The New York Liberty's historic 2-0 sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, capped by an 87-71 Game 2 win on September 29, stands as the defining development, as the No. 8 seed became the first to eliminate a No. 1 seed since the current playoff format began. The Indiana Fever evened their first-round series against the Las Vegas Aces at 1-1 behind Caitlin Clark's 27-point, 15-assist performance, setting up a decisive Game 3 on October 1 in Las Vegas. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries each hold 1-0 leads over the Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings, respectively, with Game 2 matchups scheduled for September 30 that could clinch semifinal berths or force deciding games. These best-of-three series outcomes will determine the four teams advancing to the best-of-five semifinals beginning October 4.