The 2009 WNBA Playoffs is the postseason

WNBA Playoffs

The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....

 for the Women's National Basketball Association

Women's National Basketball Association

The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...

's 2009 season

2009 WNBA season

The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...

.

Format

• The top 4 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.
  • All 4 teams are seeded by basis of their standings.
• The series for rounds one and two are in a best-of-three format with Games 2 and 3 on the home court of the team with the higher seed.
• The series for the WNBA Finals
  WNBA Finals
  The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
  
   is in a best-of-five format with Games 1, 2 and 5 on the home court of the team with the higher seed.

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

1. Indiana Fever
   Indiana Fever
   The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
   
    (22–12)
2. Atlanta Dream
   Atlanta Dream
   The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
   
    (18–16)
3. Detroit Shock
   Detroit Shock
   The Detroit Shock was a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006 and 2008 WNBA champion...
   
    (18–16)
4. Washington Mystics
   Washington Mystics
   The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
   
    (16–18)

Western Conference
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

1. Phoenix Mercury
   Phoenix Mercury
   The Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises...
   
    (23–11)
2. Seattle Storm
   Seattle Storm
   The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
   
    (20–14)
3. Los Angeles Sparks
   Los Angeles Sparks
   The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
   
    (18–16)
4. San Antonio Silver Stars
   San Antonio Silver Stars
   The San Antonio Silver Stars are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; the team moved to San Antonio...
   
    (15–19)

Bracket

This is the outlook for the 2009 WNBA playoffs. Teams in italics had home court advantage. Teams in bold advanced to the next round. Numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's original playoffs seeding in their respective conferences. Numbers to the right of each team indicate the number of games the team won in that round.

(1) Indiana Fever vs. (4) Washington Mystics

(2) Atlanta Dream vs. (3) Detroit Shock

Conference Finals: (1) Indiana Fever vs. (3) Detroit Shock

(1) Phoenix Mercury vs. (4) San Antonio Silver Stars

(2) Seattle Storm vs. (3) Los Angeles Sparks

Conference Finals: (1) Phoenix Mercury vs. (3) Los Angeles Sparks

WNBA Finals: (1) Phoenix Mercury vs. (1) Indiana Fever

• All times Eastern