WNBA Playoffs 2022: How to Watch Liberty vs. Sky, Mercury vs. Aces Today
The WNBA Superstars are here to play. The Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, Chicago Sky’s Candace Parker, Las Vegas teammates A’Ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, and AP Player of the Year Breanna Stewart and WNBA legend Sue Bird, both from the Seattle Storm, want their teams new heights lead to new heights in the fight for the 2022 WNBA championship.
A superstar is missing in the 2022 playoffs. Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner remains jailed in Russia after being sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for drug smuggling. Griner has appealed her conviction amid talks of a prisoner swap.
Eight WNBA teams now continue the three-round journey to the title, and there has already been one surprise. In Game 1, defending champions Chicago Sky, who won with the Las Vegas Aces for best record in the league, lost to the New York Liberty. Chicago even looks after the series this afternoon at 12 p.m. ET (9 p.m. PT) on ESPN.
Later that night, the Aces attempt to take out the Mercury, whom they beat by 16 points in Game 1. Game 2 of this series is played 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on ESPN 2
Sunday’s games feature Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun attempting to send on Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings 12 p.m. ET (9 p.m. PT) on ABC. They are followed by Elena Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics, who are pushing to tie the series with the Seattle Storm after a tight Game 1. This matchup will take place at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) on Sunday on ESPN.
Those wanting to follow the drama will need access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNU to watch each game. We’ve broken down everything you need to know to live stream the WNBA playoffs wirelessly.
What does the first round of the playoffs look like?
Unlike previous seasons, all teams play best-of-three in the first round. The winners then advance to a best-of-five semifinals followed by a best-of-five WNBA finals.
Here is the remaining schedule for the first round with all times in ET:
WNBA First Round Playoff Schedule
|
Date and Time |
Match |
network |
|---|---|---|
|
Saturday, August 20 (12 p.m.) |
New York Liberty at Chicago Sky, Game 2 (Liberty leads 1-0) |
ESPN |
|
Saturday, August 20 (9 p.m.) |
Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas Aces, Game 2 (Aces lead 1-0) |
ESPN2 |
|
Sunday, August 21 (12 p.m.) |
Dallas Wings at Connecticut Sun, Game 2 (Sun lead 1-0) |
ABC |
|
Sunday, August 21 (4 p.m.) |
Washington Mystics at Seattle Storm, Game 2 (Storm lead 1-0) |
ESPN |
|
Tuesday, August 23 (7 p.m.) |
Chicago Sky at New York Liberty, Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
|
Tuesday, August 23 (9 p.m.) |
Las Vegas Aces at Phoenix Mercury Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
|
Wednesday, August 24 (tbc) |
Connecticut Sun at Dallas Wings Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
|
Wednesday, August 24 (tbc) |
Seattle Storm at Washington Mystics, Game 3* |
ESPN2 |
*If necessary.
Best options for wireless streaming
All games of the 2022 WNBA Playoffs will be broadcast on Disney Family Networks, namely ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNU. To catch every second of basketball action, cable cutters must subscribe to a Live TV streaming service. That’s how they break down.
You can watch the WNBA playoffs with a YouTube TV subscription. ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNU are all included in the package, meaning you have all the channels you need to catch every second of the action.
Read our YouTube TV review.
Hulu Plus Live TV is a little more expensive than YouTube TV, but it also has all the channels you need to watch the WNBA playoffs. As an added bonus, Hulu Plus Live TV includes the rest of the Disney bundle, which includes a subscription to Disney Plus as well as ESPN Plus. The WNBA Playoffs don’t air on ESPN Plus, but the service has a ton of other content for die-hard sports fans.
Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.
Sling TV’s $35 Orange plan might be a good choice for casual WNBA fans who don’t need to watch every game. This plan is one of the cheapest ways to get access to ESPN and ESPN 2. Those looking for ESPNU will have to go for the $11 Sports Extra add-on. Sling TV is missing ABC, which could be a problem for fans hoping to catch some of the biggest games.
Read our Sling TV review.
FuboTV costs $70 per month and includes ABC, ESPN, and ESPN 2. The base package lacks ESPNU, but you can add it with the Fubo extra package for $8 per month or for the elite streaming tier of $80 – Pay dollars per month which includes Fubo extra. See here which local networks FuboTV offers.
Read our FuboTV review.
DirecTV Stream is the most expensive live TV streaming service. The cheapest Plus plan at $70 per month includes ESPN, ESPN 2, and ABC, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Choice plan at $90 per month to get ESPNews. You can use the channel search tool to see what local channels are available in your area.
Read our DirectTV Stream review.