The WNBA has approved a new playoffs format for the 2022 season, changing the seeding and expanding teams based on the number of post-season games.
In the past, eight teams – regardless of conference – qualified for the knockout stages, with the top two teams each claiming a double to the semifinals (or third round). The next two top runners-up advance to the second round, while the remaining four teams compete in a knockout to see who advances to the second round.
The second round still took place in a knockout format, while the semifinals were first of the three and the WNBA Finals were the best of the year.
Teams are re-seeded after each round, where the highest seed is always against the lowest seed that is still competing.
With the new playoff format, how will the post-production of the WNBA change?
What is the new WNBA Qualifier Format?
The WNBA Board of Governors approved changes to the league’s playoff format and post-season seeding, effective from the 2022 season.
The reconfigured post-season structure will consist of three series rounds using a 3-5-5 format preferably.
The eight teams with the highest win percentage on the 36-match schedule – regardless of qualifying – will qualify for the knockout stages and be seeded based on their performance. All eight teams participating in the knockout round will compete in a group stage format, including the top four of the three series.
In a round, the first leg play will pit 1st seed against 8th seed and 4th seed against 5th seed in the best of three series, with the winners advancing to the match best- out of five semi-final series against each other. In the other round, the 3rd seed will meet the 6th seed and the 2nd seed will meet the 7th seed, the winners will face each other in the semi-final series with the best record of the year. .
The winner of the semi-final series will then meet in the WNBA Finals, which will also be a match of the top five, to determine the WNBA champion.
Additional factors related to the playoff structure are as follows:
- The number of knockout rounds changed from four to three, and neither team was given a goodbye to start post-season. Teams will not be resubmitted after the first round.
- The planned change to the matches of the first series will include a 2-1 format, where the higher seed will host games 1 and 2 and the lower seed will host games 3 if needed. set.
- The new format will add eight potential games to the playoffs.
- The WNBA semifinals and finals will be unchanged as the first series of the year and follow the same 2-2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting games 1, 2, and 5, and the seeded team lower will host matches 3 and 4. in their respective series.
