What happened: No. 1 Minnesota draws No. 8 New York, No. 2 Golden State draws No. 7 Dallas, No. 3 Las Vegas draws No. 6 Indiana and No. 4 Atlanta draws No. 5 Washington. The four winners move on to the semifinals.
Why it matters: The round cuts the eight-team field to four and fixes the semifinal bracket. An opening loss leaves no margin before elimination, shortening title timelines across the league.
By the numbers: First-round seeds: 1. Lynx, 2. Valkyries, 3. Aces, 4. Dream, 5. Mystics, 6. Fever, 7. Wings, 8. Liberty.
What to watch: Game 1 winners take early control before the series turn to elimination scenarios.