Busy first round leaves 2026 WNBA playoff semifinals all but set. Thursday, October 1 The second seed Las Vegas Aces made sure of a showdown against the New York Liberty with an impressive victory over the sixth seed Indiana Fever in Game 3 at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
The 94-83 scoreline saw the Aces claim a 2-1 series win and it was the second successive season they have bowed out the Fever in the playoffs.
It was a team effort as Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young chipped in with important contributions alongside 36-point and 10-rebound performance from A’ja Wilson (after she scored 38 in Game 1 earlier in the series) as they become the eighth consecutive team to reach the semi-finals.
Indiana (8-16) was led by 18 points from Caitlin Clark, while Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston scored 23 and 19 points respectively, to go along with 10 rebounds. In the end, the Fever’s prolific regular season offense – an average of nearly 96 points per game, a league record – was stifled.
The Aces will play the winner of the currently incomplete first-round contest between the second-seeded Golden State Valkyries and seventh-seeded Dallas Wings. That series is tied 1-1 after Dallas came back with a win in overtime (and Arike Ogunbowale scored a playoff-record 45 points). Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, in San Francisco.
The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx – winners of 17 of their last 21 games – were also stunned in best-of-three first round action, by the No. 8 New York Liberty. The Liberty swept the Lynx in Game 2, 87-71, in the first playoff series since the league adopted its current format with a No. 8 seed facing a No. 1 seed. It also marked the first time a No. 8 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in the opening round.
Breanna Stewart led the way with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in Game 1, with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists in Game 2. Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu provided key contributions in the sweep.
The Atlanta Dream beat the fifth seed Washington Mystics in two straight, completing the series with a 93-75 win in Washington. Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada and Angel Reese were key in the win. The Dream will face the Liberty in the semi-final, starting on Sunday on the road in Atlanta.
Liberty, 2024 Champions: Lower seed with veteran leadership, post-season experience The Aces have been a thorn in the side of everyone during the postseason, and they will still be a heavy favorite even though they didn’t finish as the top regular-season seed, due to Wilson’s dominance and their championship experience.
Current 2026 WNBA Semifinal Outlook (October 2, 2023)
Aces vs. winner of Valkyries/Wings
Liberty vs. Dream
Semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, October 4 (best-of-five). The curtain on this first round is beginning to open up and show us the way to the Finals.
