The WNBA playoff schedule has been officially set after final seedings were determined on Thursday.

The day started with the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics all alive for the eighth and final playoff spot. All the Dream needed was to beat the New York Liberty to secure that spot, and that’s exactly what happened thanks to a 78-67 win on foreign soil.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun and Las Vegas Aces were both in contention for third place. Connecticut needed only a win over the visiting Sky to do so, and that’s exactly what happened thanks to an 87-54 home win.

Now the table is set for the highly anticipated playoffs, which begin Sunday. Here’s a look at the bracket, the schedule (via WNBA.com), quick first-round previews and quarterfinal predictions.

Note that the first round is a best-of-three, with Game 3 to be played if necessary. The semifinals and finals are a best-of-five, with Games 4 and 5 to be played if necessary.

All times listed below are ET.

Sunday September 22 (match 1)

1:00 p.m.: No. 8 Atlanta Dream at No. 1 New York Liberty, ESPN

3:00 p.m.: No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Connecticut Sun, ABC

5:00 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury at No. 2 Minnesota Lynx, ESPN

10:00 p.m.: No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, ESPN

Tuesday September 24 (match 2)

7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Atlanta Dream at No. 1 New York Liberty, ESPN

9:30 p.m.: No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, ESPN

Wednesday September 25 (match 2)

7:30 p.m.: No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Connecticut Sun, ESPN

9:30 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 2 Minnesota Lynx, ESPN

Thursday, September 26 (Game 3, if necessary)

Time TBD: No. 1 New York Liberty at No. 8 Atlanta Dream, ESPN2

Time TBD: No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, ESPN2

Friday September 27 (Match 3, if necessary)

Time TBD: No. 3 Connecticut Sun at No. 6 Indiana Fever, ESPN2

Time TBD: No. 2 Minnesota Lynx at No. 7 Phoenix Mercury, ESPN2

Semi-finals (both matches will take place on the same date, times not yet known)

Game 1: Sunday September 29th

Game 2: Tuesday October 1st

Game 3: Friday October 4th

Game 4: Sunday October 6th

Game 5: Tuesday October 8th

Game 1: Thursday October 10th

Game 2: Sunday October 13th

Game 3: Wednesday October 16th

Game 4: Friday October 18th

Game 5: Sunday October 20

No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 AtlantaDream

The New York Liberty have made the playoffs 18 times and the Finals five times, but the championship has eluded them since the WNBA’s inaugural season in 1997.

The pieces are clearly in place for a title race. New York finished the season with the league’s No. 1 offensive rating and No. 3 defensive rating, according to Basketball Reference.

Liberty finished No. 1 in three-pointers made, with four players (Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney) averaging 11 or more points per game.

Stewart remains one of the WNBA’s elite players and a perennial MVP candidate after averaging more than 20 points and eight rebounds per game for the third time in the last four seasons. It was also a banner year for Jonquel Jones, who made her third All-Star Game in four seasons.

It will be tough for the Dream to beat New York, though the talent is there to surprise. Rhyne Howard can explode for 30-plus points on any given night, and Tina Charles remains a nightly double-double threat in her 13th WNBA season.

Still, the Libs seem too strong here in their fight for the first franchise title.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7Phoenix Mercury

This could be the last time we see 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi on the basketball court. She told reporters that “the end is near,” but added that she didn’t know when that would be.

The end of Taurasi’s second decade means he’s in the playoffs, but this is a tough matchup for the Mercury against the best WNBA team entering the playoffs.

Napheesa Collier is a two-way superstar, scoring 20-10 points every night and regularly recording three or more steals/blocks. Four other Lynx players average 10 or more points per game and the team as a whole shoots great (38 percent from three, 79 percent from the free throw line).

Of course, it helps Phoenix to have star talent in Kahleah Copper, who scored 34 points in an 81-80 win over Minnesota earlier this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her take over this series, and it wouldn’t be a shock either if Brittney Griner, Taurasi and Natasha Cloud prove to be too much for Minnesota in the best-of-three matchup.

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever

All eyes will be on presumptive Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark after her sensational, record-breaking first professional season. And rightfully so, as Indiana has been on fire this year, going 15-6 after a 3-10 start.

The Fever faltered a bit late in the game, finishing 2-4, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Indiana gives Connecticut a tough series.

The Sun defeated the Fever 3-1 in the regular season series, but Indiana won the final game with all five starters scoring in double figures to win 84-80.

That said, the Suns’ defense may be too tough. Connecticut is No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 2 in defensive efficiency. This is an all-around team with six players scoring 10 or more points per game.

Five-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas is a nightly triple-double threat, and DiJonai Carrington is one of the WNBA’s best defensive guards. Five Suns players rank in the top 20 in defensive win shares, according to WNBA.com.

They’ll have a tough task against a red-hot Fever team that has seen both Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston take the lead at times this year, and ultimately this looks like the most competitive first-round series on paper.

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm

The Las Vegas Aces are going for a third straight win thanks to the phenomenal performance of A’ja Wilson, who should win her third WNBA MVP award this year.

Wilson has performed well in the playoffs over the past two seasons, averaging 20.3 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game in 2022 before putting up 23.8 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game in 2023. However, she never played better in 2024, becoming the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season.

She is, of course, flanked by some tremendous talent, including Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Young in particular proved to be a thorn in Seattle’s side, scoring 32 points in a 94-83 win and 27 points in an 84-79 victory.

Seattle does have a weapon, though, in Gabby Williams, who was named “Best Defensive Player” at this year’s Summer Olympics while representing silver medalist France. Williams signed with Seattle midseason, made her 2024 debut in August, and has performed quite well for the Storm. It’s also conceivable that Jewell Loyd, who averages 20 points per game, could dominate this series.

Las Vegas still looks like the better team on paper against Seattle, who have made a huge turnaround after going 11-29 last year. But don’t be surprised if Seattle pushes the series to the limit and gives Las Vegas a huge first-round scare.