WNBA playoff bracket, where to watch: Schedule, scores, TV channel as Mercury beat Liberty to advance to semis

After a highly competitive first round, the semifinalists are set in the 2025 WNBA playoffs. The fourth-seeded Phoenix Mercury held off the visiting New York Liberty, 79-73, in Friday night’s decisive Game 3 to round out the semifinal field. The Mercury advance to face the top-seeded Lynx in the next round. The Lynx were the only team to advance with a two-game sweep in the first round as they knocked out the Golden State Valkyries.

The shorthanded and sixth-seeded Indiana Fever — who are missing multiple players due to season-ending injuries, including Caitlin Clark — upset and eliminated the third-seeded Atlanta Dream on Thursday night in a decisive first-round Game 3. After that, the Las Vegas Aces beat the Seattle Storm, 74-73, in a thrilling Game 3 to punch their own ticket to the semis.

The best-of-five semifinals will begin on Sunday.

Minnesota entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after being the WNBA’s most dominant team throughout the 44-game regular season. The Lynx, looking for the fifth championship in team history and their first since 2017, will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Below is a look at the first-round matchups and the full schedule for the 2025 playoffs.

SPORTS UPDATE WNBA playoff bracket

Teams played a best-of-three series in the first round, will play a best-of-five series in the semifinals, and — in a new change this year  — a best-of-seven affair in the Finals.

In 2024, the first round had a 2-1 format, which meant the higher seed got the first two games at home, while the lower seed only got to host if they made it to Game 3. This year it is a 1-1-1 format, with Games 1 and 3 hosted by the higher seed while the lower seed hosts Game 2.

All games on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are streaming on fubo(Try for free).

SPORTS UPDATE First-round schedule, scores (best-of-three)

All times Eastern

Sunday, Sept. 14

• Game 1:Lynx 101, Valkyries 72 (Lynx lead, 1-0)
• Game 1:Dream 80, Fever 68(Dream lead, 1-0)
• Game 1:Liberty 76, Mercury 69 OT(Liberty lead, 1-0)
• Game 1:Aces 102, Storm 77(Aces lead, 1-0)

Tuesday, Sept. 16

• Game 2:Fever 77, Dream 60(Series tied, 1-1)
• Game 2:Storm 86, Aces 83 (Series tied, 1-1)

Wednesday, Sept. 17

• Game 2:Mercury 86, Liberty 60 (Series tied, 1-1)
• Game 2:Lynx 75, Valkyries 74 (Minnesota Wins, 2-0)

Thursday, Sept. 18

• Game 3:Fever 87, Dream 85 (Indiana wins, 2-1)
• Game 3: Aces 74, Storm 73 (Las Vegas wins, 2-1)

Friday, Sept. 19

• Game 3:Mercury 79, Liberty 73 (Phoenix wins, 2-1)

SPORTS UPDATE Semifinals schedule (best-of-five)

Sunday, Sept. 21

• Game 1: Aces vs. Fever, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo
• Game 1: Lynx vs. Mercury, 5 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Tuesday, Sept. 23

• Game 2: Lynx vs. Mercury, 7:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
• Game 2: Aces vs. Fever, 9:30 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Sept. 26

• Game 3: Fever vs. Acces, TBD. — ESPN2/fubo
• Game 3: Mercury vs. Lynx, TBD — ESPN2/fubo

Sunday, Sept. 28

• *Game 4: Mercury vs. Lynx, 1 or 5 p.m. — ESPN/fubo
• *Game 4: Fever vs. Aces, 3 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Tuesday, Sept. 30

• *Game 5: Aces vs. Fever, TBD
• *Game 5: Lynx vs. Mercury, TBD

SPORTS UPDATE Finals schedule (best-of-seven)

Friday, Oct. 3

• Game 18 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Sunday, Oct. 5

• Game 23 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Wednesday, Oct. 8

• Game 38 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Oct. 10

• Game 48 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Sunday, Oct. 12

• *Game 53 p.m. — ABC/fubo

Wednesday, Oct. 15

• *Game 68 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

Friday, Oct. 17

• *Game 78 p.m. — ESPN/fubo

* If necessary