WNBA approves new playoff format and postseason seeding, ditches single-elimination games, byes

From now on, the first round of the WNBA postseason will be best-of-three, followed by best-of-five series in the semifinals and Finals

The WNBA said goodbye to byes on Thursday. Single-elimination games, too. Starting in the 2022 season, the playoffs will have a new, 3-5-5 format: Best-of-three in the first round, best-of-five after that. 

From the league's official announcement: 

Beginning with the WNBA's 26th season, the eight teams with the highest winning percentages over a 36-game schedule regardless of conference will qualify for the playoffs and be seeded based on their record. All eight playoff teams will participate in first-round, bracket-style play consisting of four best-of-three series.

In one bracket, first-round play will place the No. 1 seed facing the No. 8 seed and the No. 4 seed versus the No. 5 seed in a best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to a best-of-five semifinals series against one another. In the other bracket, the No. 3 seed will face the No. 6 seed and the No. 2 seed will meet the No. 7 seed, with the winners moving on to face one another in the other best-of-five semifinals series.

The winners of the semifinals series will then meet in the WNBA Finals, which also will be a best-of-five series, to determine the WNBA champion.

One important note: The best-of-three series in the first round will have a 2-1 format, meaning the higher-seeded team will play the first two games at home. Whenever a win-or-go-home Game 3 is necessary, then, the lower-seeded team will have home-court advantage.

Also important: There is no reseeding, and the 2-2-1 format for five-game series in the semifinals and Finals remains unchanged.

A statement from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert:

"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. 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."

From 2016 to 2021, the WNBA playoffs had a 1-1-5-5 format, i.e. two rounds of single-elimination, followed by five-game series in the semifinals and Finals. The top two seeds received double-byes and jumped directly into the semifinals.