. Atlanta Dream (30-14)
The Dream finished the regular season by losing just one of their final 10 games, and their sole loss in that span was a month ago. Atlanta clinched the No. 4 spot on Wednesday and will have home court advantage against the Mystics in the first round.
5. Washington Mystics (28-16)
The Mystics secured their first-round date with the Dream by beating the Chicago Sky 101-93 on Thursday night, ending their season on a similar note to Atlanta's with one loss in their final eight games.
6. Indiana Fever (28-16)
Indiana had a chance at the No. 5 seed if it won and the Mystics had lost, but the Fever will instead face the Aces without home court advantage in the first round. Luckily, they won't have to start the postseason without staring center Aliyah Boston, who exited their regular-season finale in what coach Stephanie White said postgame was just a precaution due to a "flareup."
7. Dallas Wings (27-17)
Dallas clinched the No. 7 spot on Wednesday as it beat the Seattle Storm. The Wings were the final team to secure a spot in the postseason.
8. New York Liberty (26-18)
The Liberty also clinched their spot on Wednesday, securing a 2024 WNBA Finals rematch as they ended the season with back-to-back losses against the Dream. Although it's a tough draw, the Liberty had a 2-1 edge in the regular-season series against the Lynx and MVP candidate Breanna Stewart can't be counted out.
WNBA playoff matchups
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Libert
- No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings
- No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
- No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is in the WNBA playoffs? Bracket, matchups now set
