The Atlanta Dream have earned a berth in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs, taking the #5 seed in the eight-team tournament.
Atlanta will take on the #4 seed Dallas Wings in a best-of-three series beginning Friday night in Dallas.
However, the WNBA’s playoff format is unique. And that means there is one step remaining before Atlanta hosts its first WNBA Playoff game since 2018. But if that home game is played, it would decide the series.
Other leagues have, or are currently using, best-of-three game series formats in their playoffs. Major League Baseball, for instance, uses one for their Wild Card round.
What makes the WNBA’s format unique is the potential for the tie-breaking final game of the series to be played in the home of the lower seeded team.
That’s because the first two games are played at the home of the higher seeded team, so that team (the Dallas Wings in this case) could win the first two games on their court and win the series without ever playing at the home of the lower seed.
But if the lower seed, Atlanta for instance, wins one of the first two games on the road, they would host the series-deciding Game 3. Giving the lower seed the home court advantage in a series that goes the distance is certainly a rarity in sports.
ROUND 1 SERIES SCHEDULE:
GAME 1: Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings – Friday 9/15, 9:30PM
GAME 2: Atlanta Dream at Dallas Wings – Tuesday 9/19, 9:00PM
GAME 3: Dallas Wings at Atlanta Dream (if necessary) – Friday 9/22 (time TBD)
Win either Game 1 or Game 2 in Dallas, and Atlanta will host its biggest WNBA game in at least five years. A series-deciding Game 3 will send the winner to the WNBA Semi-Finals, likely to face the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
TICKETS: Visit this page for information about purchasing tickets for a potential Game 3 in Atlanta, including automatic refund information if it isn’t played.
