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WNBA playoffs: Seeding, matchups and full schedule

The Chicago Sky begin the WNBA playoffs looking to repeat as champions. (Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA regular season closed out with a frantic final day of action Sunday. Now all eyes turn to the postseason.

Eight teams will face off in the WNBA playoffs, which are set to kick off on Aug. 17. The league’s postseason will feature three rounds, with best-of-three first-round series followed by best-of-five semifinals and finals.

Check out every team in the postseason, in order of seeding, as well as the matchups and the full WNBA playoff schedule.

WNBA playoff seeding

1. Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces booked their tickets to the WNBA playoffs with an 84-66 blowout over the Los Angeles Sparks on July 23.

An explosive offense propelled the Aces to a postseason berth, with Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson leading the team’s scoring tear. Las Vegas’ perimeter presence has been overwhelming, leading the league in points per game and 3-pointers made.

First-round opponent: No. 8 Phoenix Mercury

2. Chicago Sky

The 2021 WNBA champions were the first team to clinch a postseason berth, securing their place in the playoffs with a 78-74 victory over the Seattle Storm on July 20.

Chicago’s dominant 2022 campaign is a far cry from the team’s 2021 season, which the Sky finished with a 16-16 record. Chicago finished the season with a franchise record .722 win percentage.

First-round opponent: No. 7 New York Liberty

3. Connecticut Sun

The Connecticut Sun clinched their spot with an 88-83 win over the Seattle Storm in what could be Sue Bird’s final game in Connecticut on July 28.

While the storyline for the game lent itself toward retiring legend Bird, Alyssa Thomas was the standout performer, notching 19 points, five rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 8-of-11 from the field.

The Sun have been red-hot since the All-Star break and they’ll look to carry that momentum into the postseason.

First-round opponent: No. 6 Dallas Wings

4. Seattle Storm

The Seattle storm sealed their postseason fate with an 82-77 win over the Washington Mystics on July 30, clinching the team’s 18th playoff appearance.

Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd and Tina Charles led the charge for the Storm, contributing 18, 17 and 16 points, respectively. Seattle will rely on their offensive trio in the postseason as the Storm looks to send Bird into retirement with a title.

First-round opponent: No. 5 Washington Mystics

5. Washington Mystics 

The Washington Mystics clinched a playoff berth behind the Atlanta Dream’s July 30 loss to the Dallas Wings.

The Mystics then charged to a 78-75 victory over Seattle Storm on July 31, but the Storm won the season series 2-1, which could bode well for Seattle in the best-of-three first round series.

First-round opponent: No. 4 Seattle Storm

6. Dallas Wings

The Wings clinched their postseason berth on Aug. 8 with an 86-77 win over the New York Liberty.

Despite being without Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally, the team stepped up. Marina Mabrey had 31 points in the win to help send Dallas to the playoffs.

First-round opponent: No. 3 Connecticut Sun

7. New York Liberty

For the second year in a row, the New York Liberty are in the WNBA playoffs after beating Atlanta 87-83 in their season finale to secure their spot. Natasha Howard and Marine Johannes combined for 36 points while Stefanie Dolson added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

First-round opponent: No. 2 Chicago Sky

8. Phoenix Mercury

With a Minnesota Lynx loss on Sunday, the Mercury clinched the eighth seed in the playoffs despite an 82-67 loss to the Chicago Sky to close out the season.

The availability of injured star Diana Taurasi remains up in the air for the first round, as does the availability of Skylar Diggins-Smith, who missed the last three games due to personal reasons.

First-round opponent: No. 1 Las Vegas Aces

WNBA playoff schedule

First round:

  • Wednesday, Aug. 17:
    • (2) Chicago Sky vs. (7) New York Liberty @ 8 p.m. on ESPN2
    • (1) Las Vegas Aces vs. (8) Phoenix Mercury @ 10 p.m. on ESPN
  • Thursday, Aug. 18:
    • (3) Connecticut Sun vs. (6) Dallas Wings @ 8 p.m. on ESPNU/NBA TV
    • (4) Seattle Storm vs. (5) Washington Mystics @ 10 p.m. on ESPN2
  • Saturday, Aug. 20:
    • (2) Chicago Sky vs. (7) New York Liberty @ 12 p.m. on ESPN
    • (1) Las Vegas Aces vs. (8) New York Liberty @ 9 p.m. on ESPN2
  • Sunday, Aug. 21:
    • (3) Connecticut Sun vs. (6) Dallas Wings @ 12 p.m. on ABC
    • (4) Seattle Storm vs. (5) Washington Mystics @ 4 p.m. on ESPN
  • Tuesday, Aug. 23:
    • (2) Chicago Sky at (7) New York Liberty @ TBD*
    • (1) Las Vegas Aces at (8) Phoenix Mercury @ TBD*
  • Wednesday, Aug. 24:
    • (3) Connecticut Sun at (6) Dallas Wings @ TBD*
    • (4) Seattle Storm at (5) Washington Mystics @ TBD*

Semifinals:

  • Sunday, Aug. 28: Game 1 @ 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN2
  • Wednesday, Aug. 31: Game 2 @ 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on ESPN2
  • Sunday, Sept. 4: Game 3 @ 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on ESPN2 and ABC
  • Tuesday, Sept. 6: Game 4* @ 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on ESPN2
  • Thursday, Sept. 8: Game 5* @ 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on ESPN2

Finals:

  • Sunday, Sept. 11: Game 1 @ 3 p.m. on ABC
  • Tuesday, Sept. 13: Game 2 @ 9 p.m. on ESPN
  • Thursday, Sept. 15: Game 3 @ 9 p.m. on ESPN
  • Sunday, Sept. 18: Game 4* @ 3 p.m. on ESPN
  • Tuesday, Sept. 20: Game 5* @ 9 p.m. on ESPN

*If necessary. All times listed in ET.

USA Basketball Taps Vets & Fresh Faces for December Training Camp Roster

Team USA stars Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Kahleah Copper celebrate their gold-medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 18-player December USA Basketball camp will include 10 first-time call-ups. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

USA Basketball dropped its 18-player December roster on Monday, selecting both standout vets and fresh faces for the national team's final training camp of 2025.

Taking place at Duke University from December 12th until the 14th, five 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young — will anchor the Team USA lineup.

Notably, a full 10 players will join the senior team for the first time next month, as young WNBA superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink earn their first call-ups.

A pair of NCAA stars will also attend the December camp, with the national governing body tapping both UCLA senior center Lauren Betts and USC junior guard JuJu Watkins on the roster — though Watkins will not participate in on-court activities as she continues to rehab an ACL tear.

Along with the full camp roster, USA Basketball also dropped its December sideline leaders, with current WNBA head coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever) comprising the assistant coaching staff for the previously announced senior national team head coach Kara Lawson.

December's camp is the team's first step toward the World Cup qualifiers in March, when the US will compete despite having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July.

Overall, the clock starts now for USA women's basketball managing director Sue Bird, who is in charge of cultivating the best team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The USA Basketball December Training Camp Roster

  • Lauren Betts (UCLA)
  • Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)
  • Cameron Brink (LA Sparks)
  • Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)
  • Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
  • Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)
  • Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
  • Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
  • Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream)
  • Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks)
  • Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)
  • Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks)
  • Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream)
  • Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks)
  • Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)
  • JuJu Watkins (USC)
  • Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)

Upsets See Big Ten Teams Join Top-Seed Stanford in 2025 NCAA Soccer Quarterfinals

Stanford celebrates a goal from junior midfielder Joelle Jung during the 2025 NCAA soccer tournament.
Overall No. 1-seed Stanford advanced to the 2025 NCAA soccer quarterfinals with a 6-0 rout of No. 5 BYU on Monday. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Overall No. 1-seed Stanford has rolled through the competition in the first three rounds of the 2025 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament, with the Cardinal booking their spot in this weekend's quarterfinals with a 6-0 thumping of No. 5-seed BYU on Monday.

Stanford has outscored their opponents 16-4 so far, ousting unseeded Cal Poly 3-1 in the first round and claiming a 7-3 second-round shootout win over No. 8-seed Alabama before bouncing BYU.

Elsewhere in the bracket, fellow No. 1-seed Vanderbilt is also still alive after the Commodores took down SEC rival No. 4-seed LSU in Monday's Sweet Sixteen.

Not every top seed is through, however, as ACC standouts Nos. 1 Notre Dame and Virginia both fell to Big Ten contenders in the NCAA tournament's early rounds.

Reigning Big Ten Champions No. 4-seed Washington sent the Cavaliers home in a Sweet Sixteen penalty shootout on Sunday, as the Huskies continue their run in honor of late senior goalkeeper Mia Hamant.

Unseeded Ohio State has also surprised, overcoming a mediocre 4-2-5 performance in 2025 Big Ten play by staging an upset run through the national tournament. After claiming golden-goal overtime winners to oust Notre Dame last week and No. 5-seed Baylor on Sunday, the Buckeyes will make their first Elite Eight appearance since 2010 on Friday.

No. 2-seeds Michigan State, Duke, and TCU, as well as No. 3-seed Florida State round out the quarterfinal competition, as the Big Ten joins the ACC in leading the charge toward the 2025 College Cup with three teams each in the Elite Eight.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA soccer quarterfinals

The 2025 NCAA soccer tournament kicks off its Elite Eight round with three ACC vs. Big Ten matchups on Friday, when No. 2 Duke takes on No. 4 Washington at 4 PM ET before No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Florida State vs. Ohio State begins at 5 PM ET.

The last quarterfinal takes the pitch on Saturday, as SEC favorite No. 1 Vanderbilt faces No. 2 TCU at 7:30 PM ET.

All quarterfinals will stream live on ESPN+.

NWSL Makes Gains in 2025 Regular-Season & Playoffs Viewership

Fans cheer at San Jose's PayPal Park during the 2025 NWSL Championship match.
Viewership for the 2025 NWSL Playoffs prior to the championship match was up 5% year-over-year. (Carmen Mandato/NWSL via Getty Images)

Despite a slight dip in attendance, the NWSL has continued to see steady gains from its TV audience this year, posting a league-wide 22% viewership growth during the 2025 regular season.

Prior to last Saturday's title game, the NWSL reported that postseason viewership had risen 5% from the 2024 Playoffs, when the Orlando Pride completed a league-double Shield and championship win.

Even more, ABC and ESPN platforms saw their largest percentage hike for NWSL regular-season matches in history, with the audience growing an impressive 61% year-over-year — though CBS still touts the league's highest viewership average at 479,000 fans tuning in per 2025 match.

Three of ABC/ESPN's top matchups featured the Washington Spirit, with the Portland Thorns also making two appearances in the Top-5 most-watched games of the 2025 season on the platform.

Additionally, CBS's 2025 semifinal between Washington and Portland drew 548,000 viewers while the other NWSL semifinal between Orlando and reigning champs Gotham FC averaged 328,000 viewers on ABC.

Broadcast partner ION, which carries the most linear games each NWSL season, also claimed a 5% increase in overall viewership from 2024.

Ultimately, the NWSL remains competitive with other North American soccer leagues in finding an audience on TV, with the league now aiming to retain its star power in order to encourage even more growth.

Phoenix Mercury Reveals 2026 Rebrand Ahead of 30th Anniversary WNBA Season

A graphic displays the various redesigns for the rebrand of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
Monday's Phoenix Mercury logo changes mark the WNBA team's first-ever rebrand. (Phoenix Mercury)

Founding WNBA franchise Phoenix will have a new look entering the 2026 season, as the Mercury announced its first-ever rebrand on Monday to celebrate the team's upcoming 30th anniversary campaign.

"The new branding represents the Mercury's championship legacy, devoted fanbase, and the new era that began with a record-breaking season and memorable [2025] Finals run," said Phoenix CEO Josh Bartelstein in a statement.

In honor of the franchise's 1997 inaugural season, the new primary Phoenix logo positions the Mercury "M" at an angle of 19.97 degrees, while the team's redesigned global logo centers the primary emblem on top of four rings — mirroring the planetary rings on the Mercury's original design.

The team is also debuting a first-ever secondary logo, featuring the outline of the state of Arizona with the seams of a basketball, while also officially introducing the popular "Merc" nickname into the WNBA squad's branding lexicon.

In celebration of the rebrand, Phoenix is currently running a first-of-its-kind community giveback called the Merc Merch Swap, in which fans can trade old team merchandise — which will be donated to Goodwill — for a newly branded Mercury T-shirt.

How to purchase or swap for new Phoenix Mercury merch

To take part in the Merc Merch Swap, fans can bring any Phoenix, WNBA, or WNBA team item to the Mercury Team Shop at Mortgage Matchup Center to swap for a new logo T-shirt as well as a single-item 20% voucher through through Friday, December 5th.

Phoenix's rebranded items are also now available for purchase at the team's online shop.