Liberty Face Off Against Mercury to Open 2025 Playoffs
After enduring the longest season in WNBA history in more ways than one, the New York Liberty and seven of their sisters can finally talk about playoffs.
The bracket for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs has officially been formed, with the defending champion Liberty officially placed in the fifth seed. They'll face the Phoenix Mercury in a best-of-three set and, should they prevail, the winner of the series between the Golden State Valkyries and the league-leading Minnesota Lynx awaits. New York and Minnesota, of course, engaged in a famous five-game battle in last year's WNBA Finals, one that yielded the Liberty's first postseason championship.
As announced by the WNBA shortly after the Thursday night slate ended, the Liberty will face the Mercury in the desert for Game 1 at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday late afternoon, part of a quadruple-header on the networks of ESPN. Barclays Center is guaranteed at least one playoff game, as the Liberty hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET. If the sides are tied after that, Game 3 returns to Phoenix on Friday at a time to be determined.
This year's opening round will still be a best-of-three showdown, but an adjust schedule shifts the homecourt ledger to 1-1-1, rather than having the higher seed host each of the first two games before the if-necessary, winner-take-all finale.
View the full first round schedule and progress below:
(All Times ET)
(*-If Necessary)
(4) Phoenix vs (5) LIBERTY
- Game 1 (@ Phoenix): LIBERTY 76, Phoenix 69 (OT)
- Game 2 (@ NEW YORK): Phoenix 86, LIBERTY 60
- Game 3 (@ Phoenix): Friday, September 19, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Series tied 1-1
(1) Minnesota vs (8) Golden State
- Game 1 (@ Minnesota): Minnesota 101, Golden State 72
- Game 2 (@ San Jose, CA): Minnesota 75, Golden State 74
Lynx wins series 2-0
(2) Las Vegas vs (7) Seattle
- Game 1 (@ Las Vegas): Las Vegas 102, Seattle 77
- Game 2 (@ Seattle): Seattle 86, Las Vegas 83
- Game 3 (@ Las Vegas): Thursday, September 18, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2
Series tied 1-1
(3) Atlanta vs (6) Indiana
- Game 1 (@ Atlanta): Atlanta 80, Indiana 68
- Game 2 (@ Indiana): Indiana 77, Atlanta 60
- Game 3 (@ Atlanta): Thursday, September 18, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Series tied 1-1
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.