The 2023 WNBA playoffs continued on Friday night with a semifinals doubleheader. In the first game, the visiting New York Liberty finally looked like themselves in a 92-81 win over the Connecticut Sun. Breanna Stewart led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Liberty regained homecourt advantage and took a 2-1 series lead.
In the second game, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces secured their ticket back to the WNBA Finals by completing a sweep of the Dallas Wings with a 64-61 win on the road. It was an ugly, low-scoring affair, and the Aces trailed by eight in the fourth quarter, but they were able to come back thanks to their defense, which held the Wings scoreless for the final five minutes.
The WNBA Finals will also be best-of-five series with a 2-2-1 format. Las Vegas will host Games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, Game 5
Playoff bracket
Series hubs
- No. 1 Las Vegas Aces def. No. 4 Dallas Wings, 3-0
- No. 2 New York Liberty lead No. 3 Connecticut Sun, 2-1
Semifinals schedule (best-of-five)
All games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are streaming on fubo (try for free).
Sunday, Sept. 24 — Game 1s
- Sun 78, Liberty 63 (Sun lead 1-0)
- Aces 97, Wings 83 (Aces lead 1-0)
Tuesday, Sept. 26 — Game 2s
- Liberty 84, Sun 77 (Series tied 1-1)
- Aces 91, Wings 84 (Aces lead 2-0)
Friday, Sept. 29 — Game 3s
- Liberty 92, Sun 81 (Liberty lead 2-1)
- Aces 64, Wings 61 (Aces win 3-0)
Sunday, Oct. 1 — Game 4s
- New York Liberty at Connecticut Sun, 3 p.m. ET — ABC
Tuesday, Oct. 3 — Game 5 (if necessary)
- Connecticut Sun at New York Liberty, TBD — ESPNU
WNBA Finals
Sunday, Oct. 8 — Game 1
- TBD at Las Vegas Aces, 3 p.m. ET — ABC
Wednesday, Oct. 11 — Game 2
- TBD at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
Sunday, Oct. 15 — Game 3
- Las Vegas Aces at TBD, 3 p.m. ET — ABC
Wednesday, Oct. 18 — Game 4 (If necessary)
- Las Vegas Aces at TBD, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
Friday, Oct. 20 — Game 5 (If necessary)
- TBD at Las Vegas Aces, 8 p.m. ET — ESPN
Championship odds
Odds as of Sept. 27 after the respective Game 2s.
- Aces: -250
- Liberty: +220
- Sun: +1500
- Wings: +7500
First-round results (best-of-three)
Wednesday, Sept. 13 — Game 1s
- Sun 90, Lynx 60 (Sun lead 1-0)
- Aces 87, Sky 59 (Aces lead 1-0)
Friday, Sept. 15 — Game 1s
- Liberty 90, Mystics 75 (Liberty lead 1-0)
- Wings 94, Dream 82 (Wings lead 1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 17 — Game 2s
- Lynx 82, Sun 75 (Series tied 1-1)
- Aces 92, Sky 70 (Aces win series 2-0)
Tuesday, Sept. 19 — Game 2s
- Liberty 90, Mystics 85 OT (Liberty win series 2-0)
- Wings 101, Dream 74 (Wings win series 2-0)
Wednesday, Sept. 20 — Game 3
- Sun 90, Lynx 75 (Sun win series 2-1)
