WNBA playoff race: Who qualifies in case of a tie? The tie-breaker between the Sky, Dream and Mystics explained
Here’s how things will go if it’s are all square in the WNBA ahead of the playoffs.
As the season draws to a close, the pressure is mounting and we’re all fascinated to see who makes the final playoff spot, which is 8th place in the division.
At the moment, any team of the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics could take it at the last second, so here’s what will happen if any of the trio are tied come the conclusion of the season.
But first, a quick look at the table:
| Position | Team | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Liberty | 32-7 | No. 1 seed |
| 2 | Minnesota Lynx | 30-9 | No. 2 seed |
| 3 | Connecticut Sun | 27-12 | No. 3 seed |
| 4 | Las Vegas Aces | 26-13 | No. 4 seed |
| 5 | Seattle Storm | 24-15 | No. 5 seed |
| 6 | Indiana Fever | 20-19 | No. 6 seed |
| 7 | Phoenix Mercury | 18-20 | No. 7 seed |
| 8 | Atlanta Dream | 14-25 | No. 8 seed |
| 9 | Washington Mystics | 13-26 | |
| 10 | Chicago Sky | 13-26 | |
| 11 | Dallas Wings | 9-30 | Eliminated |
| 12 | Los Angeles Sparks | 7-31 | Eliminated |
⬇️ FINAL SCORES & TOP PERFORMERS ⬇️
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 18, 2024
Napheesa Collier went off for 25 PTS, 6 REB, & 4 BLK to lead the Lynx to the 2-PT win over the Connecticut Sun 🔥
Minnesota officially secures the #2 seed in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs presented by @google!
Post Season Push | @DraftKings pic.twitter.com/tg4J2JwO12
On Tuesday, the Liberty blitzed to securing the No. 1 overall seed with a huge win over the Mystics, while the Lynx grabbed the No. 2 seed after an exciting win against the Sun. Meanwhile, as we can see in the table, the Dream seized (temporary) control of the final playoff spot by defeating the Sky.
How do the WNBA playoffs work?
In the current playoff format, teams are arranged in a traditional bracket, with the No. 1 seed facing No. 8 in the first round, No. 2 playing against No. 7, and so on.
The first round is a best-of-three series, while the semi-finals and finals are best-of-five. Perhaps quite importantly, the first round will see the higher seed host the first two games; if a Game 3 is needed, the lower seed then hosts it. For the semifinals and finals, the format shifts and the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 2, as well as Game 5, if it’s needed.
How is the WNBA table decided if there is a tie?
Initially, two-team ties are decided by a head-to-head record. However, if it’s all square then things will go down to which team has the better record against .500+ teams.
Libs got 👏 it 👏 DONE 👏 pic.twitter.com/T7jiBCnwPd
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 18, 2024
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If, as may be the case this season, we get a tie between more than two teams, the table is decided by their combined head-to-head records against the other teams.
The WNBA playoffs start on Sunday, 22 September and they will finish up with the WNBA Finals on October 20. Despite the fact we know the system and how things will work, specific fixtures are yet to be released.
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