WNBA Postseason Has Now Been Extended. What Does It Now Means For The WNBA Moving Forward?

The moment has finally came on November 18, 2021 when the WNBA’s Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has announced the approval to have the WNBA Postseason expanded.

The new playoff format for the WNBA has now listed the first round of the playoffs being a best of three series, while the semi-finals and the finals will be the best of five series.

Below is the list of how the new playoff format will play out for the WNBA teams who makes it to the playoffs moving forward

First Round:

Bracket #1:

The No. 1 seed will face the No. 8 seed and the

No. 4 seed will face the No. 5 seed

The winners will advance to a best-of-five semifinals series against one another.

Bracket #2:

The No. 3 seed will face the No. 6 seed

the No. 2 seed will meet the No. 7 seed

The winners will move forward to face one another in the other best-of-five semifinals series as well.

With a new playoff format incoming, comes new elements that will come into play, below are the new elements for the playoff moving forward

The number of playoff rounds shifts from four to three and no teams will receive a bye to start the postseason. Teams will not be reseeded following the first round.
The planned change for the first-round series games will include a 2-1 format in which the higher seed will host Games 1 and 2 and the lower seed will host Game 3 if necessary.
The new format will add eight potential games to the playoff footprint.
The semifinals and WNBA Finals will each remain unchanged as best-of-five series and follow the same 2-2-1 format whereby the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5, and the lower-seeded team will host Games 3 and 4 in their respective series.

When asked about committing to the new playoff format Engelbert have stated …

“We have been evaluating different playoff formats over the past 12 months, and the new playoff format being announced today will enable fans to engage with all of the league’s best teams and top stars right from the start of the postseason with all eight championship contenders immediately involved in exciting, first-round action,”

“Following significant discussions with our Competition Committee and a Playoff subcommittee we formed last year, it was clear that while the prior format’s single-elimination games created a win-and-advance level of excitement to the start of the postseason, the new best-of-three series format will provide added opportunities to create and showcase rivalries with all playoff-eligible teams participating.”

This new can now allow more sport fans to tune into WNBA games and see more of what women’s basketball is about, which is more than just a bunch of pretty faces in baggy shorts dribbling balls up and down the court all the day and night long.

To hear more thoughts about this, you can now tune into the latest episode of “The Micbomb” now to hear more information about this expansion within the WNBA.