The WNBA's playoff schedule was released Tuesday, with all postseason games appearing on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, and the ESPN App.
The league went to a shortened 22-game regular season this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and is playing all of its games in the bubble in Bradenton, Florida. The playoffs remain the standard length: single-elimination games for the first and second rounds, and then best-of-five series for the semifinals and finals.
The top eight teams make the playoffs, with the top two seeds receiving byes into the semifinals. Seven of the eight playoff spots have been claimed by Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Phoenix, Chicago and Connecticut. Dallas, Atlanta, Washington and Indiana remain in contention for the final spot heading into Tuesday's games, while New York has been eliminated from playoff contention.
The regular season ends Sunday, and the playoffs begin with the first-round games on Sept. 15, matching the No. 5 vs. No. 8 and the No. 6 vs. No. 7 seeds. In the second round, the No. 3 seed will face the lowest-seeded first-round winner, while the No. 4 seed faces the other winner.
In the semifinals, the No. 1 seed meets the lowest-seeded second-round winner, while the No. 2 seed faces the other winner.
Rebecca Lobo, LaChina Robinson, Ryan Ruocco and Pam Ward will call the postseason games from ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut, campus, with Holly Rowe providing insight from inside the bubble. When not calling games, Robinson will anchor studio coverage in Bristol.
