The format that gave the WNBA an eighth playoff seed had never produced this. On Tuesday, September 30, 2026, the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Minneapolis to complete a 2-0 sweep and become the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league's postseason history.
Minnesota had finished the regular season at the top of the standings. It lasted two games.
Three of four semifinalists decided
The first round has gone badly for the teams with home-court advantage. Alongside New York's upset, the No. 4 Atlanta Dream swept the No. 5 Washington Mystics 2-0.
On Thursday, October 1, the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces closed out the No. 6 Indiana Fever 94-83 in a deciding Game 3. A'ja Wilson finished with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Caitlin Clark started strongly for Indiana and ended with 18.
That leaves one place open. The No. 2 Golden State Valkyries and the No. 7 Dallas Wings play their own Game 3 on Friday, October 2, at 9 p.m. Eastern.
What comes next
The semifinals begin on Sunday, October 4. Of the three teams already through, only Las Vegas entered the playoffs seeded in the top three, and the bracket's top line is gone entirely.
For a league that expanded its playoff field to give lower seeds a path, the first round is the proof of concept its organisers argued for and the nightmare its higher seeds feared: in a best-of-three, a regular season of five months buys one extra home game and little else.
Reporting from ESPN, CBS Sports and NBC Sports.
