Your information to Sunday's first-round WNBA playoff video games – ESPN

Breanna Stewart finishes with 18 factors because the Liberty prime the Mercury in additional time to win Recreation 1. (1:43)
The WNBA playoffs are underway. The primary spherical tipped off Sunday because the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx and 3-seed Atlanta Dream opened with Recreation 1 dwelling victories.
Fifth-seeded New York then wanted additional time to knock off 4-seed Phoenix and steal again home-court benefit — although Breanna Stewart appeared to injure her left knee towards the tip of the sport.
Within the nightcap, the Las Vegas Aces routed the Seattle Storm.
ESPN breaks down all the things we noticed Sunday, with postgame evaluation on every recreation.
MORE: Playoff predictions | Strengths, flaws for every team | Top 25 players | Schedule
Watch the Recreation Highlights from Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm, 09/14/2025
Last: Las Vegas 102, Seattle 77
What the win means for Las Vegas: The Aces stretched their profitable streak to 17 video games and confirmed why they’ve sustained it. Their confidence is rising, and so they’re the healthiest and deepest they have been all season.
Each participant mixture for the Aces labored. A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young have been their standard selves, combining for 47 factors, 14 rebounds and 9 assists. They’ve been the celebs of the profitable streak — and now the gamers round them are excelling, too.
Jewell Loyd, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Dana Evans introduced vitality off the bench and mixed for 34 factors. The Aces’ starters headed to the bench with about 5 minutes left within the recreation and the victory all however secured.
The Aces enhance to 7-0 in first-round video games below Becky Hammon, who took over as coach in 2022.
What the loss means for Seattle: The Storm have been swept within the first spherical by Las Vegas final 12 months, and so they’re midway to the identical destiny. They have been outplayed in each side, and it led to the franchise’s largest loss within the playoffs, eclipsing Seattle’s 23-point defeat to Los Angeles in 2019.
The Storm get to go dwelling, and so they want a spark from their followers as a result of they’d none Sunday.
Can Seattle discover something that works in opposition to the Aces for Recreation 2? The Storm do not have a lot time to determine it out, with Recreation 2 on Tuesday. However the Storm should determine tips on how to transfer the ball higher in opposition to the Aces. That is not simple with how Las Vegas has been enjoying protection for greater than the previous month. However Sunday, Seattle had simply 25 factors within the first half, tied for its fewest in a playoff half in franchise historical past. Trailing by 20 at that time, the sport already appeared over.
Seattle has to come back out with extra fireplace in Recreation 2, set up its submit recreation (Wilson dominated the Storm offensively and defensively) and guard the 3-point line higher. In essence, the Storm want a distinct recreation from what they performed Sunday. — Michael Voepel
Last: New York 76, Phoenix 69
What the win means for New York: The defending champs reclaimed home-court benefit after ending because the No. 5 seed within the common season, however the work is way from performed. New York should full the sweep at Barclays Heart on Wednesday or face the prospect of profitable a deciding Recreation 3 again in Phoenix.
The most important concern over the following three days would be the well being of former MVP Breanna Stewart, who left the sport in additional time after showing to endure a knee harm whereas making an attempt a shot. Stewart stayed in to shoot the free throw and for the following minute of play was in apparent ache. The truth that she was unable to complete a recreation that was nonetheless very a lot within the steadiness is a troubling indicator for Stewart’s availability going ahead, although New York will know way more after operating exams.
One bit of fine information: This is not the identical knee on which Stewart had offseason meniscus surgical procedure and extra lately was sidelined for practically a month as a result of a bone bruise. Each of these accidents have been to her proper knee.
Watch the Recreation Highlights from Phoenix Mercury vs. New York Liberty, 09/14/2025
What the loss means for Phoenix: The Mercury will face elimination on Wednesday. As admirably as they competed on protection, holding New York to 42% taking pictures and forcing 20 turnovers, they simply could not rating sufficient. They solely shot worse than Sunday’s 32.5% as soon as throughout the 44-game common season.
Particularly, Phoenix might use extra offense from All-Star Satou Sabally, who suffered by means of a dreadful taking pictures recreation in her postseason debut for the crew. Sabally missed her remaining 13 shot makes an attempt and has solely missed extra complete (15) photographs as soon as in her WNBA profession. She has now shot a mixed 4-for-32 (12.5%) in her previous two playoff video games.
One potential adjustment for coach Nate Tibbetts: favoring harmful reserve Sami Whitcomb over starter Monique Akoa Makani, giving New York much less means to cover Sabrina Ionescu on protection. The Mercury have been plus-7 in Whitcomb’s 20 minutes of play.

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Will the bench battle favor Phoenix in Recreation 2? Kennedy Burke was a contender for Sixth Participant of the 12 months and Emma Meesseman is among the world’s greatest gamers — however on Sunday it was the Mercury’s second unit that shone, outscoring the Liberty reserves 21-2. DeWanna Bonner scored double digits, and though Whitcomb did not shoot particularly properly, her flooring spacing opened issues up for Alyssa Thomas.
It is laborious to count on this development to proceed. Meesseman could not get something going, taking pictures 1-of-6 from the sector. Meesseman shot worse than 50% simply thrice in 17 regular-season video games. The narrative that function gamers play higher at house is overstated — everyone performs higher at dwelling, together with stars — however the Liberty ought to count on higher bench play in Recreation 2. — Kevin Pelton
Last: Atlanta 80, Indiana 68
What the win means for Atlanta: The Dream earned their first playoff win since 2018 and are one victory away from advancing to the semifinals, the place they’d face the winner of Aces-Storm. Karl Smesko’s arrival this offseason revamped Atlanta’s offense, however what went a bit extra below the radar was how the Dream have additionally been a powerful defensive unit. They confirmed that Sunday, irritating Indiana into 15 or fewer factors within the second and fourth frames and slowing down their high-powered offense for big stretches of the sport.
Watch the Recreation Highlights from Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever, 09/14/2025
Atlanta entered the postseason with 149 mixed playoff video games on the roster, third-fewest within the area, however confirmed no indicators of an absence of expertise, significantly within the fourth quarter because the Dream stored their foot on the fuel and ran away with the win.
Traditionally, groups that win Recreation 1 in a best-of-three have gained the sequence 71% of the time, with a sequence document of 85-34.
What the loss means for Indiana: After being swept final season, the Fever stay winless within the postseason courting to 2016. Due to the change in playoff format, they’ll host Recreation 2 in Indianapolis on Tuesday. They’ve handled a bunch of adversity this offseason with all of the season-ending accidents, so this loss is solely the most recent problem in protecting their season alive.
The shorthanded Fever might additionally use ahead Damiris Dantas (concussion protocol) to return by Recreation 2 to shore up their depth in opposition to a proficient Dream frontcourt.
X issue for Recreation 2: Kelsey Mitchell put up a playoff-career excessive 27 factors in Recreation 1, however who else will step up for the Fever on offense? Solely Odyssey Sims additionally completed in double figures, and the bench generated simply 5 factors outdoors of rubbish time. After taking pictures 8-for-17 within the first body, Indiana did not make greater than six area targets in any subsequent quarter, ending with a 34.9% clip from the sector and 2-for-15 taking pictures from 3.
Indiana has proven itself able to producing 4 or 5 double-digit scorers, however is that too tall a activity with its depth depleted in opposition to a protection like Atlanta’s? If not, the Fever’s protection should be method sharper to even the sequence.
Indiana may even want higher composure down the stretch than it had Sunday, the place (partly over frustration towards officiating) the wheels got here off within the fourth quarter. — Alexa Philippou
Last: Minnesota 101, Golden State 72
What the win means for Minnesota: The Lynx took management within the second quarter. After trailing by six on the finish of the primary, the Lynx opened the second quarter on a 15-5 run, outscored the Valkyries 26-12 within the interval and led 47-40 at halftime.
Natisha Hiedeman, a candidate for Sixth Participant of the 12 months, supplied the Lynx with a giant set off the bench, as she has performed all season. The momentum shifted as quickly as she checked into the sport with 3:43 left within the first quarter. Hiedeman completed the sport with a career-high 18 factors in 23 minutes.
The Lynx by no means seemed again, outscoring the Valkyries 54-34 by means of the ultimate two quarters to maneuver one recreation away from returning to the semifinals.
The Lynx cruise in Recreation 1 as they take a 1-0 sequence lead over the Valkyries.
What the loss means for Golden State: The Valkyries path 0-1 within the sequence as they return to the Bay Space — the place they’ll play on the SAP Heart in San Jose as an alternative of the Chase Heart in San Francisco. It is a tall activity to gradual the Lynx, however there have been flashes in the present day of what might steal them a recreation this sequence and keep away from a sweep.
Golden State entered the playoffs ranked twelfth within the league in 3-point proportion, however the Valkyries had certainly one of their greatest taking pictures durations of the season Sunday. They shot 5-of-8 (62.5%) from past the arc and held Minnesota to 8-of-20 from the ground on the different finish. They have been creating beauty, not simply hoisting up photographs and hoping for the most effective. To even the sequence, they’ve to duplicate this sort of offense and take management of the sport once more.

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X issue for Recreation 2: Bench manufacturing might be a giant think about both the Valkyries forcing a Recreation 3 or the Lynx sweeping the sequence. Golden State’s second unit scored six factors till the benches have been cleared with 3:37 left within the recreation — all by Kate Martin. Its bench completed with 17, whereas Minnesota received 42 factors from its second unit. Hiedeman had 18, whereas Jessica Shepard added 12 factors and DiJonai Carrington, who had missed the previous 4 video games with a shoulder harm, completed with six factors on two made 3-pointers.
The Valkyries want extra from these bench minutes and may’t solely depend on their starters in the event that they need to make it previous the primary spherical. — Kendra Andrews

Earlier than the primary spherical opened, ESPN writers Kendra Andrews, Sean Hurd, Myron Medcalf, Eric Moody, Neil Paine, Kevin Pelton, Alexa Philippou, Andre Snellings and Michael Voepel predicted how every best-of-three sequence would finish. Click here for picks for all the WNBA playoffs.

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