WNBA Playoffs Open With Four Game 1s: Key Matchups, Times and TV
The short version
- First-round Game 1s: Lynx-Liberty (2 p.m. ET, ABC), Aces-Fever (4 p.m. ET, ABC), Dream-Mystics (7 p.m. ET, Prime), Valkyries-Wings (9 p.m. ET, USA Network).
- Olivia Miles had her worst shooting game and second-fewest assists per game against the Liberty this season; Courtney Williams looms as an option if she struggles.
- A'ja Wilson is 5-5 over her last 10 games against Indiana, under 43% shooting and under 24 points per game; Aliyah Boston is questionable with a leg injury.
- Jordin Canada and Georgia Amoore could decide Dream-Mystics after both teams' ball handlers improved through the season.
- All first-round series are best-of-three.
The 2026 WNBA first round tips off with Lynx-Liberty, Aces-Fever, Dream-Mystics and Valkyries-Wings, each shaped by a pivotal head-to-head battle.
The 2026 WNBA Playoffs begin with four Game 1 contests in the first round. Top-seeded Minnesota hosts the No. 8 New York Liberty at 2 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces against the No. 6 Indiana Fever at 4 p.m. ET, also on ABC.
The evening slate moves to Prime at 7 p.m. ET, where the No. 4 Atlanta Dream face the No. 5 Washington Mystics. The night closes with the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries meeting the No. 7 Dallas Wings at 9 p.m. ET on USA Network. Every first-round series is a best-of-three.
In the Lynx-Liberty opener, the individual battle to watch is rookie point guard Olivia Miles against New York's 24-year-old French counterpart Pauline Astier. The central question for Minnesota entering the playoffs is whether it can handle physicality, and Astier's ball pressure may test that directly.
In the final regular-season meeting between the teams, Astier pressured Miles effectively. For the season overall, Miles shot her lowest field goal percentage against the Liberty and recorded her second-fewest assists per game against them. New York won two of the teams' regular-season matchups, a formula built partly on that defensive pressure.
That could force a decision for Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. In the regular season there is a case for letting a young player work through mistakes, but in a short playoff series, Reeve could turn to veteran Courtney Williams at point guard if Miles struggles. Astier, described by teammate Sabrina Ionescu as an efficient driver and skilled game-reader, also poses problems for a Lynx defense that had difficulty sustaining intensity for full games late in the season.
The Aces-Fever series may hinge on the post matchup between A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston, a rematch of last year's semifinal won by Las Vegas. Boston has been a rare problem for the five-time MVP: over the last two seasons, Wilson is 5-5 in ten games against Indiana, shooting under 43 percent and averaging under 24 points, with her fewest offensive rebounds per game against any opponent coming versus the Fever.
Boston's status is a factor. She is listed as questionable with a leg injury she has managed throughout the season, and her effectiveness as a defender of Wilson depends on the strength, length and quickness that have troubled him in the past. A fully healthy Boston could again limit Wilson, though Las Vegas has more time to adjust its approach this time around.
In Atlanta, the Dream-Mystics matchup features high-profile trios, with Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray for Atlanta against Shakira Austin, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriaren for Washington. But the point guard duel between Jordin Canada and Georgia Amoore could be decisive, as both teams' second-half momentum has been built on the improved play of their primary ball handlers.
Canada's season included a turning point in August. After some erratic offensive performances, including one in a loss to Washington, she missed the Dream's Aug. 16 overtime loss to Indiana with an illness. Since returning, she has displayed a high level of offensive command, according to the report.
Games to watch
