The 2025 WNBA postseason is underway — and so is its change to the first-round collection.
Final October, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert introduced that the first-round best-of-three collection would observe a 1-1-1 format, with the upper seeds internet hosting Recreation 1 and a decisive Recreation 3.
That’s been on full show after the conclusion of the league’s first-ever 44-game common season. And groups are sounding off on the change.
“I don’t know if there’s advantages. I think it’s the best setup for the league,” second-year Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts stated of the 2025 format. “I think the league needs 1-1-1.”
The brand new format differs from the earlier 2-1 format that’s been in place starting in 2022. Earlier than 2025, decrease seeds weren’t assured a house playoff sport as increased seeds hosted Video games 1 and a pair of.
From 2016-21, fifth-seeded groups hosted eighth-seeded groups and sixth-seeded groups hosted seventh-seeded groups in a single elimination sport into the second spherical.
The 1-1-1 format was first launched in 1998 when simply 4 — two Western and Jap Convention groups apiece — out of 10 groups made the postseason. However its sport sequencing differed from the present 2025 format.
In its first iteration, increased seeds have been awarded Video games 2 and three (if essential). The opening sport of the collection was performed on the dwelling of the decrease seed.
The next postseason, the bracket expanded to 6 groups. The primary seed in every convention acquired byes as seeds two and three performed in a single-elimination first-round matchups.
The format modified once more in 2000 as eight of 16 groups — 4 squads per convention — battled in a best-of-three first-round collection. This time, increased seeds hosted Video games 2 and three (if essential). The format and sport sequencing continued to vary all through the next years earlier than the 2016 format was applied.
And within the league’s inaugural 1997 postseason, 4 groups with the very best report have been seeded one to 4 and competed in single-elimination video games all through the playoffs.
The earlier codecs because the WNBA’s inception created all kind of benefits and downsides: some groups in numerous eras weren’t assured a single dwelling playoff sport after battling for a seed in the course of the common season.
An entire common season of labor — albeit in a time when lesser video games have been performed in a WNBA season — felt prefer it was tossed away if a staff performed poorly for 1 / 4 in a single-elimination sport that led to a loss.
And a championship-caliber No. 1 seed staff could not have even gotten near hoisting the trophy as a result of they obtained eradicated in a first-round do-or-die Recreation 3 loss performed in a hostile street enviornment.
That’s a state of affairs that might’ve been in play final yr because the Atlanta Dream have been just a few clutch performs away from seizing momentum from eventual champion Liberty in a Recreation 2 at Barclays Heart.
However in fact, the Liberty defended dwelling court docket in that Recreation 2 in a 2-1 format, moved on and the remainder was historical past.
Only a yr later, it’s the No. 5 seed Liberty that pushed the No. 4 seed Mercury to the brink on this new format. An time beyond regulation Recreation 1 win in Phoenix stole dwelling court docket from the Mercury, organising an elimination sport at Barclays Heart with an opportunity to maneuver on.
An end-of-regulation missed layup by Alyssa Thomas in a tie sport modified the dynamic of the collection throughout the blink of an eye fixed. If she transformed, it’s the Liberty going through an elimination after only one sport.
However Thomas missed. And the collection flipped on her staff.
It occurs so quick within the WNBA.
“Obviously, I would have liked it a lot more if you win Game 1, coming here [Brooklyn] for Game 2,” Tibbetts stated. “But I think this is the right thing to do. I think everybody deserves a home game.”
An argument may very well be made to regulate the present format.
The present first-round format supplies two days for relaxation and journey between Video games 1 and a pair of — however only a single journey day between Video games 2 and three. The journey is extra grueling for this specific Liberty-Mercury collection with cross-country flights between completely different time zones.
The exterior elements might have an effect on the gamers after they hit the court docket.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello thinks the collection must be prolonged.
“It’s a good question. I think it should be best-of-five, really,” stated the pinnacle coach. “I mean, with how great this league is now. We’re lucky that we have an extra day in between. It would have been really hard if it was just one day. It’ll be really hard if it goes to Game 3, because we have to go back from the other side of the country and then play another game. It is what it is this year. I’m sure we’ll talk about that in the offseason.”
When requested if there’s disadvantages to this yr’s format, Brondello referenced the evident situation with the earlier format.
“It was 2-1 last year,” she stated. “Maybe it would have disadvantaged the team if you lose, that’s the thing you know. You have to go to Game 3 [and] have to win on someone else’s home court. It’s pros and cons of both, isn’t it?”
The argument to maintain the format in its present kind may very well be had as nicely.
In 2025, the Seattle Storm and Indiana Fever got an opportunity to stave off elimination by getting Recreation 2 wins on their dwelling ground. Each groups misplaced Recreation 1 on the street.
If these collection came about in final yr’s 2-1 format, each the Storm and Fever must keep away from elimination — in Las Vegas and Atlanta, respectively — at a street enviornment.
“I think it’s great for our league. Again, I’m new to this league, and coming here last year I was kind of shocked that that was the way it was,” stated Tibbetts. “That’s fine. I think this [current 1-1-1 format] is what it’s supposed to be.”
