The 2024 WNBA regular season, one of the most important in league history is in the books. After the last night against the weather on Thursday, all playoff seeds have been determined and first round matchups have been set.
As of Thursday, there were still three teams alive for the final playoff spot, but The Dream made sure there was no drama with a comfortable win over Libertywho had nothing to play for after closing out the No. 1 earlier in the week. With their win, Dream took the No. 1 seed. 8, and will face Liberty in the first round.
The only remaining situation in the air was quickly resolved. A win is needed to earn the No. 1 seed. 3, The Sun destroyed the Sky in the first game of the evening. They will now face Caitlin Clark and No. 6 seed Indiana Fever in the first round.
To update, the top eight teams, regardless of conference affiliation, make the playoffs in the WNBA. Under the current playoff system, teams are placed in a regular bracket with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 1 seed. 8 for the first time, No. 2 vs. No. 7 and so on.
The teams will play a best-of-three series in the first round and a best-of-five series in the semifinals and finals. Obviously, the first round is a 2-1 format, meaning the higher seed gets the first two games at home, while the lower seed gets Game 3 at home if the series goes that far. In the semi-finals and finals, it is the usual 2-2-1 formation, with the top games to receive the 1st, 2nd and 5th seeds, if necessary.
Final conditions
- New York Liberty (32-8) — Sports
- Minnesota Lynx (30-10) — Sports
- Connecticut Sun (28-12) — Sports
- Las Vegas Aces (27-13) — Sports
- The Seattle Storm (25-15) — Sports
- Indiana fever (20-20) — Sports
- Phoenix Mercury (19-21) — Sports
- Atlanta Dream (15-25) — Sports
- Washington Mystics (14-26) — Lottery
- Chicago Sky (13-27) — Lottery
- Dallas Wings (9-31) — Lottery
- Los Angeles Sparks (8-32) — Lottery
Note: Ties are decided first by head-to-head record and, if necessary, better record against .500+ teams. Ties between more than two teams are determined by the combined head-to-head record against the other teams.
First round games
- No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream
- No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury
- No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
- No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm
When all the action is over, see the final playoff picture.
Liberty clinch no. 1 seed
1. New York Liberty (32-8)
The Liberty tied their single-season record for wins with 32 and are the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They are still looking for their first title. in the history of the franchise, and they have a real opportunity to seek. this is the time. When the playoffs begin, they are the favorites to win it all.
First opponent: No. 8 Atlanta Dream
Lynx take second
2. Minnesota Lynx (30-10)
No one expected the Lynx to be this good, but they got off to a great start and never looked back. Behind Napheesa Collier and a stellar defense, they reached the 30-win mark for the first time in franchise history and took the No. 1 seed. 2 in the playoffs.
First opponent: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury
Sun, Aces, Storm round the next three spots
3. Connecticut Sun (28-12)
Day got off to an impressive 13-1 start, but only went 15-12 and couldn’t stop the Lynx for the No. 1 seed. 2. As a result, they dropped to third and will take Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever for the first time. Will this be the year the Sun passes? They have been to five consecutive semifinals, but nothing to show for it.
First opponent: No. 6 Indiana Fever
4. Las Vegas Aces (27-13)
The Aces really struggled early in the season, even coming off the Olympic break, but closed by winning nine of their last 10 games to earn the No. 1 seed. 4. Their poor start has left them in a tougher position than they would like, but they still have a real chance of finishing second in league history.
First opponent: No. 5 Seattle Storm
5. Seattle Storm (25-15)
The Storm had a solid season, but did not perform as well as they were expected to with their offseason additions Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith. Although the defense has been strong, the offense has not clicked. They went 1-3 against the Aces in the regular season, including a double-digit loss earlier this week.
First opponent: No. 4 Las Vegas Aces
Fever protects the sixth seed, Mercury gets the seventh
6. Indiana Fever (20-20)
For the first time since 2016, the Fever are headed to the playoffs. No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark put together a historic rookie campaign and turned the Fever into the most dangerous team in the league. They will meet the battle-tested Suns in the first round, who boast the best defense in the league.
First opponent: No. 6 Connecticut Sun
7. Phoenix Mercury (19-21)
The new form of Mercury was bright, especially in the beginning, but in the end it was heavy. They finished the season by losing eight of their last 12 games and are now tied for the 7th seed and a playoff game against the hottest team in the league.
First opponent: Well. 2 Minnesota Lynx
The dream of taking the last place
8. Atlanta Dream (15-25)
The Dream’s roller coaster season finally ended on a high note, as they defeated Liberty on the last day to secure the 8th seed and the second consecutive appearance of the games. However, they will have their work cut out for them in the first round, as they will face a Liberty team that can put up points quickly.
First opponent: No. 1 New York Liberty
It has been terminated
9. Washington Mystics (14-26)
The Mystics were 0-12, the fourth-worst start in league history, but made a remarkable turnaround after the Olympics entered the final day with a chance to win the 8th seed. In the end they failed, but it was a strong effort. However, the lottery trip is good for their long-term future.
10. Chicago Sky (13-27)
The Sky got off to a better start than anyone expected, but they collapsed after a mid-season trade that sent Marina Mabrey to the Suns and a season-ending injury to Angel Reese. They went 3-13 after the Olympics and finished the season on a five-game losing streak. To make matters worse, they owe the Wings a first-round pick change and therefore can’t get the No. 1 overall pick.
11. Dallas Wings (9-30)
The Wings had terrible injury luck in the first half of the season, but that doesn’t explain their nine-game losing streak to end the season. They are tied for the draw for the first time since 2020, and Sky owes them a change in selection this season. While they will receive only one lottery pick, their combined odds or Sky winning the lottery mean they have a good chance of picking No. 1.
12. Los Angeles Sparks (8-32)
The Sparks were always set for a rebuilding year, but that didn’t go to plan either. No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink tore his ACL in June, and things got worse from there. They lost 15 of their last 17 games and became the first team eliminated from playoff contention this season. This is the fourth consecutive lottery appearance for the Sparks, the longest streak in franchise history.
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