New WNBA playoff format for 20th season of women's pro league

Yahoo! News | January 28, 2016

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(L-R) Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles of the Minnesota Lynx celebrate a win in Game Five of the 2015 WNBA Finals against the Indiana Fever on October 14, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota (AFP Photo/Hannah Foslien)

Los Angeles (AFP) - The Women's NBA is changing the playoff format for its upcoming 20th season, hoping to add excitement for a league that hasn't grabbed the imagination of US sports fans as its creators had hoped.

In 2016, the top eight teams in the 12-team league will make the playoffs, regardless of whether they are in the Eastern or Western Conference, a change from the current four teams from each.