The WNBA Board of Governors approved the changes to the WNBA playoff format and seeding. Now the playoffs will feature three rounds of series play using a best of 3-5-5 format. The changes will go into effect in the 2022 season.
The top eight teams with the highest winning percentage over 36 games will be in the playoffs regardless of their conference. All eight teams will participate in a first-round bracket-style play. The first round will be a best of three series.
In one bracket, first-round play will place the No. 1 seed facing the No. 8 seed and the No. 4 seed versus the No. 5 seed in a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to a best-of-five semifinals series against one another. In the other bracket, the No. 3 seed will face the No. 6 seed, and the No. 2 seed will meet the No. 7 seed, with the winners moving on to face one another in the other best-of-five semifinals series.
The number of playoff rounds will shift from four to three, and no teams will have a bye to start the postseason. Additionally, the new format could potentially add eight more playoff games.
The semifinals and the WNBA Finals will remain unchanged. They will follow the 2-2-1 format where the higher seeds host games 1,2 and 5. The road team will host games 3 and 4.
Fans have been quick to praise the move by the league. The general sentiment amongst fans of the WNBA was that the bye or double-bye took the rhythm out of the top-tier teams. With time off from the byes, the top teams sometimes came out rusty, potentially costing them a game or two. With the single-elimination games gone, it will give teams a
chance to compete in a more traditional playoff series and allow rivalries to develop. While there have been some classic single-elimination games in WNBA playoff history, fans will now be able to enjoy classic series.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83