The 2026 WNBA Playoffs began on Sunday—and none of the games were particularly close, with an average margin of victory of 18 points.
That doesn’t mean things weren’t exciting.
A’ja Wilson went berserk for the Las Vegas Aces, the Atlanta Dream made a statement against the Washington Mystics, the Golden State Valkyries won the franchise’s
first-ever playoff game in dominant fashion and the New York Liberty shocked everyone by blowing out the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx.
Breanna Stewart is still HER
All season long, the conversation surrounding the Liberty was about what they are not.
They can’t play good enough defensively. They are inconsistent. They struggle in the clutch. Key players can’t form or function in head coach Chris DeMarco’s system.
None of that mattered on Sunday.
Because when push came to shove, the Liberty, led by Breanna Stewart, toppled the Lynx 91-75 on the road, and Minnesota is now just one loss away from exit interviews.
Stewart was the best version of herself. She ended the night with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. She is just the fourth player in WNBA playoff history to have a 30-point, 10-rebound, five-assist game.
Since the first round of the postseason is a best-of-three series, the pressure is on the Lynx. However, Stewart and the Liberty are well aware this is far from over.
The Aces reminded why they’re the defending champs
Seeding shouldn’t matter when it comes to Las Vegas.
This is their decade. They’ve won three of the last four titles and are the defending champs. Until they’re eliminated, they shouldn’t be counted out.
In Game 1 they took care of the Fever with ease, beating them 102-85.
Wilson certainly looked like the league MVP on Sunday. She was dominant and demonstrative. As the game progressed, she poured in the buckets, ending the night with 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks.
As the leader of the Aces, she set the tone, and now Las Vegas is on track to advance to the second round.
Not much went well for the Indiana Fever.
Kelsey Mitchell’s offensive consistency evaporated. She scored just 12 points and shot 4-for-16 from the field. Caitlin Clark also struggled. Clark ended the game with 15 points, 10 assists, six turnovers and shot 3-for-10 from deep.
Atlanta’s Big 3 came alive in the second half
The Dream beat the Mystics 92-77, and they got it done thanks to their Big 3: Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Allisha Gray.
Howard scored 26 points and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. Reese had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. And Gray scored 22 points and shot 50 percent from the field.
The third quarter was really where Atlanta took over. They outscored Washington 29-12 and never relinquished that advantage.
The Valkyries hosted a Ballhalla blowout
While all of these games were blowouts, another word is needed to describe what the Valkyries did to the Dallas Wings.
They demolished them 104-80 to take the 1-0 series lead.
The second quarter was where Golden State closed the door on Dallas.
They went on a 12-3 run to end the first half, part of a 37-11 second quarter. The Valkyries led by as many as 36 points, giving the Wings a reality check on the difference between the regular season and the playoffs.
Cecilia Zandalasini was dominant. She finished with 22 points. Gabby Williams scored 20 points along with four assists. Tiffany Hayes was a super sub for Golden State. She scored 21 points off the bench.
While no games were close, the first round is far from over.
The losing teams will adjust and will play with a level of desperation that’s hard to match. All of these teams are quality, and some will figure out how to even the series, while others have just one game left.
