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The WNBA playoffs have their own structure, and it works differently from the NBA. With the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces locked in a battle that has reached Game 5 of the semifinals, many fans are wondering if there could be a Game 6.
The answer is no. The semifinals are a best-of-five series, so the winner is decided in at most five games.
The format follows a 2-2-1 schedule. The higher seed hosts the first two games, the lower seed hosts the next two, and if the series goes the distance, the decisive Game 5 is played back at the higher seed’s home court.
This is shorter than what NBA fans are used to. The NBA runs best-of-seven series across the playoffs.
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One big change does come in 2025. The WNBA Finals expanded from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven, finally matching the NBA in length. The Finals will use the familiar 2-2-1-1-1 format. That means the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 (if required) and 7 (if required), while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 6 (if required).
2025 WNBA playoffs semifinals results so far
Many expected the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury series to be more competitive than the clash between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces. But the Lynx ended up losing in four games, largely because Napheesa Collier went down with an injury in Game 2. Satou Sabally emerged as the star for Phoenix, averaging 19.5 points and 6.3 rebounds throughout the series.
Meanwhile, the Fever have been fighting through major setbacks. They are missing Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, Chloe Bibby and Damiris Dantas. The Aces, on the other hand, have their full roster available. Still, Las Vegas was stunned in the opener, dropping Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals to Indiana 89-73.
A’ja Wilson then carried her team to back-to-back wins, only for the Fever to keep their season alive with a 90-83 victory in Game 4.
Kelsey Mitchell has been leading Indiana with 23.3 points and 3.3 assists per game, while Wilson has averaged 21.3 points and 9.8 rebounds for Las Vegas.
The do-or-die Game 5 will be played Tuesday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena, with tip-off set for 9:30 p.m. ET.
