Four teams are left. The No. 8 Liberty bounced the 33-win Lynx in the first round, the defending champion Aces survived Caitlin Clark’s Fever in three games, and both home teams won Game 1 of the semifinals on Sunday. This is the latest-running postseason in league history — the Finals can stretch to Halloween — and the broadcasts are split across more channels than ever. Below is the live bracket, the next tip-off, and the cheapest legitimate way to watch or attend each remaining game.
Next WNBA Playoff Game
This tracker checks the published schedule against the current time and shows the next tip-off in Eastern and Pacific time, so it stays current without a page refresh.
Semifinal Game 4 (Sunday, Oct. 11) and Game 5 (Wednesday, Oct. 14) are only played if a series is still alive, and their exact tip-off times are set late. The tracker skips games that are not yet confirmed; always confirm the time on the league schedule or your TV guide the morning of the game, especially if you are setting a DVR recording.
Key Answers Before Tip-Off
The questions fans are actually asking this week, answered without the fluff.
Eight teams qualify by overall record, regardless of conference. The first round is best-of-three, the semifinals are best-of-five, and the Finals are best-of-seven. There’s no reseeding — the bracket is fixed from day one, so the 1-vs-8 winner always meets the 4-vs-5 winner.
The team with the better regular-season record. That means whichever team wins Valkyries–Aces will host Game 1, because both finished ahead of Atlanta (30–14) and New York (26–18). The host gets Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.
Game 1 is Saturday, Oct. 17. A sweep ends it Saturday, Oct. 24. If it goes the full seven, the final game lands on Saturday, Oct. 31 — the latest finish the league has ever scheduled, a result of an 18-day midseason break for the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
It depends on the series. Liberty–Dream is on Disney’s networks: ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. Aces–Valkyries is on NBCUniversal: Peacock, NBCSN, and NBC. Following both series means having access to both companies.
No. Clark’s sixth-seeded Fever won Game 2 against Las Vegas but lost the deciding Game 3, 94–83, on Oct. 1. Angel Reese, now with Atlanta after an offseason trade, is still alive — and leads the Dream into Game 2 against Breanna Stewart and the Liberty.
New York has already done the hard part once, beating top-seeded Minnesota twice by a combined 32 points. But the Liberty now trail Atlanta and would open the Finals on the road either way. Possible, yes — they’d have to win at least one road game in every remaining round.
Yes. Dallas’s Arike Ogunbowale scored 45 points in an overtime win over Golden State in Game 2 of their first-round series, a new WNBA playoff record. The Valkyries won Game 3 anyway, 77–73.
WNBA Playoffs Bracket
When we mapped every result onto the fixed bracket, one thing jumped out: the top half lost its No. 1 seed in two games, while both bottom-half favorites needed a Game 3 to survive.
Minnesota finished with the league’s best record and went home without a win, as New York took Game 1 by 16 in Minneapolis and Game 2 by 16 in Brooklyn. Atlanta swept Washington behind Allisha Gray’s 22 points in the clincher, reaching its first semifinal since 2018. The two series that went three games were tighter than the seeds suggested: Dallas pushed Golden State to a Game 3 on Ogunbowale’s record night, and Indiana evened its series with Las Vegas before the Aces closed it at home.
Full Remaining Schedule and TV Channels
All times Eastern. Games marked “if needed” happen only if neither team has clinched.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct. 7 | Liberty at Dream — Semis G2 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN | ESPN app, live TV services |
| Wed, Oct. 7 | Aces at Valkyries — Semis G2 | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN | Peacock |
| Fri, Oct. 9 | Dream at Liberty — Semis G3 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | ESPN app, live TV services |
| Fri, Oct. 9 | Valkyries at Aces — Semis G3 | 9:30 p.m. | NBCSN | Peacock |
| Sun, Oct. 11 | Semis G4, both series (if needed) | TBD | ABC · NBC | Peacock for Aces–Valkyries |
| Wed, Oct. 14 | Semis G5, both series (if needed) | TBD | ESPN · NBCSN | Peacock for Aces–Valkyries |
| Sat, Oct. 17 | Finals Game 1 | 3:30 p.m. | NBC | Peacock |
| Mon, Oct. 19 | Finals Game 2 | 8 p.m. | USA | Peacock |
| Thu, Oct. 22 | Finals Game 3 | 8 p.m. | USA | Peacock |
| Sat, Oct. 24 | Finals Game 4 | 3:30 p.m. | NBC | Peacock |
| Mon, Oct. 26 | Finals Game 5 (if needed) | 8 p.m. | USA | Peacock |
| Thu, Oct. 29 | Finals Game 6 (if needed) | 8 p.m. | USA | Peacock |
| Sat, Oct. 31 | Finals Game 7 (if needed) | 8 p.m. | To be confirmed | Check listings |
The Cheapest Way to Watch Based on Your Situation
We found that most fans overpay because they buy a full live-TV package for a few weeks of basketball. Here’s what each setup actually covers for the rest of the postseason.
Every scheduled Finals game from Game 1 through Game 6 airs on NBC or USA with a Peacock simulcast. One month of Peacock Premium at $12.99 covers that stretch, as long as you start it on or before Oct. 17. The cheaper Select tier does not include live sports, so don’t downgrade to save a dollar. Cancel before the next billing date if you don’t want to keep it. Game 7’s network hadn’t been confirmed when we checked, so if the series goes the distance, verify that one.
The Dream–Liberty series runs through ESPN and ABC, so Peacock alone leaves you with gaps. Pairing ESPN Unlimited ($31.99/month since Sept. 17) with Peacock Premium runs about $45 for the month. A free indoor antenna picks up ABC and NBC in most markets, which covers the weekend Game 4s and Finals Games 1 and 4 without any subscription. If you already pay for YouTube TV, it carries the relaunched NBCSN feed, so you may not need a separate Peacock account for the NBC-side games.
If you have cable or satellite, you likely have every channel already — ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, NBC, and USA are standard on most basic packages. Check your guide for NBCSN, which is newer and not on every lineup yet; that channel carries the Aces–Valkyries Games 2, 3, and 5. If NBCSN isn’t there, the same games stream on Peacock, which some providers, such as Spectrum, include at no extra cost — call your provider before paying for it separately.
WNBA Playoff Tickets: Buy Smart, Avoid Fake Listings
Playoff tickets go on sale in waves, and the Finals sites won’t be known until the semifinals end. That gap is exactly where most buyers get burned.
| Where you buy | Real tickets? | Price shown | Main risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team website / official ticket partner | Yes | Face value plus fees | Sells out fast | First choice when a home game is confirmed |
| Official resale through the team’s platform | Yes, verified transfer | Market price, all-in | Prices spike after a series win | Last-minute buyers who want a guarantee |
| Large third-party resale sites | Usually | Market price, all-in | “Speculative” listings for unconfirmed games | Comparing prices; check the guarantee policy |
| Social media sellers | Often not | Looks cheap | Fake or duplicate tickets; no refund | Nobody |
Those are speculative listings. Resale sites let sellers post seats for games that may never happen — the Valkyries, Aces, Dream, and Liberty all had Finals listings up before any of them reached the Finals. If the team you bought for is eliminated, the game is canceled and you’re dependent on that site’s refund policy, which can mean store credit instead of cash. Read the guarantee before paying. The one upside: under the FTC’s fee rule, ticket sellers must show the total price, including mandatory fees, upfront — so compare all-in prices, not the number in big type.
Prices in a playoff series tend to move with the score, not the calendar. A team up 3–0 heading home usually sees prices jump for the potential clincher, while a Game 5 that might not happen sits cheaper until it’s confirmed. If you’re flexible, target Games 3 and 4 — the first Finals games in the lower seed’s building, both guaranteed to be played. Buy only after the semifinal ends, from the official team site first, and transfer the ticket to your own app account immediately.
Predictions and the Four Possible Finals Matchups
Game 2 is close to a coin flip in both series by our data provider’s models: Atlanta is estimated around 57% to win at home Wednesday, and Golden State around 53%. Here’s what each Finals outcome would look like.
| Finals matchup | Hosts Game 1 | Regular-season records | Storyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valkyries vs. Dream | Golden State | 32–12 vs. 30–14 | A second-year franchise against Angel Reese’s first Finals |
| Valkyries vs. Liberty | Golden State | 32–12 vs. 26–18 | A 32-win team against the bracket’s biggest upset |
| Aces vs. Dream | Las Vegas | 31–13 vs. 30–14 | Defending champions against the East’s best record |
| Aces vs. Liberty | Las Vegas | 31–13 vs. 26–18 | A rivalry rematch; New York would need four wins with no Game 7 at home |
Sports betting is legal in many but not all states, and the rules differ on everything from in-person-only wagering to college restrictions. If you do bet, set a fixed budget before tip-off and treat it as entertainment spending. If betting has stopped feeling like fun, the national 1-800-GAMBLER helpline is free, confidential, and open around the clock.
Results reflect games completed through Sunday, Oct. 4. Schedule and channels reflect league and network announcements as of Oct. 6; “if needed” games and TBD times can change. Streaming prices are standard U.S. monthly rates in effect at publication and exclude taxes and promotions. Game-win estimates are model probabilities, not guarantees. This page is independent and not affiliated with the WNBA, its teams, or any broadcaster or ticket seller.
Key sources: WNBA.com · NBC Sports · ESPN · FTC