The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are finally here, with the Minnesota Lynx leading eight teams into a postseason bracket that kicks off with Round 1 on Sunday, September 27. The defending champion Las Vegas Aces kick off Round 1 play against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Here’s how to watch every game on the road to the WNBA Finals.
What do the WNBA Playoffs stream on?
The WNBA Finals are spread across a variety of networks, with no single streaming service offering comprehensive coverage, but the best way to catch the most games is with a 5-day free trial of DIRECTV. Select games that air on Prime Video will not be included, but you can start a separate, 30-day trial of Prime to enjoy those games free as well.
How to watch WNBA Playoffs for free on DIRECTV
Sign up for a free trial of DIRECTV for five days to start watching WNBA Playoffs games today. USA Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, NBC, NBCSN and CNBC are all included at the basic DIRECTV Entertainment level. Once your free trial is over, you will be billed $59.99 for the first month, then $89.99 for each additional month of service.
DIRECTV
Stream live sports, breaking news and must-see shows, and enjoy up to $30 off your first month of DIRECTV Entertainment.
fuboTV also offers a free trial, and has all games except for those on Prime Video, USA Network and CNBC. Given the number of games appearing on USA Network, particularly during the finals, this is not as good of an option as DIRECTV.
Peacock will carry all games on NBC, NBCSN, USA or CNBC, but does not offer a free trial. Similarly, ESPN Unlimited will carry games on ABC and ESPN/2, but does not offer a free trial.
Sling does not reliably carry local networks, such as ABC or NBC, but it does offer cheap day passes, for fans who want to watch single, specific games.
When do the 2026 WNBA playoffs start?
The 2026 WNBA playoffs start at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on ABC, with streaming available via DIRECTV. Round 1 features best-of-three series that run through Friday, October 2.
Here’s the full, can’t miss WNBA Playoffs schedule this week. All times ET.
(1) Minnesota Lynx vs. (8) New York LibertyGame 1: New York at Minnesota, Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ABCGame 2: Minnesota at New York, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET, USA/CNBCGame 3*: New York at Minnesota, Thursday, TBD(2) Golden State Valkyries vs. (7) Dallas WingsGame 1: Dallas at Golden State, Sunday, 9 p.m. ET, USA/CNBCGame 2: Golden State at Dallas, Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPNGame 3*: Dallas at Golden State, Friday, TBD(3) Las Vegas Aces vs. (6) Indiana FeverGame 1: Indiana at Las Vegas, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, ABCGame 2: Las Vegas at Indiana, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. ET, PrimeGame 3*: Indiana at Las Vegas, Thursday, TBD(4) Atlanta Dream vs. (5) Washington MysticsGame 1: Washington at Atlanta, Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, PrimeGame 2: Atlanta at Washington, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPNGame 3*: Washington at Atlanta, Friday, TBD
The best-of-five semifinals kick off Sunday, October 4 between the winners of each series.
Semifinal schedule
Sunday, Oct. 4
Game 1: TBD, ABCGame 1: TBD, NBC/Peacock
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Game 2: TBD, ESPNGame 2: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN
Friday, Oct. 9
Game 3: TBD, ESPN2Game 3: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN
Sunday, Oct. 11
Game 4*: TBD, ABCGame 4*: TBD, NBC, Peacock
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Game 5*: TBD, ESPNGame 5*: TBD, Peacock/NBCSN
The best-of-seven WNBA Finals begin on Saturday, October 17 between the winners of each semifinal series.
WNBA Finals scheduleSaturday, Oct. 17 Game 1: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC/PeacockMonday, Oct. 19 Game 2: 8 p.m. ET, USA/PeacockThursday, Oct. 22 Game 3: 8 p.m. ET, USA/PeacockSaturday, Oct. 24 Game 4: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC/PeacockMonday, Oct. 26 Game 5*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/PeacockThursday, Oct. 29 Game 6*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/PeacockSaturday, Oct. 31 Game 7*: 8 p.m. ET, USA/Peacock
* Game played if necessary
What is the WNBA Playoffs format?
The WNBA playoffs feature the league’s top eight teams, regardless of conference, with teams seeded by regular-season record. The postseason begins with a best-of-three first round, where the No. 1 seed faces No. 8, No. 2 faces No. 7, and so on. From there, the bracket stays fixed, meaning teams are not re-seeded after each round. The semifinals are played as best-of-five series, and the WNBA Finals are a best-of-seven series. Home-court advantage goes to the higher seed in every round, giving teams an added incentive to finish as high as possible in the regular-season standings.