For the first time in franchise history, the Washington Mystics are WNBA champions. They secured the title with a thrilling 89-78 Game 5 victory over the young Connecticut Sun. This was the fourth time in five seasons that the Finals went to a winner-take-all Game 5, and the action certainly didn't disappoint. There were nine lead changes and 15 ties as the two teams battled back and forth until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Mystics pulled away for the win. Emma Meesseman, who was named Finals MVP led the way with 22 points off the bench, while Elena Delle Donne added 21.
The WNBA's unique playoff format featured single-elimination contests in both the first and second rounds. Conference affiliation is no longer relevant for the postseason, with the top eight teams making the playoffs regardless of conference. Teams seeded 5-8 begin played in the first round, while the third and fourth seed earned a bye to the second round. The top two seeds earned byes all the way to the semifinals. For a complete breakdown and explanation of the format, click here.
Here is everything you need to know about the WNBA postseason schedule, including how and when to watch the Finals on TV and live stream online.
Finals (best-of-five series)
No. 1 Washington Mystics vs. No. 2 Connecticut Sun (Mystics win 3-2)
- Game 1: Mystics 95, Sun 86
- Game 2: Sun 99, Mystics 87
- Game 3: Mystics 94, Sun 81
- Game 4: Sun 90, Mystics 86
- Game 5: Mystics 89, Sun 78
Semifinals (best-of-five series)
No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 1 Washington Mystics (Mystics win 3-1)
- Game 1: Mystics 97, Aces 95
- Game 2: Mystics 103, Aces 91
- Game 3: Aces 92, Mystics 75
- Game 4: Mystics 94, Aces 90
No. 3 Los Angeles Sparks vs. No. 2 Connecticut Sun (Sun win 3-0)
- Game 1: Sun 84, Sparks 75
- Game 2: Sun 94, Sparks 68
- Game 3: Sun 78, Sparks 56
Second round (single-elimination) -- Sunday, Sept. 15
- Los Angeles Sparks 92, Seattle Storm 69
- Las Vegas Aces 93, Chicago Sky 92
First round (single-elimination) -- Wednesday, Sept. 11
- Chicago Sky 105, Phoenix Mercury 76
- Seattle Storm 84, Minnesota Lynx 74
