The WNBA should immediately rethink its playoff format

The WNBA playoffs are underway, as the league’s best teams have their eye on bringing a championship home to their city. However, there’s not much room for error, as the WNBA playoff format is extremely unforgiving.

We think the league needs to take a closer look at adjusting its postseason setup, which would increase excitement for the teams that qualify.

Currently, the WNBA goes with a three-game series in the first round of the playoffs, followed by best of five series in the semifinals and the Finals.

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The higher seed hosts the first two games of the first round, while a deciding Game 3 takes place at the lower seed’s home arena.

The WNBA adopted this format in 2022, and ESPN’s Michelle Voepel anticipated some issues with the first round setup that would appear valid.

She wrote in 2021, “A series sweep means that the lower-seeded team doesn’t get a playoff game at home. But if the series goes the distance, the decisive game has the better-seeded team on the road. And that’s not a good setup, either.”

The first point Voepel makes is no small deal. Lower seeded WNBA playoff teams who can’t force a third game in round one don’t get the benefit of what might be a major opportunity to sell out their building and drive merchandise sales at their arena.

Additionally, stacking home games for the higher seed in the first two games of the first round puts the lower seeded team at a huge disadvantage, making it unlikely that first round series ever get to a Game 3. That hurts the WNBA as a whole, since their format inherently doesn’t promote longer, more compelling series.

Much has been written about WNBA salaries in recent years. The WNBA playoffs gives players a chance to augment their compensation by earning bonuses in the postseason.

Marca reports that teams eliminated in the first round receive $1,616 per player, while teams eliminated in the semifinals receive $3,123 per player. The team that loses in the WNBA Finals sees each player receive $7,746.

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Players on the team that wins the WNBA title receive $20,825 each, which in some cases can be 20 percent of a player’s salary. Put in those terms, it qualifies as a big deal, but the WNBA’s playoff system makes it hard for teams to have a fair shot.

Granted, teams that have won more games and earned a higher seed should have an advantage. It seems like it might be too heavily weighted towards the higher seed, at least in the first round.

The NBA used to have a playoff setup where the first round series was shorter than the series in subsequent rounds of the playoffs. Fewer games tend to drive up excitement considering the desperation in each contest, but also don’t create memorable battles that transpire over multiple days in multiple cities.

The WNBA could go with a five-game series in the first round, just as it has in later rounds of the playoffs. The home team hosts Games 1 and 2, and a deciding Game 5 if it comes to that.

A two game sweep also pushes stars on lower seeded teams out very early, which seems a bit brief considering the 36-game regular season they played to qualify.

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides told SB Nation, “The last time I was in this position, it was a one-game elimination. You could beat anybody in this league on a given night. It’s got a lot of luck to do with it. But, yeah, I agree. Now we have charter flights. We can get back and forth. I’m sure it’s something they’re going to talk about.”

How do you think the WNBA playoffs should be structured? Let us know by leaving a comment!

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