Sue Bird Sends Strong Message on 1-1-1 WNBA Playoff Format

WNBA legend Sue Bird shared her stance on the controversial 1-1-1 format for the league's playoffs.

WNBA and Seattle Storm legend SUE BIRD speaks after unveiling a bronze statue of herself outside Climate Pledge Arena. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The 1-1-1 format of the first round of the 2025 WNBA playoffs has been a hotly contested topic in the women's basketball community over the past week or so. This format means that in each of the league's first-round series games, the higher-seeded team has a home game for Games 1 and 3 while the lower-seeded team plays at home for Game 2.

In the past, it has been that the higher-seeded teams get Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-three series on their home court, which means the lower-seeded team only gets a home game (which would be Game 3) if they can secure a road victory in one of those first two contests.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon made waves when she lamented this new format earlier this week, saying of the 1-1-1 format, "I don't like it... I think this conversation came up last year, when Indiana didn't get a game, and they were upset. But for me, people just gotta get, you gotta finish better. Either move it to five [games], or it stays in the 2-1 format, because it puts the higher seed at actually a huge disadvantage."

Sep 9, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon calls out a play against the Chicago Sky during the third quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Sue Bird Offers Opinion on 1-1-1 WNBA Playoff Format

Sue Bird is often a voice of reason when it comes to controversial topics within the women's basketball world. This is why it was interesting to hear her take on this new playoff format during a September 18 episode of the A Touch More podcast.

After ESPN analyst Elle Duncan explained why she thinks this new playoff format is good (because every WNBA team that makes the playoffs deserves to benefit from the revenue and attention that a home playoff game would bring), Bird added, "I'm not anti [the 1-1-1 format] at all. I'm not anti at all.

"You just brought up revenue, and I think that is a really important piece to this. Teams need to be able to make money on their teams making the playoffs. This is a business, they need to have that opportunity. And as far as leveling the playing field or not... You take one away, you get one over here. It's all a toss-up. You've got to go play the games."

"You can sit there and argue the basketball aspect of it. It's a business decision. That's why I'm all for it," Bird concluded.

Bird's stance makes a ton of sense. And many would argue that even in a basketball sense, this format is ideal — which would be further evidenced by how great the first-round series' have been thus far.