WNBA finals are played as a Best of 5 following a 2-2-1 with a higher seed team given home advantage. Las Vegas Aces won the WNBA 2023 defeating Liberty by 3-1.
Having completed its 26th season in 2022, it has become the league that stands for the power of women. The league features a total of 12 teams with a combination of thrilling competitions with a commitment to diversity.
The WNBA Board of Governors approved the newly adopted playoff format and the postseason seeding which were implemented from 2022.
The teams are now seeded with their highest winning percentages and records over 36 total scheduled regular season games.
It will be followed by the first round play series between the eight teams in a four Best of three-match series.
The old playoff format which was implemented in 2016 had four rounds of play in a 1-1-5-5 format which was changed before the 2022 season.
2023 WNBA Finals Format
WNBA finals format 2023 will be the best of five series in a 2-2-1 structure. The finals will be starting from 8th October 2023.
The playoffs are happening in the WNBA with the semifinals being set after all the first-round games are completed. The semifinals are scheduled to happen from 24th September and will end on 3rd October.
The format structure shows that the teams with the higher seedings will host the initial games in the finals. The finals are starting from 8th October in a WNBA finals series best of 5 with Game 4 and Game 5 being optional if necessary.
There are a total of two teams now remaining in the competitions which are listed below:
- New York Liberty
- Las Vegas Aces
Aces defeated the Dallas Wings by 3-0 in the semifinals with two games rest to spare whereas New York defeated Connecticut in the final game to secure a place in the finals.
Same as the finals, the semifinals were also scheduled in a best-of-game series. If the initial round of the series gets dominated by one team, there may not be Game 4 and Game 5 if the winner is declared before Game 4.
Even though the game format was scheduled as 1-1-5-5 before 2022, the finals were still played in a 5-game series.
In the finals, the teams with the higher seedings will host the game 1, 2, and 5 ( if necessary) whereas the lower seeded teams will host the Games 3 and 4.
Where To Watch WNBA Finals?
WNBA finals TV schedule 2023 shows that ABC and ESPN will broadcast all the final best of 5-game series.
Here is the full WNBA finals schedule 2023 as mentioned below:
Sunday, 8th October 2023 - Game 1
- New York Liberty 82 Vs Las Vegas Aces 99, 3 PM ET ( ABC Channel)
Wednesday, 11th October 2023 - Game 2
- New York Liberty 76 Vs Las Vegas Aces 104, 8 PM ET ( ESPN Channel)
Sunday, 15th October 2023 - Game 3
- Las Vegas Aces 73 Vs New York Liberty 87, 3 PM ET ( ABC Channel)
Wednesday, 18th October 2023 - Game 4 ( If Necessary)
- Las Vegas Aces 70 Vs New York Liberty 69, 8 PM ET ( ESPN Channel)
Game 5 didn't happen as the Aces clinched their second consecutive title in the Game 4 defeating Liberty by 70-69 in a tight match.
The broadcasting rights for the WNBA games are split into three channels, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and other streaming platforms.
Out of the five-game series, Three games are scheduled to be aired by ESPN Network and two will be on ABC channel.
To enjoy live TV streaming, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo TV are the best options for viewers to enjoy the WNBA finals. Fubo has its elite plan package which provides you access to 200+ channels including ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, and NBA TV.
WNBA Finals Scores Last 10 Years
WNBA finals scores last 10 years shows the Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky winning the series by 3-1 in 2022 and 2021 season.
In the last 10 years, there have been four times when the teams from the same conference division met in the finals due to the WNBA playoff's seeding structure.
The first time the same team met in the finals was in 2016, second in 17, third in 2019, and the last one was in 2020.
Minnesota has been in the finals five times in the last 10 years and has managed to win the three WNBA titles in 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Here is the list of the final scores of WNBA finals in the last 10 years listed below:
- 2022 - Las Vegas Aces 3, Connecticut Suns 1
- 2021 - Chicago Sky 3, Phoenix Mercury 1
- 2020 - Seattle Storm 3, Las Vegas Aces 0
- 2019 - Washington Mystics 3, Connecticut Sun 2
- 2018 - Seattle Storm 3, Washington Mystics 0
- 2017 - Minnesota Lynx 3, Los Angeles Sparks 2
- 2016 - Los Angeles Sparks 3, Minnesota Lynx 2
- 2015 - Minnesota Lynx 3, Indiana Fever 2
- 2014 - Phoenix Mercury 3, Chicago Sky 0
- 2013 - Minnesota Lynx 3, Atlanta Dream 0
- 2012 - Indiana Fever 3, Minnesota Lynx 1
WNBA Finals MVP In Last 10 Years
WNBA finals MVP by Year since 2012 include Tamika Catchings, Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Cooper, and Chelsea Gray.
Among all the winners, Sylvia Fowles is the one to win it twice in the span of three years. She won her first MVP title in 2015 and the second one coming in 2017 with the Minnesota Lynx.
Diana Taurasi also won her second title in 2014 with the first one being in 2009 when her team Phoenix Mercury clinched the WNBA title.
Another player to win two times is Breanna Stewart in 2018 and 2020 with the Seattle Storm. The latest player to win the 2022 MVP title in the finals is the Point Guard Chelsea Gray from the Las Vegas Aces during their winning campaign in 2022.
Here is the list of the WNBA finals game MVPs last 10 years mentioned below:
- 2022 - Chelsea Gray (Guard, Las Vegas Aces)
- 2021 - Kahleah Cooper (Guard/Forward, Chicago Sky)
- 2020 - Breanna Stewart (Forward/Centre, Seattle Storm)
- 2019 - Emma Meesseman (Centre, Washington Mystics)
- 2018 - Breanna Stewart (Forward/Centre, Seattle Storm)
- 2017 - Sylvia Fowles (Centre, Minnesota Lynx)
- 2016 - Candace Parker (Forward, Los Angeles Sparks)
- 2015 - Sylvia Fowles (Centre, Minnesota Lynx)
- 2014 - Diana Taurasi (Guard, Phoenix Mercury)
- 2013 - Maya Moore (Forward, Minnesota Lynx)
- 2012 - Tamika Catchings (Forward, Indiana Fever)
