2026 WNBA Playoffs Bracket: Four Seeds Finalized Thursday — SkimNews
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- The 2026 WNBA playoffs field of eight teams is set, with the final four seeds still to be decided on Thursday, the last night of the regular season.
- The first round tips off Sunday, Sept. 27 with four Game 1s in a best-of-three format, while the Finals will be a best-of-seven series for just the second time in league history.
- The WNBA does not separate playoff teams by conference, taking the top eight squads league-wide; the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 3 in the first round.
- The 2026 salary cap jumped from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million following a contentious, extended labor battle — and the season also introduced two new expansion teams.
- Kelsey Mitchell broke A'ja Wilson's single-season points record, while Olivia Miles surpassed Caitlin Clark's rookie scoring record and Clark posted the first 40-point, 10-assist game in WNBA history.
- Angel Reese set the single-game rebounding record at 26 boards, and Marina Mabrey tied the single-game scoring record with 53 points during a record-filled regular season.
- The WNBA Finals tip off Saturday, Oct. 17 on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET, with the full best-of-seven Finals schedule running through a potential Game 7 on Halloween, Oct. 31.
Why it matters: Four seeds — and four first-round matchups — hang on Thursday's regular-season finale, meaning nearly half the bracket is still fluid 48 hours before Game 1s tip off Sunday. The best-of-seven Finals, only the second in league history, gives the eventual champion a longer showcase on NBC and USA.
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