The WNBA returns with one week to settle the regular season.

The WNBA returns Thursday, September 17, with little room left on the calendar. After the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin, league play resumes with five games and a September 24 regular-season finish. For fans picking the season back up, the useful starting point is the schedule: who plays now, who plays next and how quickly the postseason arrives.

Five games on the return slate

The league's return-to-play guide lists Connecticut–Atlanta, Washington–Chicago, Los Angeles–Dallas, Phoenix–Portland and Las Vegas–Seattle. Connecticut–Atlanta is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Liberty are not part of that five-game slate.

For U.S. viewers, the guide lists Sparks–Wings and Aces–Storm on USA Network; the other three matchups are listed on League Pass. Check the linked current schedule before settling in, particularly for local availability and start times. A league-wide return date does not mean every team is playing that night.

The road to the playoffs

According to the WNBA's season announcement, the playoffs begin September 27. The top eight teams qualify regardless of conference. The opening round is best-of-three, the semifinals best-of-five and the Finals best-of-seven. A longer championship series does not give a team extra room in that short first round.

Our viewing priority for the final week: watch the rotations as closely as the final scores. Who closes a tight game? How much work do returning international players take on? Those details can make the next matchup more interesting, but they need actual games and team updates—not assumptions based on a tournament performance overseas.

The New York watch

The published season schedule places New York at Minnesota on Friday, September 18. That gives Liberty fans a specific next stop after Thursday's league restart. Use the current schedule and team availability announcements before making viewing or travel plans; this preview does not establish a playoff seed or promise a particular player's minutes.