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)