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• The 2022 WNBA playoffs begin on August 17 with eight teams competing for the championship.
• The first round will be played in a best-of-three format and the second round will be best-of-five.
• WNBA playoff games air on the ESPN family of networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

Beginning August 17, ESPN’s family of networks will be broadcasting every game of the 2022 WNBA playoffs. The first round starts with the defending champion Chicago Sky hosting the New York Liberty on ESPN, and the top-ranked Las Vegas Aces hosting the Phoenix Mercury on ESPN2.

The Aces and Sky are the favorites to reach the WNBA Finals after tying for the league’s best W-L record and competing in the finals of the second annual WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. The Aces are led by All-Star game MVP Kelsey Plum and A’Ja Wilson, while the Sky rely on veteran stars Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot. 

The Aces have won three of four meetings with the Sky this year, including the Commissioner’s Cup Finals, but the Sky overcame a 28-point deficit in their June 21 game to set a WNBA record for the largest comeback.

ESPN will spread the WNBA playoffs across its family of networks, with games scheduled on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. If you don’t have cable, you have a few different options to livestream games. Below, we’ve rounded up all the services you can use to watch the WNBA playoffs, along with full schedule details for the matches announced so far.

WNBA playoffs schedule 

The first round of the WNBA playoffs begins on August 17. The semifinals will follow on August 28, and the WNBA Finals are set to start on September 11. 

How to watch the WNBA playoffs

If you want to watch the WNBA playoffs without cable, you’ll need access to ESPN’s family of networks through a live TV streaming service. Choices include Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, and FuboTV.

Sling TV’s Orange plan is the most affordable option for accessing ESPN and ESPN2; it normally costs $35 a month but new subscribers can get their first month for $17.50. To get ESPNU, you’ll have to pay an additional $11 a month, but so far only one WNBA playoff game is scheduled to air on that channel. Sling doesnt have ABC, but games on ABC will be simulcast on ESPN3, which is included with Sling Orange.

YouTube TV is your next best option to stream the WNBA playoffs. The service offers ABC, ESPNU, ESPN, and ESPN2 for $65 a month. However, a two-week free trial is available if you redeem by August 17, and new subscribers can pay a reduced rate of $55 a month for their first three months.

What teams are in the WNBA playoffs?

The following teams are competing in the 2022 WNBA playoffs:

1. Las Vegas Aces
2. Chicago Sky
3. Connecticut Sun
4. Seattle Storm
5. Washington Mystics
6. Dallas Wings
7. New York Liberty
8. Phoenix Mercury

How are the WNBA playoffs set up?

The first round of the 2022 WNBA playoffs consists of four best-of-three series matches, shifting from the single-elimination format the league previously used in early playoff rounds since 2016.

The semifinals and WNBA Finals will once again be played in a best-of-five series format.