Grading every team in the WNBA playoffs' first round: Liberty finally show up, Lynx make disastrous history

The first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs came to a close on Friday with another thriller between the Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings. The Valkyries fell behind by 16 points in the middle of the third quarter, but pulled off a stunning comeback to take the do-or-die Game 3 and earn the first playoff series victory in franchise history.

>The Valkyries will now face the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, who outlasted the Indiana Fever in their own three-game series. On the other side of the bracket, the New York Liberty, who knocked off the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx, will face the Atlanta Dream, who swept the Washington Mystics.

>The semifinals will start on Sunday with Game 1 of both series. Before the postseason continues, let's take one final look back at the first round and hand out grades for all eight teams.

>By the time the playoffs rolled around, just about everyone outside of Brooklyn had given up on the Liberty, who had sunk all the way to the No. 8 seed amid another frustrating, injury-filled season. And then, all of a sudden, the team we'd been waiting for all season finally showed up.

>The Liberty didn't just beat the Lynx; they thoroughly embarrassed them en route to becoming the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in a first-round series. Their size, length and physicality was overwhelming, as they made Olivia Miles look like an actual rookie for the first time all season, and trailed for just three minutes and 23 seconds across the two games. New York was one of two teams to complete a first-round sweep, and did so while winning both games by 16.

>Breanna Stewart was sensational, particularly in Game 1, when she recorded the fourth 30-point, 10-rebound, five-assist playoff game in WNBA history, and she got plenty of help. Crucially, even from Sabrina Ionescu, who has not been herself after returning from injury this season. Ionescu had 18 points and seven assists in Game 2, and shot 7 of 18 from 3-point range (38.9%) in the series. If Ionescu can be even close to her usual self, that completely changes the Liberty's fortunes.

>The Liberty have the worst odds (+430, per FanDuel) to win the title, but none of the four teams still remaining had a better showing in the first round.

>The Dream's first-round series against the Mystics wasn't pretty, but it was never going to be given those two teams' styles. Amid an absurd amount of physicality, the Dream proved once again that they're one of the toughest teams in the league and won't go down without a fight.

>DeWanna Bonner, who only played five regular-season games with the Dream after arriving in late August, showed the value of her playoff experience by taking over the third quarter of Game 1 to flip that game on its head and turn a double-digit deficit into a 17-point win. Their Game 2 win was much more comprehensive, though they once again showed strong character by fighting off a late Mystics rally.

>Playing the Mystics helped on this front, of course, but no team had a better defensive showing in the first round. They forced 26 steals, blocked nine shots and held Washington to 39.7% shooting. Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese, in her first season with the Dream and first-ever playoff series, was a big part of their success on that end, as were Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada.

>This was the Dream's first multi-game playoff series victory since 2013 (they won a single-elimination "series" in 2016) and snapped a streak of three consecutive first-round exits.

>The Aces' ability to find a way to win is truly remarkable and was on display yet again in Game 3 against the Fever. After leading by 12 in the second half, they found themselves up by just two with less than three minutes to play. From that point, they outscored the Fever 12-3 to advance to the semifinals and continue their repeat quest.

>All 12 of those points were scored by their Big Three of A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray, which was fitting considering that trio was responsible for 213 of their 285 points (74.7%) and 47 of their 56 assists (83.9%) in the series. There are few players you'd rather have than those three in a big moment, but can they actually repeat with that trio carrying such a burden?

>The Aces got the job done, but once again were not entirely convincing in the process. Dating back to the start of the 2025 playoffs, this was the third time in four series that they were pushed to the brink. Last season, they needed a game-winner from Young in Game 3 of the first round, and went to overtime in Game 5 of the semifinals.

>The Valkyries' first playoff series victory in franchise history could not have come in more dramatic fashion. After falling behind by 16 in the third quarter of Game 3, amid a scoreless drought that lasted nearly seven minutes and included 15 consecutive missed shots, the Valkyries stormed back to beat the Wings. Gabby Williams played hero with the go-ahead bucket in the final 90 seconds and clutch free throws to seal the win.

>It's funny how playoff series go, and how perception can swing in a matter of days. The Valkyries dominated Game 1 and, if not for a few miraculous shots by Arike Ogunbowale in Game 2, would have swept the series and felt great going into the semis. Instead, they were forced into a winner-take-all Game 3 and their offense, which has been a concern all season long, had the type of showing everyone had been dreading.

>The Valkyries did get the job done in the end, but their vaunted defense was not at its best for the majority of the series, and Game 3 was a stark reminder of the issues they can have on offense, especially when their 3-pointers -- which they take more often than any other team -- aren't going in.

>Heading into the playoffs, the consensus was that Valkyries vs. Wings was the most straightforward of the four first-round series. No one gave the Wings, who were just 7-14 against playoff teams this season, a chance. And when they trailed by as much as 36 in Game 1 en route to a 24-point loss, it seemed an uneventful sweep was indeed in order.

>And then Arike Ogunbowale showed up. She sent Game 2 to overtime with a remarkable 3-pointer from deep in the corner and single-handedly won that contest for the Wings with the highest scoring playoff game in WNBA history: 45 points. She poured in another 30 points in Game 3, and may have completed the upset if it wasn't for an apparent groin injury late in the fourth quarter that caused her to briefly leave the game.

>The Wings' first playoff appearance since 2023 certainly wasn't perfect. They were crushed in Game 1, Paige Bueckers was limited to 27 points on 27 shots in the final two games and they blew a 16-point lead in the second half of Game 3. But they put up a much better fight than anyone expected from them, and they had one of the title favorites on the ropes. There's a lot for the Wings to be proud of after that showing.

>For the second consecutive season, the Fever took the Aces to the limit. And for a second consecutive season, they came up short. This time, it was in the first round, which is certainly discouraging considering they entered the season with championship expectations.

>In many ways, the Fever's first-round series was a microcosm of their season. They were much better at home, which they showed in Game 2, and when Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell had things rolling, their offense was unstoppable. But their defense was not good enough, they had no reliable depth, particularly in the frontcourt, and when a team could take one or both of their star guards out of the game, they didn't have enough answers.

>In Game 1, Clark and Mitchell had 27 points on 33 shots. In Game 2, they had 53 points on 34 shots. And in Game 3, they had 41 points on 41 shots. The Fever were within two in the final three minutes of a winner-take-all Game 3 on the road against the reigning champs. This series wasn't a disaster for them, but it did reiterate the fact that they're a few pieces away from actually winning a title.

>Just getting to the playoffs -- their first appearance since 2023 -- was a major success for the Mystics, who are officially ahead of schedule with their rebuild. With an average age of 24 years, the Mystics were both the youngest team in the league this season and the youngest team in league history to make the postseason.

>That youth was on display in the first round against the Dream, as was their lack of juice on the offensive end. They fell apart in the second half of Game 1 on the road. And then, after cutting a double-digit deficit down to three early in the fourth quarter at home, they immediately gave up a 13-0 run that ended the game. In two games, the Mystics shot 50 of 126 (39.7%) from the field, including 13 of 41 (31.7%) from 3-point range, and had 41 turnovers to 26 assists.

>The series was more competitive than the final margins -- 15 points in Game 1 and 18 points in Game 2 -- would indicate, and it's hard to be too harsh on a team that had eight rookies and so little playoff experience. Still, getting swept was disappointing given how well the Mystics were playing entering the playoffs. After the All-Star break, they were 14-4, which was tied for the best record in the league -- ironically, with the Dream.

>What a disaster for the Lynx, who became not only the first No. 1 seed to lose a first-round series to a No. 8 seed under the league's new playoff format, but the first No. 1 seed to lose a first-round game to a No. 8 seed.

>And sure, the Liberty -- the preseason title favorites -- weren't a typical No. 8 seed. The seven games separating the two teams in the regular season standings was the smallest gap between the No. 1 and No. 8 seeds in the decade that the league has been taking the top-eight teams regardless of conference.

>But that excuse would have carried more weight if the Lynx hadn't been totally outclassed. They led for just three minutes and 23 seconds and lost each game by 16.

>Unanimous Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles had 16 points on 4 of 20 shooting with two assists and five turnovers, before being benched for good, and their vets weren't much better. McBride and Williams shot a combined 20 of 54 (37%) and Collier averaged just 13 points per game on 42.9% shooting.