Valkyries Rally for No. 2 Seed, 2026 WNBA Playoffs Bracket Set — SkimNews
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- Golden State Valkyries overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Sparks in Nneka Ogwumike's farewell game, claiming the No. 2 seed and the final piece of the playoff bracket.
- Minnesota Lynx earned the No. 1 seed and will host the No. 8 New York Liberty in a first-round rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, with Game 1 set for Sunday, Sept. 27.
- The 2026 WNBA playoffs forgo conference separation, instead sending the top eight league-wide teams into a best-of-three first round (higher seed hosts Games 1 and 3), followed by a best-of-five semifinal and a best-of-seven Finals — only the second Finals to reach seven games in league history.
- The 2026 WNBA season featured historic individual milestones, including Kelsey Mitchell breaking A'ja Wilson's single-season points record, Olivia Miles topping Caitlin Clark's rookie scoring mark, Clark posting the first 40-point, 10-assist game in league history, and Angel Reese setting a single-game rebounding record with 26.
- The WNBA salary cap jumped from $1.5 million in 2025 to $7 million in 2026 following a contentious labor battle, as the league also added two expansion teams and a deep rookie class headlined by Miles.
- Defending champion Las Vegas Aces open their first-round series as the No. 3 seed against the No. 6 Indiana Fever, while the No. 4 Atlanta Dream host the No. 5 Washington Mystics in the other matchup.
- WNBA Finals are scheduled to begin Saturday, Oct. 17 on NBC, with potential Game 7 falling on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Why it matters: The Valkyries' comeback locks in the bracket, but the structural change — the first best-of-seven Finals since 2022 and a salary cap that nearly quintupled to $7 million — signals how dramatically the league's competitive and financial stakes have shifted. Eight teams in, four best-of-three series by Oct. 2, and a champion crowned before November.
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