How do playoffs work in the WNBA? Rules, format and more

The 2024 WNBA regular season is down to its last games before the playoffs begin on Sept. 22. Seven teams have already clinched playoff spots, but the seedings haven’t been fully determined yet. The battle for the eighth and final berth will be one of the biggest stories before the postseason.

Unlike the NBA, the WNBA does not have a play-in tournament. The rules to earn a playoff ticket are much simpler, as the top eight teams with the most wins book a slot in the postseason.

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WNBA playoff tiebreakers

The overall record will determine the WNBA postseason rankings. If teams end up with the same records, as per the league's rule book the following tiebreakers are used:

• Better record in head-to-head games
• Better percentage within own conference
• Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the regular season.

The battle for the final playoff spot is between three Eastern Conference teams. The Chicago Sky (13-22) is clinging to the eighth seed, holding a one-game lead over the Atlanta Dream (12-23) and a two-game edge over the Washington Mystics (11-24).

Chicago has a 2-1 series lead against Atlanta before its Sep. 17 showdown. A win for the Dream would not only even the head-to-head series at 2-2 but also improve their conference record.

Washington’s fate isn't completely in its own hands. However, the team can pull off a stunning finish if it can string together wins. The Mystics currently have a 5-5 conference record, which is better than the Sky's 3-7 and the Dream's 4-6 records. However, a loss to the Sky on Wednesday will make Washington’s playoff appearance unlikely.

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The higher seed will have home-court advantage in the WNBA playoffs

In the WNBA playoffs, the first round is a best-of-three series, with the higher seed hosting Games 1 and 2. For the semifinals and finals, the format changes to a best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 structure, where the higher seed hosts Games 1,2 and 5. In each series, the higher-seeded team gets home-court advantage.

The first-round matchups are No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5.

If the playoffs were to start today, the matchups would be the New York Liberty (1) versus the Chicago Sky (8), the Minnesota Lynx (2) against the Phoenix Mercury (7), a highly anticipated battle between the Connecticut Sun (3) and the Indiana Fever (6) and the fourth-seeded, two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces will host the fifth-ranked Seattle Storm.

The winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 8 battle will take on the victor of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 showdown. Whichever team emerges in the No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup will host the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 series. Eventually, the last two remaining teams will face off in the 2024 WNBA Finals.