The 2024 WNBA season was a complete whirlwind. Honestly, if you weren’t glued to the TV from late September through October, you missed the most high-stakes, dramatic stretch of basketball the league has ever seen. Everyone was talking about the rookies, but by the time the wnba playoffs 2024 schedule actually kicked off on September 22, the conversation shifted to pure, unadulterated grit.
We saw the New York Liberty finally—finally—shake off 28 years of "almosts" to grab their first title. It wasn't easy. It wasn't even pretty half the time. But the road to that Barclays Center celebration was mapped out across a month of intense series that left fans exhausted.
Breaking Down the WNBA Playoffs 2024 Schedule and Results
The bracket didn't care about your feelings. It started with eight teams and a best-of-three format for the first round. By the time we got to the Finals, it was a best-of-five slugfest.
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The First Round: Speed and Sweeps
Everything started on Sunday, September 22. It was a quadruple-header. Imagine trying to keep up with four playoff games in one day.
The New York Liberty (1) hosted the Atlanta Dream (8), winning Game 1 83-69. They closed it out on September 24 with a 91-82 victory. Sabrina Ionescu was a flamethrower in that second game, dropping 36 points. Basically, Atlanta didn't stand a chance once the Liberty's depth started clicking.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx (2) had to deal with a pesky Phoenix Mercury (7) squad. Napheesa Collier started her historic postseason run here, scoring 38 in Game 1 and a ridiculous 42 in Game 2. Minnesota won both (102-95 and 101-88) to advance.
Over in Connecticut, the Sun (3) ended the Caitlin Clark "rookie fever" dream. They beat the Indiana Fever (6) twice: 93-69 on the 22nd and a much tighter 87-81 on the 25th. Marina Mabrey and Alyssa Thomas were just too physically dominant for the young Fever squad to handle.
The defending champ Las Vegas Aces (4) took care of business against the Seattle Storm (5). They won 78-67 and 83-76. It felt like the Aces were on a collision course for a three-peat, but the schedule had other plans.
The Semifinals: Where the Real Chaos Started
This is where the wnba playoffs 2024 schedule got spicy. The best-of-five series began on September 29.
Liberty vs. Aces: The Revenge Tour
New York wanted blood after losing the 2023 Finals. They took Game 1 (87-77) and Game 2 (88-84). The Aces fought back in Vegas with a 95-81 win in Game 3, but the Liberty shut the door in Game 4 on October 6, winning 76-62. A'ja Wilson played like an MVP, but New York’s "superteam" construction finally felt like a cohesive unit.
Lynx vs. Sun: A Five-Game War
If you like defense, this series was your heaven. It went the distance.
- Game 1: Sun 73, Lynx 70
- Game 2: Lynx 77, Sun 70
- Game 3: Lynx 90, Sun 81
- Game 4: Sun 92, Lynx 82
- Game 5: Lynx 88, Sun 77 (October 8)
The Lynx survived. Napheesa Collier was doing everything—scoring, rebounding, defending. It set the stage for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed showdown.
The Finals: New York vs. Minnesota
The 2024 Finals were legendary. Two overtime games in a five-game series? That's unheard of.
Game 1 on October 10 was a disaster for New York. They blew a 15-point lead and lost in OT 95-93. Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier were ice-cold for Minnesota. New York bounced back in Game 2 (80-66), then won a nail-biter in Game 3 (80-77) thanks to a deep Sabrina Ionescu three-pointer that people will be talking about for a decade.
Minnesota forced a Game 5 by winning Game 4 82-80 on October 18.
Then came October 20. Game 5 at Barclays Center. It was a rock fight. Ionescu shot 1-for-19. Yes, you read that right. Breanna Stewart struggled too. But Jonquel Jones stayed steady with 17 points, and the Liberty bench—especially Nyara Sabally—showed up. After a controversial foul call late in regulation, the game went to overtime. New York pulled away to win 67-62.
Key Takeaways from the 2024 Postseason
- Jonquel Jones is a Finals MVP: She was the most consistent player on the floor when the stars were struggling.
- The League is deeper than ever: Even the "sweeps" in the first round felt competitive.
- Attendance records shattered: Over 260,000 people attended playoff games in 2024. The energy was just different.
- Best-of-seven is coming: This was the last year of the five-game Finals format. Starting in 2025, it’s going to a seven-game series.
How to Prepare for Next Season
If you're looking back at the wnba playoffs 2024 schedule and thinking about what's next, keep an eye on the free agency moves this winter. The expansion draft for the Golden State Valkyries is going to shake up rosters, meaning the teams we saw in the 2024 playoffs might look very different next September.
You should definitely mark your calendars for the 2025 season opener. With the league growing, ticket prices are likely to jump again, so getting in early on season ticket packages or partial plans is the way to go if you want to see the 2025 playoffs in person. Focus on following the beat reporters for the Lynx and Liberty specifically; they’ve set the blueprint for how to build a modern WNBA contender.