After a extremely aggressive first spherical, the semifinalists are set within the 2025 WNBA playoffs. The fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury held off the visiting New York Liberty, 79-73, in Friday evening’s decisive Sport 3 to spherical out the semifinal area. The Mercury advance to face the top-seeded Lynx within the subsequent spherical. The Lynx have been the one crew to advance with a two-game sweep within the first spherical as they knocked out the Golden State Valkyries.
The shorthanded and sixth-seeded Indiana Fever — who’re lacking a number of gamers on account of season-ending accidents, together with Caitlin Clark — upset and eradicated the third-seeded Atlanta Dream on Thursday evening in a decisive first-round Sport 3. After that, the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm, 74-73, in an exhilarating Sport 3 to punch their very own ticket to the semis.
The most effective-of-five semifinals will start on Sunday.
Minnesota entered the playoffs because the No. 1 seed after being the WNBA’s most dominant crew all through the 44-game common season. The Lynx, in search of the fifth championship in crew historical past and their first since 2017, can have home-court benefit all through the playoffs.
Beneath is a take a look at the first-round matchups and the total schedule for the 2025 playoffs.
WNBA playoff bracket
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports activities
Groups performed a best-of-three sequence within the first spherical, will play a best-of-five sequence within the semifinals, and — in a brand new change this yr — a best-of-seven affair within the Finals.
In 2024, the primary spherical had a 2-1 format, which meant the upper seed bought the primary two video games at residence, whereas the decrease seed solely bought to host in the event that they made it to Sport 3. This yr it’s a 1-1-1 format, with Video games 1 and three hosted by the upper seed whereas the decrease seed hosts Sport 2.
All video games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are streaming on fubo (Strive at no cost).
First-round schedule, scores (best-of-three)
All occasions Jap
Sunday, Sept. 14
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Thursday, Sept. 18
Friday, Sept. 19
Semifinals schedule (best-of-five)
Sunday, Sept. 21
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Friday, Sept. 26
Sunday, Sept. 28
Tuesday, Sept. 30
- *Sport 5: Aces vs. Fever, TBD
- *Sport 5: Lynx vs. Mercury, TBD
Finals schedule (best-of-seven)
Friday, Oct. 3
- Sport 1, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
Sunday, Oct. 5
- Sport 2, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo
Wednesday, Oct. 8
- Sport 3, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
Friday, Oct. 10
- Sport 4, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
Sunday, Oct. 12
- *Sport 5, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo
Wednesday, Oct. 15
- *Sport 6, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
Friday, Oct. 17
- *Sport 7, 8 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
* If vital
![[Time Trowel] The world on the Media Noche desk](https://www.rappler.com/tachyon/2025/12/The-World-on-the-Media-Noche-Table.jpg "[Time Trowel] The world on the Media Noche desk")
