A new playoff spotlight: Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers set for their WNBA postseason debuts

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are set to make their WNBA postseason debuts while Caitlin Clark returns to the playoffs after missing last season because of injury.

The WNBA postseason begins Sunday with four first-round matchups. Clark's Fever face A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of last season's semifinals. Reese and the Atlanta Dream will play the Washington Mystics. Bueckers' Dallas Wings will take on the Golden State Valkyries, and New York will face Minnesota in a 2024 WNBA Finals rematch.

Reese spent the first two years of her career in Chicago before going to the Dream in an offseason trade. She flourished in her new surroundings, once again leading the league in rebounding and continuing her emergence as one of the top defenders in the WNBA.

Bueckers has put together a solid season to help the Wings get back in the playoffs for the first time since 2023. She was fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in assists.

Here are others things to watch this postseason:

The Valkyries have taken the WNBA by storm in their first two years of existence. Golden State became the first expansion squad to make the playoffs last year and is now the No. 2 seed in the postseason. The Valkyries have gone 17-5 at home this year, best in the league, in part because of the average crowd of over 18,000 they draw for games at Chase Center.

Golden State has done it with stellar defense. The Valkyries led the league in defensive rating, points allowed and 3-point defense. They also shoot the 3-point extremely well, making the most 3s on the season with 10.4 a game.

The first round of the playoffs is just a best-of-three. It's undergone a few iterations, including having the higher-seeded team host the first two games. Now each team is guaranteed at least one home game with a 1-1-1 format. The coaches would love to see the first-round series expand to a best-of-five format. As of now, only the semifinals is a best-of-five and the WNBA Finals is a seven-game series. Last season was the first the league had gone to a best-of-seven and Las Vegas swept Phoenix in four games.

“I just love the idea. I mean, look at these eight teams that are in the field. Great basketball, and you should go as long as you can. Like I said, that’s where the money is. So I would like to see that. Get a new commissioner and kind of get the competition committee on that type of thing, I think we’re all in favor of that,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Obviously there’s a lot of chatter about the three-game series. Actually this season it’s kind of rather disappointing to have just three games for these teams that are going to be playing each other, for sure. But that’s maybe the next step, the evolution of our league.”

With the new media rights deal that began this season, the playoffs will be broadcast across ESPN, NBC, USA Sports, Amazon Prime and Peacock. From 2016 to last season, ESPN had the rights to all the postseason games.

ESPN, Prime and USA Sports will have the first round. ESPN, NBC and Peacock will have the semifinals. NBC and USA Sports will broadcast the WNBA Finals with games also streaming on Peacock. ESPN had shown every WNBA Finals from 2003-25.

Roy Gulbeyan will be working his 27th consecutive playoffs this season dating to his postseason debut in 2000, according to the website “thewhistlewire”. The WNBA doesn't release how many postseason appearances officials have. Gulbeyan has been part of the league for 29 of its 30 years.

The league will have 17 officials work the postseason as well as three alternates.

“We are pleased to recognize this group of officials for their on-court achievements and their dedication to their craft with a selection to work the 2026 WNBA Playoffs,” said Bethany Donaphin, Head of WNBA League Operations. “Qualifying for the postseason and serving the game at this important part of the season is a goal for WNBA officials just as it is for players and coaches.”

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here