| Year: | 2011 |
| WNBA Playoffs | |
| Dates: | September 15 - October 7, 2011 |
| Winners: | Minnesota Lynx (Finals Champion) |
| Attendance: | 9,232 per game |
| Continental Cup Title: | East champion |
| Continental Cup Qualifiers: | Atlanta Dream (Coach: Marynell Meadors) |
| Continental Cup Title1: | West champion |
| Continental Cup Qualifiers1: | Minnesota Lynx (Coach: Cheryl Reeve) |
| Prev Season: | 2010 |
| Next Season: | 2012 |
| Standings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
| 1st Indiana | 1st Minnesota | |
| 2nd Connecticut | 2nd Seattle | |
| 3rd Atlanta | 3rd Phoenix | |
| 4th New York | 4th San Antonio |
The 2011 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2011 season. Four teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs seeded 1 to 4 in a tournament bracket, with the two opening rounds in a best-of-three format, and the final in a best-of-five format. The finals were won by the Minnesota Lynx who defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream.
The Minnesota Lynx was the top overall seed in the tournament, having finished 27-7 in the regular season, the best record in franchise history. The team was appearing in its first playoffs since 2004. Prior to the 2011 playoffs, the Lynx had not won a playoff series in franchise history. This changed in the 2011 playoffs, as the Lynx won their first two playoff series to advance to the WNBA Finals.
The Atlanta Dream had reached the 2010 WNBA Finals, losing in three games to the Seattle Storm. Despite a slow start to the 2011 season, the Dream rebounded to finish with a 20-14 record, good for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The Dream upset two higher-seeded teams to reach the WNBA finals for the second straight year.
After earning the third seed in the West, the Phoenix Mercury reached their third straight conference finals after upsetting the defending WNBA Champion Seattle Storm in the opening round. They ultimately lost to Minnesota in the conference final.
The Indiana Fever was the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and dispatched the New York Liberty in the opening round. They ultimately fell short to Atlanta in the conference final after WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings tore her plantar fascia in game two of the series, limiting her in the decisive game.
The Seattle Storm earned the West's second seed, and were attempting to repeat as WNBA champions. They took a 1-0 lead in the conference semifinals, but then dropped the next two, losing to Phoenix.
The Connecticut Sun earned the second seed in the East, but were swept in the opening round by the Dream, the eventual East champs.
The San Antonio Silver Stars were the lowest overall seed in the West and the tournament, and drew the unenviable task of playing the Minnesota Lynx. Despite the apparent mismatch, the Silver Stars lost by only one point in game one of the opening round, and won game two. They could not keep up with the Lynx in game three, however, and lost in the opening round.
| Seed | Team | W | L | Tiebreaker | Clinched | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Playoff berth | width=100 | Conf. homecourt | ||||
| 1 | Indiana Fever | 21 | 13 | 3–2 vs. CON | August 30 | September 7 | |
| 2 | Connecticut Sun | 21 | 13 | 2–3 vs. IND | August 30 | — | |
| 3 | Atlanta Dream | 20 | 14 | — | September 4 | — | |
| 4 | New York Liberty | 19 | 15 | — | September 2 | — |
| Seed | Team | W | L | Tiebreaker | Clinched | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=100 | Playoff berth | width=100 | Playoffs homecourt | ||||
| 1 | Minnesota Lynx | 27 | 7 | — | August 20 | September 2 | |
| 2 | Seattle Storm | 21 | 13 | — | September 2 | — | |
| 3 | Phoenix Mercury | 19 | 15 | — | September 3 | — | |
| 4 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 18 | 16 | — | September 6 | — |
See main article: 2011 WNBA Finals.