The WNBA Playoffs is an elimination tournament between 8 teams in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.
Format
In the current format of the WNBA playoffs, the top eight teams in the regular season, regardless of conference, participate in a single-elimination tournament system. The eight teams are then seeded by their regular season records, with the higher seeded team (or the team with the better record) in a series given homecourt advantage.
Round One is a best-of-three series, played with a homecourt pattern of 2–1 (the higher seed hosts games 1 and 2, while the lower seed hosts game 3). The Semifinals and Finals are both best-of-five, played with a homecourt pattern of 2–2–1 (the higher seed hosts games 1, 2, and 5, while the lower seed hosts games 3 and 4).
Tiebreaker procedures
In case of ties, the following procedures are followed: Better winning percentage among all head-to-head games involving tied teams. Better winning percentage against all teams with a .500 or better record at the end of the season. Better point differential in games involving tied teams. Better point differential in all games. Coin toss (or draw of lots, if at least 3 teams are still tied after the first 4 tiebreakers fail).
History
The playoff format has changed throughout the years ever since the league's establishment.
In the league's first two seasons, 1997 and 1998, only the top four teams overall advance to the playoffs, only consisting of two rounds. In 1997, only a single game was played in all matches. In 1998, each match became a best-of-three series. The homecourt pattern for best-of-three was 1–1–1.
As expansion began, the playoff format accommodated more teams. The format used in 1999 had six teams with the top three teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs, with the top seed of each conference getting a bye into the Conference Finals. The following season, it was expanded to eight teams with the top four teams from each conference advancing to the playoffs. In 2005, the WNBA Finals became a best-of-five series. Despite the departure of some teams later on, the format would stick until 2015.
In 2016, a new format was introduced, featuring a stepladder-like system. In this format, the first- and second-seeded teams start at the Semifinals, third and fourth start at the Second Round, and the remaining four begin at the First Round. The format also removed conference seeding, instead having the top eight teams overall advance. The First and Second Rounds only consist of a single game, with the winning team immediately advancing to the next round. The Semifinals and Finals are both best-of-five series. After each round, the lower surviving seed faces the higher seed in the next round, and the higher surviving seed faces the lower seed.
The current format was adopted in 2022.
Playoff series history
2023 season
2022 season
2021 season
2020 season
2019 season
2018 season
2017 season
2016 season
2015 season
2014 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2013 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2012 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2011 season
There were 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2010 season
There are 12 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference are seeded one to four. Starting in 2010, the first two rounds changed to a 1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded team hosting games 1 & 3.
2009 season
There are 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference are seeded one to four.
2008 season
There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2007 season
There were 13 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.
2006 season
There were 14 teams in the league. For the playoffs, the four teams with the best record in each conference were seeded one to four.