The 2025 WNBA postseason begins with key matchups.

Photo of Julius Carmine in Unsplash

The 2025 WNBA Playoffs begin this Sunday, September 14, following the close of the regular season, which left the Minnesota Lynx as the number one seed with a record of 34 wins and 10 losses. In total, eight teams made it to the postseason: the Lynx, the Las Vegas Aces, the Atlanta Dream, the Phoenix Mercury, the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever, the Seattle Storm, and the Golden State Valkyries, the expansion team that already snuck into the playoffs in its debut year.

The first-round format will be a best-of-three, with the higher-seeded team having home-court advantage in the first and possible third games. Starting in the semifinals, the series will be played in a best-of-five format, and for the first time in league history, the Finals will be a best-of-seven format, a change that promises to add even more drama to the championship game.

WNBA: Format and games for September 14

Sunday's opening matchups are especially noteworthy: the Lynx host the Valkyries, a clash between the year's best team and a newcomer looking to pull off an upset. In Atlanta, the Dream will face the Indiana Fever, while the Mercury and Liberty will replay a modern classic in Phoenix. Closing out the day, the Aces will play the Seattle Storm in Las Vegas.

Minnesota is the title favorite due to its dominance throughout the season, but teams like Las Vegas and New York have the experience to make things difficult. The added attraction is the presence of the Valkyries, who are looking to establish themselves as the new franchise in a tournament where parity has been the norm.

Expectation in Boston

Meanwhile, anticipation for the WNBA is growing in Boston after it was announced that a group of investors led by Steve Pagliuca reached an agreement to acquire the Connecticut Sun for a record $325 million. The deal includes the intention to relocate the franchise to Boston in 2027 and build a training facility in the city with an additional investment of $100 million. If finalized, the Massachusetts capital would join the list of cities with a presence in the league, generating a strong boost for women's basketball in New England.

The WNBA thus begins its postseason amid great anticipation, with games that promise intensity and a horizon that points to the league's expansion in key markets like Boston, reinforcing the sustained growth of professional women's basketball in the United States.

For more stories like this, follow More Latin.

Sources:

• 2025 WNBA Postseason
• ESPN