With the final buzzer of the WNBA regular season Thursday night, the WNBA playoff odds are set — for now.
1 New York Liberty No.
4 Las Vegas Aces Here is look at the WNBA Playoffs from WNBA staff writers Sabreena Merchant and Ben Pickman.
Picks for WNBA Champion Pickman: New York Liberty — The Liberty enter the postseason playing far from their best basketball.
More WNBA coverage How big should ESPN go on Caitlin Clark during WNBA playoffs?
Right now, the WNBA playoff odds are set, as of Thursday night’s final buzzer of the regular season. The New York Liberty (+120) took the lead. 1. They are the favorites to win the WNBA championship this season, followed closely by the No. 1 seed and rival Las Vegas Aces (+225). Next in line for the top three spots in the odds is the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx (+240).
The Connecticut Sun (+800), Indiana Fever (+3000), Seattle Storm (+4000), Phoenix Mercury (+15000), and Atlanta Dream (+25000) are the next teams in order of considerably worse odds.
For a league that is experiencing unprecedented growth in popularity and delighting both new and returning fans, the playoff storylines and stakes this year are exciting. After losing to the Aces in the championship game of the previous season, 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart and the Liberty are targeting their first-ever city championship. A’ja Wilson, the current MVP of the Finals, and the Aces are attempting a three-peat, which they haven’t done since the league’s inaugural season in 2000.
Of course, the name that’s been on everyone’s lips is Caitlin Clark, who will wear her No. 2 jersey for her WNBA Playoff debut. Indiana Fever, ranked sixth.
Here is the first round bracket:.
Nope. 8 Atlanta Dream in contrast. In no way. One Liberty in New York.
Nope. 7 Phoenix Mercury against. In no way. Two Lynx from Minnesota.
Negative. 6 Indiana Fever in comparison. Not at all. Three Connecticut Suns.
Negative. Seattle Storm 5 against. In no way. Four Aces from Las Vegas.
Here’s a look at the WNBA Playoffs from WNBA staff writers Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant.
odds for a WNBA championship.
The Liberty sealed the refusal. 1 seed on Tuesday, defeating the Washington Mystics 87-71 to secure home-court advantage for the postseason for New York. With a 32-8 record, the Liberty have dominated the league for nearly the whole campaign.
The Lynx’s post-Olympic surge (30-10 overall, 13-2 since the Olympic break) prevented the Liberty from securing a postseason berth prior to Tuesday. The Lynx were at +1000 odds prior to the final bracket’s establishment and are now at +800.
The reigning champion Aces (27–13), meanwhile, have the clutch experience you need to get hot for the postseason.
Which team do our experts think will win?
WNBA Champion selections.
Pickman: New York Liberty — The Liberty are not playing at their best as they go into the postseason. Nonetheless, New York has been the league’s best team overall during the regular season, has an abundance of talent, gets home court advantage during the postseason, and has worked hard all season to get over their painful WNBA Finals experience from the previous year. Even though New York knows it needs to improve and has the talent to do so, turning things around in the postseason is not an easy feat.
Merchant: Minnesota Lynx – The Lynx have matched up well against the Liberty and Aces this season, assuming they can overcome the Sun.
MVP odds in the WNBA Finals.
Another group of three players leads the odds for Finals MVP: A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart are considered the favorites to advance to the Finals with their teams and perform spectacularly.
With the most points (1,021), rebounds (451), and blocked shots (98) in a season, Wilson is enjoying an incredible season that has never been witnessed in this league (or formally in the NBA). With Cynthia Cooper winning four in 1997–2000 and Lisa Leslie winning two in 2001–2002, it would be the third time in league history that a player has won back-to-back Finals MVPs.
The league-defining play of Lynx star Collier is being somewhat overshadowed by Wilson’s record-breaking season. She averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists after playing a key role in the US winning gold at the Olympics.
On the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020, Stewart—who won MVP in the regular season in 2023—was named the Finals MVP. Throughout the course of the season, Stewart has averaged 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
MVP choices for the Finals.
Pickman: Brenna Stewart – Throughout the regular season, she has been the best and most reliable player on the best team in the league. Stewart has always been a winner, but her loss in the Finals last year was her first significant setback. This autumn, she’ll exact revenge. Still, Jonquel Jones at +1200 odds is a better option if you’re looking for a value play. Jones, a former league MVP herself, was the most reliable and dominant player for New York in the playoffs the year before and may be once more this time around.
Merchant: Kayla McBride – It is not uncommon for the best player on the victorious team to win this honor (see: 2021 and 2022), and it is conceivable that McBride could have a few big shooting nights that carry Minnesota to victory.
First-round series of the WNBA Playoffs.
Negative. 8 Atlanta Dream versus. Not at all. 1 Liberty of New York.
1 p.m. in Game 1. M. Sunday, ET.
ESPN is the place to watch.
Fubo allows for free streaming.
Pickman’s prediction: New York in two — Ignore the defeat to the Dream in the regular season finale. If New York was defeated in the opening round, it would be a huge upset.
Merchant choice: two in New York.
Nope. 7 Phoenix Mercury against. In no way. Two Lynx from Minnesota.
First game: 5 p.m. M. on Sunday, ET.
ESPN is the place to watch.
Fubo allows you to stream for free.
Pickman: Minnesota in two — The Lynx have lost just one game since play resumed, making them the WNBA’s best team since the All-Star break. There’s no reason to think that a Phoenix team that is struggling will cause serious disruptions.
The merchant: Two Minnesotas.
Negative. Six Indiana Fever versus. Not at all. 3 Sun of Connecticut.
First game: 3:30 p.m. m. on Sunday, ET.
How to watch ABC.
Fubo allows you to stream for free.
Pickman: There are two suns. While Indiana was still getting used to things, the Sun emerged victorious in the season series 3-1, all three of their victories occurring in the first five weeks of the campaign. The speed at which the series is played will have a significant impact on who wins this matchup. In the new format, Indiana might become the first team from a lower seed to upset a higher seed, but it’s also difficult to wager against the Sun’s postseason history.
Seller: Two Connecticuts. Although Indiana has been fierce since the break and defeated Connecticut in their most recent meeting, we’re still waiting for the first-round upset in this format. In addition, the Sun’s five-year streak of qualifying for the WNBA semifinals is on the line. Here, the wager is on the streak continuing.
Nope. The Seattle Storm versus. No. Four Aces from Las Vegas.
First game: ten p.m. m. on Sunday, ET.
ESPN is the way to watch.
Fubo is available for free to stream.
Pickman: The Aces have proven to be better in the postseason, so this is another talented matchup. As Las Vegas attempts to complete a trifecta, consistency will be crucial.
Merchant: Two nights in Las Vegas.
Additional WNBA coverage.
Experts debate: How much coverage should ESPN give Caitlin Clark during the WNBA playoffs?
Playoff matchups set as Atlanta Dream claim final spot: How does postseason format work?
Awards and all-league team: rookies are topped by Caitlin Clark, while A’ja Wilson leads the way.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images provided the photo of A’ja Wilson.
