WNBA semi-finals set for 4 October as four teams vie for Finals places
The best-of-five series pair the New York Liberty with the Atlanta Dream and the Las Vegas Aces with the Golden State Valkyries.
The 2026 WNBA semi-finals begin on Sunday, 4 October, with two best-of-five series shaping the route to the Finals. Yahoo Sports’ preview frames the match-ups around the contrast between established playoff contenders and teams with less recent experience at this stage.
New York Liberty face Atlanta Dream after both swept their first-round opponents. New York beat top-seeded Minnesota 2–0, while Atlanta swept Washington by the same margin.
The Las Vegas Aces meet the Golden State Valkyries. The Aces are making an eighth consecutive semi-final appearance and have won three titles in the past four years. Golden State reached the semi-finals after securing the first playoff-series win in franchise history, in its second year.
Atlanta returns to the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. The series offer the Dream and Valkyries a chance to test their progress against teams with deeper recent postseason records; the results will determine which four advance to the Finals.
