The WNBA has introduced a new setup for the opening round of the 2025 playoffs. Previously, the higher seed hosted the first two games of the best-of-three series, with the decisive third game—if necessary—shifting to the lower seed’s arena if they managed to steal one on the road.
This year marks the debut of a 1-1-1 structure: the higher seed hosts Game 1, the lower seed hosts Game 2, and a winner-take-all Game 3, if required, goes back to the higher seed. The change ensures every playoff team gets at least one home game. Many observers believe the adjustment was prompted by the 2024 Indiana Fever missing out on hosting despite Caitlin Clark’s star power and MVP-caliber rookie season. Ironically, while the sixth-seeded Fever will finally get a home playoff game this year, Clark will miss it due to injury.
Not everyone is pleased, though. Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon voiced her frustration after her team’s September 14 win over Seattle, criticizing the heavy travel burden created by the format. She highlighted the difficulty for teams like Phoenix and New York, who could face cross-country trips between each game. “I don’t like it,” Hammon said, suggesting the league either expand the opening series to five games or revert to the old 2-1 format, which she feels better rewards higher seeds.
Despite her concerns, fan reaction has largely been positive, making it unlikely the league reverts to the previous system.
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