There’s nothing quite like the first punch of the postseason. The 2026 WNBA playoffs opened Sunday with all eight teams on the floor, and the first round immediately felt tense. In a best-of-three format, dropping Game 1 can put a team in a hurry.
Below are Sunday’s Game 1 finals and where each series stands (all four are 1-0), plus the biggest pivots heading into Game 2.
Sunday Game 1 results
- New York Liberty 91, Minnesota Lynx 75
- Las Vegas Aces 102, Indiana Fever 85
- Atlanta Dream 92, Washington Mystics 77
- Golden State Valkyries 104, Dallas Wings 80
Series status
All four first-round matchups sit at 1-0 after Sunday’s openers. That makes Game 2 the pressure point: either a closeout chance or the push to force a winner-take-all Game 3.
Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty
Series: Liberty lead 1-0
New York opened the postseason with a statement: a 91-75 win over the top-seeded Lynx, powered by a massive Breanna Stewart line of 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. The Liberty entered as the No. 8 seed, and Stewart played like a star who heard every bit of the skepticism.
The headline is simple: New York becomes a totally different proposition when Stewart is playing at this level.
Minnesota will also look at this as a game it let slip. The Lynx dug out of an early hole and led 44-40 at halftime, but New York was sharper to open the third quarter and Minnesota never found a groove after the break. Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride combined for 26 points, while Olivia Miles shot 3-of-12 with four turnovers and one assist in her first playoff game. You would trust Cheryl Reeve and her staff to come back with adjustments in Game 2.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever
Series: Aces lead 1-0
Las Vegas set the tone behind A’ja Wilson, who delivered a monster opener: 38 points and 16 rebounds on 15-of-19 shooting, plus 2-for-2 from three. It was also her 26th double-double all time in the postseason.
Indiana’s margin for error is thin when Wilson is rolling like that, and the Fever did not get enough efficiency from the perimeter. Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark combined to shoot 10-of-33, and that is a tough formula against an Aces team that can control a game through Wilson.
Wilson was not alone, either. Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young combined for 35 points and 18 assists, and Las Vegas was plus-27 with each of those two on the floor. Only seven Aces scored, but when Wilson, Gray and Young are this effective, the rotation math matters a lot less.
Washington Mystics vs. Atlanta Dream
Series: Dream lead 1-0
Atlanta evened the tone after a regular season where Washington had the edge, cruising to a 92-77 win behind Angel Reese’s double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Rhyne Howard’s game-high 26 points.
The swing sequence was the third quarter. The Dream trailed by five at halftime, then blew the game open by outscoring Washington 29-12 in the third. Atlanta also scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 17 and turning the finish into smooth sailing.
Washington did get a strong night from Sonia Citron (25 points, six rebounds), but the Mystics will need a cleaner response in the middle of the game to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.
Game 2: Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET in Washington.
Golden State Valkyries vs. Dallas Wings
Series: Valkyries lead 1-0
Golden State turned a competitive start into a runaway by detonating the second quarter. The Valkyries outscored Dallas 37-11 in the period and rolled to a 104-80 win.
Three Valkyries scored 20 or more, led by Cecilia Zandalasini’s game-high 22 points. Paige Bueckers paced Dallas with 21 points and six rebounds, but the Wings spent most of the night trying to stop the run from becoming an avalanche.
Golden State’s numbers were as clean as you’ll see in a playoff opener: 49% shooting (36-of-74), 50% from three (18-of-36), 22 assists, and only four turnovers. The Valkyries also out-rebounded Dallas 33-30. If you’re the Wings, the path forward starts with disrupting Golden State earlier and making those threes less comfortable.
Game 2: Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET.
What to watch in Game 2
- Minnesota’s response after halftime. The Lynx led at the break in Game 1, then never found rhythm after New York took control coming out of the third.
- Indiana’s guard efficiency. The Fever cannot afford another night where Mitchell and Clark shoot 10-of-33 combined, especially with Wilson commanding the paint.
- Washington’s counter to the third-quarter swing. That 29-12 stretch is the hinge. Game 2 at home is the Mystics’ chance to reset the series.
- Dallas’ ability to slow the second-quarter momentum. The Wings have to find a way to avoid another 37-11 type of blowout period.
The Marcus Thorne read
Sunday delivered the best kind of playoff warning: nothing is safe, and nothing is slow. New York’s No. 8 seed looked irrelevant once Stewart caught fire. Atlanta flipped the game in one brutal quarter. Golden State played about as clean as a team can play. And Las Vegas reminded everyone that when Wilson is finishing everything, the court starts to tilt.
That is the beauty of a best-of-three. The urgency is immediate, and the entire feel of a series can change fast.