How many WNBA teams make the playoffs and when does the postseason begin?

We’ve reached the critical point in the 2024 WNBA season with most of the twelve teams having played 3/4 of their 40 games that compose the regular season schedule.

This season has undoubtedly been dominated by one name, that of Caitlin Clark who joined Indiana Fever after being the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. Before making the move to the professional game, her final with Iowa in this year’s NCAA women’s championship final game against South Carolina on ESPN averaged a record 18.7 million viewers.

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The former University of Iowa star was twice named National Player of the Year and set a record for points in college basketball in both the men’s and women’s categories by scoring a total of 3,951, more than any other basketball player in history.

Her Fever debut in May of this year saw US viewership peaking at 2.3 million viewers for the game between the Fever and Connecticut Sun with the Sun winning 92-71 in front of a sellout crowd at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

Tough start for the Fever

The Fever lost 10 and won only three of their first 13 games of the season, but were on a run of eight victories and five losses in 13 ahead of the Olympic break. An overall 11-15 record leaves Indiana seventh in the overall standings, with the top eight qualifying for the 2024 WNBA Playoffs.

The top team in the league are unquestionably New York Liberty with the side from Big Apple looking for their first ever WNBA title having only lost four games in the season to date so far.

With approximately 14 games left for all twelve competitors, no team is yet eliminated with everything to play for as the season reaches the ‘business end’ with even bottom teams, LA Sparks, Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics in with a chance of progressing to the postseason.

20 October has been cited by the league as the last possible date for the 2024 finals to commence.