WNBA Recap & Results | September 27, 2026
The 2026 WNBA playoffs opened with four Game 1s and one enormous shock. The No. 8 seed New York Liberty went into Target Center and blew out the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx behind a 34-point, 12-rebound Breanna Stewart masterpiece. Las Vegas answered Indiana's regular-season series win with a Game 1 statement, A'ja Wilson going for 38 and 16. Atlanta broke open a tight game with a 29-12 third quarter. And Golden State's defense and a 37-11 second quarter flattened Dallas. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions held up, and where each series stands.
Stewart's 34 Powers Liberty to Stunning Game 1 Win Over Top-Seeded Lynx
New York Liberty 91, Minnesota Lynx 75
Minnesota was supposed to look like the No. 1 seed from the opening tip. Instead, New York, the eighth seed and the same team that beat the Lynx at Target Center just over a week ago, took control early with a 25-18 first quarter and never let go. The Liberty led by as many as 19, shot 52% from three (13-of-25), and turned 13 Minnesota turnovers into 24 points, while their own 21 turnovers cost them just 18. Final: 91-75, New York leads the series 1-0 and steals home-court advantage in Minneapolis.
Breanna Stewart was dominant, going 11-of-18 from the field for 34 points at 73% true shooting with 12 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks, drawing 11 fouls and going 10-of-12 from the line. Leonie Fiebich was nearly perfect, going 6-of-7 (4-of-5 from three) for 16 points at 114.3% true shooting with eight rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu added 13 points and six assists. New York's 66% team true shooting and their plus-16 margin reflected exactly the tighter, more competitive Game 1 the preview flagged, except the competition tilted decisively New York's way.
Minnesota never found any offensive rhythm. Nia Brodie was the lone bright spot, going 6-of-7 (4-of-5 from three) for 16 points off the bench. Kayla McBride added 14 points and six assists. But Napheesa Collier shot 6-of-14 for 12 points with five fouls, Olivia Miles went 3-of-12 for 11 points with four turnovers, and Courtney Williams went 3-of-12 for nine. Minnesota's 41.8% shooting and 13 turnovers reflected a rare complete offensive stall from the league's best team, in the game that mattered most.
NYL 91 · MIN 75
THE CARD, GRADED · NY @ MIN · final NY 91, MIN 75
The line MIN -6.5 · total 173.5 (closed -6.5 · 174.5)
Our number MIN +3.2 · total 163.8
Side NY +6.5 (Strong) — Cleared · NY by 16 · closing-line value +0
Total Under 173.5 (Strong) — Cleared · 166 points · closing-line value -1
Wilson's 38-and-16 Gives Aces a Commanding Game 1
Indiana Fever 85, Las Vegas Aces 102
Indiana won this regular-season series 2-1, but the defending champions flipped that script at home. Las Vegas shot 59.4% from the field (70.1% true shooting), built a 27-point lead, and won the second quarter 35-24 to take control. Final: 102-85, Las Vegas leads the series 1-0 and extends its winning streak to eight games.
A'ja Wilson delivered one of the great playoff-opening performances, going 15-of-19 from the field (78.9%) for 38 points at 86.1% true shooting with 16 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals, drawing 12 fouls. Jackie Young posted a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists despite six turnovers. Chelsea Gray added 14 points and eight assists. Las Vegas's 28 points off turnovers and their 24 assists on 38 made field goals reflected exactly the two-way dominance of a defending champion the preview flagged as Las Vegas's path to a strong opener.
Indiana's offense, which carried the regular-season series win, never found its footing. Aliyah Boston was efficient, going 7-of-12 for 18 points with eight rebounds. Caitlin Clark managed 15 points and 10 assists on 6-of-17 shooting with six turnovers, and Kelsey Mitchell shot 4-of-16 for 12 points. Indiana's 17 turnovers, converted into 28 Las Vegas points, and their inability to slow down Wilson reflected a Fever team that scored 85 in a game the preview thought would be a shootout.
LVA 102 · IND 85
THE CARD, GRADED · IND @ LV · final IND 85, LV 102
The line LV -3.5 · total 183.5 (closed -4.5 · 181.5)
Our number LV -15.4 · total 176.5
Side IND +3.5 (Toss-up) — Missed · LV by 17 · closing-line value -1
Total Over 183.5 (Toss-up) — Cleared · 187 points · closing-line value -2
Dream's Third-Quarter Surge Sinks Mystics
Washington Mystics 77, Atlanta Dream 92
This was tight through a half, with Atlanta trailing 41-36 at the break after Washington won the first quarter 26-21. Then the Dream blew it open with a 29-12 third quarter fueled by defensive pressure, forcing 23 Washington turnovers on 16 steals while committing just seven of their own. Final: 92-77, Atlanta leads the series 1-0.
Rhyne Howard led the way with 26 points on 58% true shooting, going a perfect 10-of-10 from the line with five steals. Allisha Gray added 22 points on 60.4% true shooting. Jordin Canada posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists, and Angel Reese pulled down 12 rebounds despite 4-of-15 shooting. Atlanta's 25-of-26 free throw shooting and their 27 points off turnovers reflected exactly the hottest-team-in-the-league form the preview flagged, delivered when the game turned in the third.
Washington fought hard on the glass but could not protect the ball. Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 25 points on 65.9% true shooting. Kiki Iriafen posted a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass, and Shakira Austin added 12 points and 16 rebounds. But Washington's 23 turnovers, converted into 27 Atlanta points, and their 12-point third quarter sent a game they led at half into a double-digit loss.
ATL 92 · WAS 77
THE CARD, GRADED · WAS @ ATL · final WAS 77, ATL 92
The line ATL -6.5 · total 164.5 (closed -7.5 · 163.5)
Our number ATL -15.5 · total 169.6
Side ATL -6.5 (Strong) — Cleared · ATL by 15 · closing-line value +1
Total Under 164.5 (Toss-up) — Missed · 169 points · closing-line value +1
Valkyries' 37-11 Second Quarter Buries Wings
Dallas Wings 80, Golden State Valkyries 104
Dallas hung with the No. 2 seed for a quarter, trailing 21-20, before Golden State exploded for a 37-11 second quarter that decided the game. The Valkyries shot 50% from three (18-of-36), committed just five turnovers, and led by as many as 36. Final: 104-80, Golden State leads the series 1-0.
Cecilia Zandalasini shot 7-of-11 (4-of-5 from three) for 22 points at 83.3% true shooting. Tiffany Hayes added 21 points on 70% shooting at 89.3% true shooting off the bench. Gabby Williams contributed 20 points on 50% shooting. Golden State's 40 bench points and their 4.4 assist-to-turnover ratio reflected the league's best defense and a balanced attack, exactly the fast start to a series sweep the preview described.
Dallas never recovered from that second quarter. Paige Bueckers was brilliant in limited touches, going 9-of-10 (100.6% true shooting) for 21 points, but Jessica Shepard, the double-double machine the preview highlighted, went 0-of-7 with three turnovers and a minus-30. Ogunbowale shot 2-of-7 for 10. Dallas's 30% three-point shooting and 24-point deficit reflected a first playoff game in three years that got away quickly.
GSV 104 · DAL 80
THE CARD, GRADED · DAL @ GSV · final DAL 80, GSV 104
The line GSV -7.5 · total 154.5 (closed -7.5 · 154.5)
Our number GSV -0.2 · total 152.5
Side GSV -7.5 (Toss-up) — Cleared · GSV by 24 · closing-line value +0
Total Under 154.5 (Toss-up) — Missed · 184 points · closing-line value +0
NYL, LVA, ATL, & GSV Take Game 1.
The playoff opener belongs to New York. A No. 8 seed beating the No. 1 seed by 16 on the road is the kind of result that changes how a series, and a bracket, gets talked about, and the Liberty now hold home-court advantage in Minneapolis. Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Golden State all protected home court as expected, with Wilson's 38-and-16 the individual performance of the day. Every series now shifts to Game 2 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Star of the Night: Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
34 points | 11-of-18 FG | 73% TS | 12 rebounds | 6 assists | 10-of-12 FT
Stewart led the eighth seed to a 16-point win over the No. 1 seed on the road, filling every column and drawing 11 fouls. Wilson's 38-and-16 for Las Vegas was the other monster performance of the day, but Stewart's came in the game that flipped the bracket.
Dud of the Night: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
11 points | 3-of-12 FG | 25% field goal percentage | 4 turnovers
Miles's rookie-of-the-year season did not carry into her first playoff game. Three made field goals on 12 attempts with four turnovers, in a game Minnesota lost by 16 at home as the No. 1 seed, made her the most visible individual piece of the Lynx's offensive stall.
How We Did: Grading the Cards
Game 1 day went 3-1 on sides and 2-2 on totals. Each game above carries its card, graded: the line we printed, our number, the lean with its confidence tier, and whether it cleared. Two things worth saying out loud.
The Strong leans went 3-0. New York and the points, the New York under, and Atlanta minus the number were the three spots where our projection sat furthest from the book, and all three cleared. That is one afternoon, not a track record, and we will keep saying so until the ledger is long enough to mean something.
The Toss-ups went 2-3. Indiana and the points was a read against our own number, which had Vegas by double digits, and Wilson settled it. The unders in Atlanta and Golden State were reads against the trend line: both home teams had gone under in most of their last ten, and both put up 90-plus anyway. When we lean against the number or the trends, the card says so, and the grade is the price of that honesty.
Every lean was logged before tip with the line at the time. The running playoff ledger, by tier and with the misses in the same font size, is on the Dashboards page.
THE RECORD · 4 games
Sides 3-1 · Strong leans 2-0
Totals 2-2 · Strong leans 1-0
Toss-ups 2-3 across both markets
Closing-line value +0.0 points per side lean
Every lean above was logged before tip with the line at the time. The season ledger, by tier and with the misses in the same font size, lives on the Dashboards page.
Where Each Series Stands
First Round, best-of-three: No. 8 New York leads No. 1 Minnesota 1-0. No. 3 Las Vegas leads No. 6 Indiana 1-0. No. 4 Atlanta leads No. 5 Washington 1-0. No. 2 Golden State leads No. 7 Dallas 1-0.
Game 2s flip the home court and are set for Tuesday and Wednesday: Las Vegas at Indiana and Minnesota at New York on Tuesday, September 29, then Atlanta at Washington and Golden State at Dallas on Wednesday, September 30. Minnesota, Indiana, Washington, and Dallas all face elimination. If a series goes the distance, Game 3 returns to the higher seed's building: Minnesota and Las Vegas on Thursday, October 1, then Atlanta and Golden State on Friday, October 2.