WNBA Playoffs 2026: Lynx Host Liberty As Caitlin Clark's Fever Face Aces In Explosive First-Round Battle
The 2026 WNBA Playoffs begin Sunday with four Game 1 matchups, including Lynx-Liberty and Aces-Fever, as eight teams start their championship push.
The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are finally here, and Sunday will bring four first-round Game 1 matchups. The action begins with the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx hosting the No. 8 New York Liberty before the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces welcome the No. 6 Indiana Fever. Later in the day, the Atlanta Dream will face the Washington Mystics, while the Dallas Wings will visit the Golden State Valkyries. With the regular season now over, every game carries more weight as teams begin their push for the WNBA championship. Fans will get a full day of playoff basketball across four different matchups.
Lynx Host Liberty Before Fever Face Aces
The first playoff game tips off at 2 p.m. ET when the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx host the No. 8 New York Liberty at Target Center. The game will air on ABC.
The matchup brings back a familiar playoff rivalry. The Lynx and Liberty met in the 2024 WNBA Finals, and both teams now meet again in the opening round of the 2026 playoffs. Minnesota enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.Â
At 4 p.m. ET, the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces will host the No. 6 Indiana Fever. ABC will carry the game.
The Aces enter the playoffs as the defending WNBA champions. Las Vegas also finished the regular season with seven straight wins, according to the WNBA. Indiana, meanwhile, enters the postseason with Caitlin Clark among the players drawing major attention.
Four Game 1 Matchups Open The WNBA Postseason
The other two first-round series will also begin Sunday.
The No. 4 Atlanta Dream will host the No. 5 Washington Mystics at 7 p.m. ET. The No. 7 Dallas Wings will then visit the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries at 9 p.m. ET.Â
The first round is a best-of-three series. The semifinals will move to a best-of-five format, while the WNBA Finals will be best-of-seven.
Minnesota, Golden State, Atlanta and Las Vegas earned home-court advantage in the opening round after finishing in the top four during the regular season.
For WNBA fans, Sunday marks the start of the race for the 2026 championship. With the Lynx, Liberty, Aces, Fever and four other playoff teams all beginning their postseason journeys, the first day could set the tone for the weeks ahead.