2025 WNBA Playoffs on Sling TV: How to Watch Every Game Live
Posted on Sep 15, 2025 by Caden Whitlock
An expansion team is in the bracket — and you can stream every game without cable
The 2025 WNBA Playoffs are set, and the headline is impossible to miss: the Golden State Valkyries have reached the postseason in their first year. As the No. 8 seed, they draw the Minnesota Lynx — last season’s runner-up — after going 0-3 against them in the regular season. That record tells one story; playoff basketball often tells another. Veronica Burton leads the Valkyries into a series that runs straight into Napheesa Collier’s MVP-level engine and a veteran Lynx rotation that rarely beats itself.
This season didn’t materialize out of nowhere. The league has been riding real momentum since 2024, when ESPN platforms reported a 170% year-over-year jump for the regular season and the Finals climbed 115%. That surge was powered by names casual fans now recognize instantly: Caitlin Clark’s pull-up range in Indiana, Angel Reese’s glass-cleaning in Chicago, and a wave of high-profile newcomers like Paige Bueckers in Dallas, plus Sonia Citron and KiKi Iriafen. Not all the hyped rookies made the bracket — veteran-heavy lineups stood in the way — but the league’s pipeline is the strongest it’s been in years.
Format matters here. The postseason features eight teams, seeded by record. The first round is a best-of-three with a 2-1 home format for the higher seed; the semifinals and Finals are best-of-five (2-2-1). That puts a premium on depth and adjustments. Coaches have to nail matchups by Game 2 at the latest, and travel swings can flip a series fast. Expect ESPN/ABC to anchor much of the schedule, with additional windows on ION and NBA TV — the same blend that fed last year’s audience spike.
How to watch the entire bracket on Sling (and what to add for ABC/CBS games)
If you want one hub for the playoffs, start with Sling TV. The simplest path is Sling Orange plus the Sports Extra add-on. Sling Orange includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPN4K; Sports Extra adds NBA TV, which picks up select playoff windows. That combo covers a bulk of the national broadcasts. To round out the schedule, you’ll need a plan for ABC- and CBS-televised games, and possibly CBS Sports Network, which can host occasional playoff windows.
Here’s the clean setup most fans use:
- Sling Orange ($46/month): ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN4K for core playoff coverage and potential Finals games on ESPN
- Sports Extra (add-on): Adds NBA TV for additional national windows
- Sling Blue (select markets): Includes ION in many areas and carries local stations in cities like Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Availability varies by market
ABC and CBS are the two missing pieces inside Sling’s channel lineup. You have a few easy workarounds:
- ABC: ESPN+ often simulcasts select ABC games. If your game is labeled as an ABC/ESPN simulcast, open the ESPN+ app and you’re set
- CBS: Paramount Plus with Showtime carries your local CBS live feed in many markets, which covers CBS-televised playoff windows
- CBS Sports Network: Not carried by Sling and not always included with Paramount+. If a playoff game lands on CBSSN, you’ll need a separate service that includes that channel
- ION: Frequently part of Sling Blue and widely available, providing another playoff window without leaving the Sling environment
- Prime Video: Holds exclusive Thursday night games during the season; keep an eye on the schedule in case any postseason dates land there
WNBA League Pass is not in Sling. For that, buy direct through the WNBA. It’s great for regular season replays and out-of-market games, but the playoffs lean on national TV rights, so League Pass won’t replace ESPN/ABC/CBS/NBA TV.
A few practical tips before the opening tip:
- Devices: Sling works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, most smart TVs, iOS, Android, and web browsers
- DVR: Use Sling’s cloud DVR to record late tips on ESPN/ION/NBA TV; just note blackout rules still apply
- Streams: ESPN networks live inside Sling Orange, which is a single-stream plan. If your household watches on multiple TVs at once, plan accordingly
- 4K: ESPN4K is included in Sling Orange, but 4K availability depends on the broadcaster. Expect most playoff games in HD
- Local ABC/CBS for free: An over-the-air antenna can pull in ABC and CBS in many markets. If you want everything inside one interface, you can pair an antenna with compatible hardware to integrate locals into your Sling guide
How it comes together on a typical week: early-round games often land on ESPN/ESPN2 (Sling Orange) and ION (Sling Blue in many markets). NBA TV games (Sports Extra) fill the gaps. If the calendar shifts a marquee matchup to ABC, jump to ESPN+ for the simulcast or pull it in with an antenna. If a game pops up on CBS, Paramount Plus with Showtime covers you with the local CBS feed. And if CBSSN gets a date, plan a short-term add from a service that carries that channel.
The end result is simple: with Sling Orange and Sports Extra as your base — and a small stack of add-ons for ABC/CBS windows — you can watch every game of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, including the Valkyries’ first-ever postseason run and the heavyweight clashes waiting in the later rounds. The league’s momentum is real, the bracket is balanced, and the viewing plan is finally as straightforward as the basketball is compelling.