The New York Liberty clinched the WNBA's eighth and final playoff berth after both the Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks lost their final regular-season games on Sunday.
With that, the 2021 playoffs are officially set:
Final standings
Rank | Team | Record |
---|---|---|
1. * | Connecticut Sun | 26-6 |
2. * | Las Vegas Aces | 24-8 |
3. ^ | Minnesota Lynx | 22-10 |
4. ^ | Seattle Storm | 21-11 |
5. | Phoenix Mercury | 19-13 |
6. | Chicago Sky | 16-16 |
7. | Dallas Wings | 14-18 |
8. | New York Liberty | 12-20 |
9. x | Los Angeles Sparks | 12-20 |
10. x | Washington Mystics | 12-20 |
11. x | Atlanta Dream | 8-24 |
12. x | Indiana Fever | 6-26 |
* Double bye to semifinals
^ Single bye to second round
x Eliminated
Here's how the postseason will play out in the weeks ahead:
Round 1
The first round of single-elimination games will begin on Thursday, Sept. 23.
- No. 8 Liberty at No. 5 Mercury
- No. 7 Wings at No. 6 Sky
Round 2
The second single-elimination round will take place Sunday, Sept. 26.
- Lowest remaining seed from Round 1 at No. 3 Lynx
- Highest remaining seed from Round 1 at No. 4 Storm
Semifinals
The two best-of-five semifinal series will begin Tuesday, Sept. 28.
- Lowest remaining seed from Round 2 vs. No. 1 Sun
- Highest remaining seed from Round 2 vs. No. 2 Aces
Finals
The 2021 WNBA Finals will pit the winners of the two semifinals against each other in a best-of-five series. Game 1 will tip off Sunday, Oct. 10, with a possible Game 5 slated for Tuesday, Oct. 19.