WNBA Playoff TV Schedule 2023-24 and Announcers List

WNBA playoffs kick off on 13th September 2023 with the first round of games. Las Vegas Aces are set to host Chicago Sky in the inaugural matchup.

Round One

The initial round of WNBA post season contention will be a best of 3 series. Four higher seed teams will face the corresponding lower seed teams.

The WNBA Board of Governors introduced a new playoff format for the first round in 2022 replacing the single elimination structure. Since then, Round One has been practicing the best of the 3 series layout.

The team with the superior ranking has the privilege of hosting the initial two games in their home arena, whereas the team with the lower ranking hosts the third game. Therefore, it follows a 2-1 home advantage format.

The clash between Las Vegas and Chicago will begin the 2023 WNBA playoff as they go head to head at T-Mobile Arena on September 13 at 10 PM Eastern Time.

Their second game is on September 17 and the third will be played on September 20 at the Sky's home ground, Wintrust Arena, if necessary.

WNBA Playoffs 2023 Schedule Bracket

Game 1

• SEP 13 - Las Vegas vs Chicago | 10:00 PM EST | ESPN
• SEP 13 - Connecticut vs Minnesota | 8:00 PM EST | ESPN2
• SEP 15 - New York vs Washington | 7:30 PM EST | ESPN2
• SEP 15 - Dallas vs Atlanta | 9:30 PM EST | ESPN2

Game 2

• SEP 17- Las Vegas vs Chicago | 3:00 PM EST | ABC
• SEP 17 - Connecticut vs Minnesota | 1:00 PM EST | ESPN
• SEP 19 - Dallas vs Atlanta | 9:00 PM EST | ESPN
• SEP 19 - New York vs Washington | 7:00 PM EST | ESPN

Game 3 (if necessary)

• SEP 20 - Chicago vs Las Vegas | TBD | ESPN
• SEP 20 - Minnesota vs Connecticut | TBD | ESPN
• SEP 22 - Washington vs  New York | TBD | ESPN2
• SEP 15 - Atlanta vs Dallas | TBD | ESPN2

Round Two (Semifinals)

In contrast to Round One, the semifinal round will be of best of 5 series. A team with three wins will advance to the WNBA Finals.

Four winners from the opening round will make up the final four. The team that emerges victorious from the matchup between the 1st seed and 8th seed will face off against the winner of the 4th seed and 5th seed.

Similarly, the victor of the 2nd seed vs. 7th seed brawl will meet against the winner of the 3rd seed vs 6th seed matchup.

• SEP 24 - 1 PM @ ESPN | 5 PM @ ESPN2
• SEP 26 - 8 PM @ ESPN2 | 10 PM @ ESPN2
• SEP 29 - 8 PM @ ESPN2 | 10 PM @ ESPN2

All WNBA playoffs will be broadcast on the ESPN TV networks encompassing ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, and ESPNU.

Apart from the national television broadcast, viewers can also watch their favorite WNBA teams in action on several streaming platforms including the NBATV and ESPN+.

Currently in the United States, Ion Television and CBS Sports Networks are also among the bother broadcasting partners of the league, but their contract limits only to a few regular season games.

On April 20, 2023, Ion TV bought broadcasting rights as they inked a multi-year contract with WNBA. They started by showing two basketball games on Fridays, one that everyone across the country could watch and others that were shown regionally. 

Their very first broadcast happened on May 26, 2023, featuring a game between the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky.

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On the other hand, ESPN will televise a total of 52 games throughout the 2023 regular season and post-season tournament.

Similarly, the WNBA had a TV plan that included 10 games on ABC, which incorporates the 2023 All-Star Game in the US. They also had 10 games on ESPN and 5 on ESPN2.

WNBA Countdown was also accessible throughout the regular season, featuring a minimum of 10 episodes leading up to game broadcasts.

Meanwhile, in Canada, all WNBA national television games are televised on The Sports Network (TSN), which serves as the official broadcasting partner for the WNBA in the country.

The first game between Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx on September 13 is the only playoff game that Canadian fans can witness live on TV on TSN4/5.

WNBA playoff announcers for 2023 season are:

• Pam Ward
• Ryan Ruocco
• Tiffany Greenel 

ESPN is the only network that broadcasts the playoff rounds including the semifinals and the WNBA Finals. Thus, other local flagship TV broadcasters are not on the list.

Pam Ward has been working on ESPN for over a decade in various roles. She worked as a TV host on ESPN and voiced the action during the 2012 and 2013 Women's College World Series of Softball on television.

In the year 2000, Ward achieved the historic milestone of becoming the inaugural female announcer for a nationally televised NCAA football game.

She will team up with Ryan Ruocco and Tiffany Greenel as broadcasting crew for WNBA playoff games in 2023.

Ruocco, an American sportscaster, not only works as a play-by-play announcer for the WNBA but also covers the NBA, Women's College basketball on ESPN, and the Yankees and Nets on the YES Network.

WNBA playoff Color analysts

• Rebecca Lobo
• Stephanie White
• LaChina Robinson

The `1999 WNBA All Star Rebecca Lobo serves as a basketball analyst for ESPN. She is joined by the 2012 WNBA champion assistant coach Stephanie White and LaChina Robinson.

After her playing career, Lobo started working as a reporter and commentator for ESPN. Her job is to articulate about women's college basketball and WNBA games on TV.

Meanwhile, Stephanie White is a former WNBA player and coach. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Indiana Fever during her brief career.

WNBA Playoff Sideline Reporters

• Holly Rowe
• Rosalyn Gold-Onwude
• Terrika Foster-Brasby

Holly Rowe, a veteran sports telecaster has been working as a field reporter for ESPN since August 1998. Rowe also toils as a sports anchor in college basketball and football games.