Experts Pick Lynx, Valkyries; Split on Aces-Fever — SkimNews
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- The 2026 WNBA playoffs first round tips off Sunday with a best-of-three quadruple header — Liberty at Lynx (2 p.m., ABC), Fever at Aces (4 p.m., ABC), Mystics at Dream (7 p.m., Prime), and Wings at Valkyries (9 p.m., USA/CNBC).
- Both experts pick the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx over the No. 8 New York Liberty, citing Cheryl Reeve's coaching and home-court advantage despite the Liberty winning the season series 2-1; the Liberty are also dealing with Jonquel Jones's ankle tweak and Sabrina Ionescu's inconsistent play.
- The Golden State Valkyries are heavily favored over the Dallas Wings, having swept the season series 3-0 and posting the league's best defensive rating (more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team); the Wings set a WNBA record for best single-season turnaround with 17 more wins than 2025.
- The Aces-Fever series divides the experts — Gibbs picks the Fever despite Aliyah Boston being questionable for Game 1 and Ty Harris ruled out for the season, while Maloney backs A'ja Wilson and the Aces even though the Fever won the season series 2-1.
- The Dream-Mystics series is called a toss-up as both teams went 14-4 after the All-Star break and the Mystics won the season series 2-1, but Maloney gives a slight edge to the Dream for experience and home-court advantage.
- The best-of-three format uses a 1-1-1 structure for the second straight year, guaranteeing every team a home game and giving the higher seed a potential winner-take-all Game 3 at home.
Why it matters: The best-of-three format means every game is pivotal, and the lower-seeded Liberty and Fever both won their season series against their higher-seeded opponents (2-1 each), putting top seeds on upset alert in a first round where the 1-1-1 structure guarantees every team a home game.
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