The 2026 WNBA playoffs tipped off on Sunday with four games.
The Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were all Game 1 winners to get the upper hand in their first-round series.
Here are some key takeaways from Sunday’s action.
A’ja Wilson leaves no doubt she is still WNBA’s best
Not that there should be any debate about that at this point.
Wilson is a four-time league MVP, a three-time defensive player of the year and one of the most dominant scorers in the league. She does it all. She takes over games. And when she plays as she did on Sunday, she helps make the Aces one of the best teams in the league and a serious championship contender. Again. They have won three of the past four championships with Wilson leading the way, and they looked the part again on Sunday.
She was unbelievable in the Aces’ 102-85 win over the Indiana Fever, finishing with 38 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four blocks, while also finishing as a game-best plus-29 when she was on the floor.
She did all of that while shooting 15-of-19 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
Stunning performance.
Breanna Stewart spent Game 1 doing Breanna Stewart things
And what exactly are Breanna Stewart things? Well, a little bit of everything, and controlling the game for the Liberty in a 91-75 win over the Minnesota Lynx.
She was masterful in her 38 minutes, tallying a game-high 34 points with 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.
The Liberty might have been the last team to make the WNBA playoff field, and the Lynx might have finished with the best record in the league, but anytime you have a player like this on your roster, you are always going to have a chance. Especially in a short series where it is not going to take much to pull off an upset.
If Stewart is going to give the Liberty that sort of play, they are going to be a problem no matter who they play.
Rhyne Howard leads balanced effort from Dream
The Dream took a 1-0 series lead over the Washington Mystics in a 92-77 win that featured a very balanced attack from Atlanta.
Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada all finished with double-digit scoring days, while Howard and Gray both topped the 20-point mark.
Howard had something of an historic performance with 25 points and five steals, making it just the fifth such playoff performance in WNBA history.
She finished the game 7-for-18 from the field while also making all 10 of her free throws.
It was also a strong playoff debut for Reese, finishing with 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds, including nine on the defensive glass.
Golden State Valkyries get first-ever playoff win
The Valkyries wasted no time in making the WNBA playoffs in their inaugural season in 2025, but it did not produce a postseason win.
That changed on Sunday with a convincing 104-80 win over the Dallas Wings.
The turning point in this game came in the second quarter when Golden State posted a season-high 37 points in the quarter, outscoring the Wings by a 26-point margin in the frame.
Dallas never really made it much of a game after that.
Gabby Williams and Cecilia Zandalasini each topped the 20-point mark in the win, while Tiffany Hayes came off the bench with 21 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
The big issue for Dallas in the first half was that there was simply no scoring depth after Paige Bueckers. Dallas went into the break with Bueckers recording 17 points and the rest of her teammates recording just 14 points.