2025 WNBA Playoffs: Matchups, What to Watch For, Previews of the First Round Series

The 2025 WNBA postseason begins on Saturday with Lynx vs. Valkyries, Aces vs. Storm, Dream vs. Fever and Mercury vs. Liberty

Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx reacts to a foul call in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, on Sept. 6, 2025. Kavin Mistry /Getty Images

The biggest WNBA season in the 29-year history of the league has come to a close as the first-ever 44-game season is in the books. It now readies for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, which begin on Sunday. The eight teams with the best regular-season records, regardless of conference, qualified for the postseason, with them also seeded without regard to their conference.

The first round is a best-of-three format, with the better-seeded team hosting Games 1 and 3. The semifinals will then be a best-of-five, with the 2025 WNBA Finals being the first of its kind, and that’s a best-of-seven. However, before we get there, let’s look at the four matchups that comprise the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.

1. Minnesota Lynx (34–10) vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries (23–21)

The Lynx won four WNBA titles during the 2010s, but this could be their most complete team ever. They led the league in both offensive and defensive rating en route to tying the league’s record for wins in a single season. They are both the favorite to win the championship and have the MVP favorite in Napheesa Collier, as Minnesota swept Golden State in four regular-season games.