WNBA to expand Finals to 7-game series next season

[RandySF]

The WNBA will expand its Finals next year to a best-of-seven format, the league announced Thursday.

The league currently has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its playoffs with a best-of-three first round.

“This will give our fans a championship series format that they are accustomed to seeing in other sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said before Game 1 of the Finals.

Engelbert said the better seeded teams will host the first, second, fifth and seventh games. The league also will be changing the opening round to give the lower seeded team at least one home game. The higher seeded team will host Game 1, and 3 if it's necessary. Currently the first round has the first two games at the better seeded team. All four of the first round series were sweeps this year.


https://www.msn.com/en-in/sports/nba/wnba-to-expand-finals-to-7-game-series-next-season/ar-AA1s4CQU

[JT45242]

1. The first round change is more significant..

Because higher seeds get the first two games at home in the first round, lower seeds rarely survive to game 3. This will give another home game to teams five thru eight and more excitement as more series will need a game three. The 7 and 8 seeds will likely still be swept, because they should be against the top teams in the league. But the 3-6 and 4-5 matchups will be a lot more exciting.

Since they increased to 5 games only about 30 percent of series got to 2-2 and needed a decisive game 5 and only one of the last six. It may mean a few extra games that might draw attention.

But many years, the WNBA champ was head and shoulders above the rest of the league in both the regular season and the playoffs.

I know fever fans were disappointed they did not get a home playoff game this year.

[GigiLeigh]

2. Love this new format

I think it will make the playoffs more competitive and more exciting.