The WNBA playoff bracket is officially set after the final seeds were decided on Thursday.

The day began with the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics all alive for the eighth and final playoff spot. All the Dream needed was to beat the New York Liberty to clinch that berth, and that's exactly what happened thanks to a 78-67 road victory.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces were both in contention for the No. 3 seed. Connecticut just needed a victory over the visiting Sky to get that done, and that's exactly what occurred courtesy of an 87-54 home win.

Now the table is set for the highly-anticipated playoffs, which begin on Sunday. Here's a look at the bracket, the schedule (via WNBA.com), quick first-round previews and predictions for the quarterfinal slate.

Note that the first round is best-of-three, with Game 3 to be played if necessary. The semifinals and finals are best-of-five, with Games 4 and 5 to be played if necessary.

All times listed below are ET.

First Round

Sunday, September 22 (Game 1)

1 p.m.: No. 8 Atlanta Dream at No. 1 New York Liberty, ESPN

3 p.m.: No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Connecticut Sun, ABC

5 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury at No. 2 Minnesota Lynx, ESPN

10 p.m.: No. 5 Seattle Storm at No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, ESPN

Tuesday, September 24 (Game 2)

7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Atlanta Dream at No. 1 New York Liberty, ESPN

9:30 p.m.: No. 5 Seattle Storm at No. 4 Las Vegas Aces, ESPN

Wednesday, September 25 (Game 2)

7:30 p.m.: No. 6 Indiana Fever at No. 3 Connecticut Sun, ESPN

9:30 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Mercury at No. 2 Minnesota Lynx, ESPN

Thursday, September 26 (Game 3, If Necessary)

Time TBD: No. 1 New York Liberty at No. 8 Atlanta Dream, ESPN2

Time TBD: No. 4 Las Vegas Aces at No. 5 Seattle Storm, ESPN2

Friday, September 27 (Game 3, If Necessary)

Time TBD: No. 3 Connecticut Sun at No. 6 Indiana Fever, ESPN2

Time TBD: No. 2 Minnesota Lynx at No. 7 Phoenix Mercury, ESPN2

Semifinals (Both Matchups Will Occur on Same Date, Times TBD)

Game 1: Sunday, September 29

Game 2: Tuesday, October 1

Game 3: Friday, October 4

Game 4: Sunday, October 6

Game 5: Tuesday, October 8

Finals

Game 1: Thursday, October 10

Game 2: Sunday, October 13

Game 3: Wednesday, October 16

Game 4: Friday, October 18

Game 5: Sunday, October 20

No. 1 New York Liberty vs. No. 8 Atlanta Dream

The New York Liberty have made the playoffs 18 times and the Finals on five occasions, but a championship has eluded them since the WNBA's inaugural 1997 season.

The pieces are obviously in place for a title run. New York finished the season with the league's No. 1 offensive rating and No. 3 defensive rating, per Basketball Reference.

The Liberty finished No. 1 in three-pointers made, and four players (Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Betnijah Laney) average 11 or more points per game.

Stewart remains one of the WNBA's elite players and a perennial MVP candidate after averaging over 20 points and eight rebounds per game for the third time in the last four seasons. It was also a great year for Jonquel Jones, who made her third All-Star Game in four seasons.

It'll be very tough for the Dream to take down New York, although the talent is there for an upset. Rhyne Howard can explode for 30-plus points on any given night, and Tina Charles remains a nightly double-double threat in her 13th WNBA season.

Still, the Libs look too strong here as they search for franchise title No. 1.

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 7 Phoenix Mercury

This could perhaps be the last time we see 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi on the basketball court. She told reporters that "the end is near" but added that she didn't know when that would be.

The end of Taurasi's second decade will include a playoff appearance, but this is a brutal draw for the Mercury against the hottest WNBA team rolling into the postseason.

Napheesa Collier is a two-way superstar, posting 20-10 nightly while being good for three or more steals/blocks regularly. Four other Lynx players average around 10 or more points per game, and the team as a whole shoots lights-out (38 percent from three, 79 percent from the free throw line).

It helps Phoenix, of course, to have star talent in Kahleah Copper, who previously exploded for 34 points in an 81-80 win over Minnesota earlier this season. It wouldn't be a surprise to see her take over this series, nor would it be shocking if Brittney Griner, Taurasi and Natasha Cloud prove too much for Minnesota in the best-of-three matchup.

No. 3 Connecticut Sun vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever

All eyes will be on presumptive Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark after her sensational, record-setting first professional season. And rightfully so, because Indiana caught fire this year, going 15-6 after a 3-10 start.

The Fever did sputter a bit down the stretch, going 2-4, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Indiana give Connecticut a tough series.

The Sun beat the Fever 3-1 in the regular-season series, but Indiana won the last game as all five starters scored in double digits en route to a 84-80 victory.

That being said, the Sun's defense may be too tough. Connecticut is No. 1 in scoring defense and No. 2 in defensive efficiency. This is a well-rounded team in which six players score 10 or more points per game.

Five-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas is a nightly triple-double threat, and DiJonai Carrington is one of the WNBA's best defensive guards. Five Sun players rank in the top 20 in defensive win shares, per WNBA.com.

They'll have a tall task against a scorching-hot Fever team that has seen both Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston take over games at times this year. Ultimately, this looks like the most competitive first-round series on paper.

No. 4 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm

The Las Vegas Aces are going for the three-peat behind the phenomenal exploits of A'ja Wilson, who should win her third WNBA MVP award this year.

Wilson has turned it up in the playoffs over the past two seasons, averaging 20.3 PPG and 10.4 RPG in 2022 before amassing 23.8 PPG and 11.8 RPG in 2023. She's never played better in 2024, though, becoming the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season.

She's flanked, of course, by tremendous talent including Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. Young in particular proved to be a thorn in Seattle's side, scoring 32 in a 94-83 win and 27 more in a 84-79 victory.

Seattle, though, has a weapon in Gabby Williams, who was named the "Best Defensive Player" in this year's Summer Olympics when she represented silver-medalist France. Williams signed with Seattle midseason, made her 2024 debut in August and has fared quite well for the Storm. It's also conceivable that Jewell Loyd, who averages 20 points per game, could dominate this series.

Las Vegas still looks like the best team on paper against Seattle, which has enjoyed a tremendous turnaround after going 11-29 last year. But don't be surprised if Seattle pushes the series to the limit and gives Las Vegas a huge first-round scare.