The WNBA announced Thursday that it is switching to a three-round best-of-series playoff format, beginning with the 2022 season.
The new format will eliminate byes. The first round will be a best-of-three series while the semifinals and finals will be best-of-5.
The eight teams with the best records after the 36-game regular season will make the playoff field, regardless of conference affiliation.
The system replaces the former 1-1-5-5 format that had two single-game elimination rounds and gave the No. 1 and 2 seeds double-byes into the semifinals.
“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,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a news release. “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.”
In the first round, the higher-seeded team will host Games 1 and 2 with the lower-seed club only getting a home contest if a Game 3 is necessary.
The semifinals and WNBA Finals will continue to use a 2-2-1 format that calls for the higher seed to host Games 1, 2 and 5.
The Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 3 games to 1 to win the 2021 WNBA Finals.
Next season will be the WNBA’s 26th as a league.
–Field Level Media
