SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm returns to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) playoffs this month after missing out on the 2023 postseason.
The franchise has won four WNBA titles over the years, but enters this year's playoffs with a new core and a difficult first-round matchup.
The Storm earned the No. 5 seed, and drew a three-game series against the Las Vegas Aces. Seattle will have to overcome four players who were part of Team USA's gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, a group that includes record-breaking forward and presumptive league MVP A'Ja Wilson.
Here's what fans should know about the WNBA's playoff bracket, as well as when and where the Storm play along with how local fans can tune in.
What is the WNBA's playoff format?
Out of the 12 teams in the league, eight qualify for the postseason. Like the National Basketball Association (NBA), the No. 1 seed plays the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 plays the No. 7, No. 3 faces No. 6 and the No. 4 seed takes on the No. 5 seed.
In the first round, teams play a best-of-three series. The lower seed (the better team by record) hosts the first two games of the series, and the higher seed (team with worse record) hosts the third deciding game if necessary.
Beyond the first round, there are two semifinal series that are best-of-five, followed by the same format for the WNBA Finals.
When do the Storm play?
Seattle begins its postseason on Sunday, Sept. 22, with tip-off scheduled in Las Vegas for 7 p.m. PT. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Sept. 24 in Las Vegas. If the series is tied 1-1 after two games, Seattle would host a winner-take-all Game 3 on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
How to watch Storm playoff games
The Storm's first two playoff games will be broadcast live on ESPN. If there is a Game 3 in the series, that game can be seen live on ESPN2 on Wednesday.
Who do the Storm play?
The Aces are one of the league's strongest teams, having won back-to-back WNBA titles in the past two seasons. Wilson is the team's star, leading the WNBA in points per game, blocks per game and is second in rebounds per game.
Kelsey Plum, the former University of Washington star, is coming off a gold medal in Paris and averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 assists per game in the regular season. Jackie Young is another Olympic gold medalist for Team USA who put up 15.8 points and 5.3 assists per game this season for the Aces.
The Aces are coached by Becky Hammon, who has been at the helm in Las Vegas since 2022 after a lengthy career as an NBA assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.
See the full WNBA Playoff bracket in the image below.
