# 2006 WNBA playoffs

The 2006 WNBA Playoffs was the postseason for the Women's National Basketball Association's 2006 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Shock defeating the Western Conference champion Sacramento Monarchs 3-2.

## 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 is in a best-of-five format with Games 1, 2 and 5 on the home court of the team with the higher seed.
* Reseeding (as used in the Stanley Cup Playoffs) is not in use: therefore, all playoff matchups are predetermined via the teams' seedings.

## Playoff qualifying
### Eastern Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
* Connecticut Sun (26–8)
* Detroit Shock (23–11)
* Indiana Fever (21–13)
* Washington Mystics (18–16)

### Western Conference

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
* Los Angeles Sparks (25–9)
* Sacramento Monarchs (21–13)
* Houston Comets (18–16)
* Seattle Storm (18–16)

## Bracket

This was the outlook for the 2006 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.
| Conference Semi-Finals Best-of-3 | Conference Semi-Finals Best-of-3 | Conference Semi-Finals Best-of-3 | Conference Finals Best-of-3 | Conference Finals Best-of-3 | Conference Finals Best-of-3 | WNBA Finals Best-of-5 | WNBA Finals Best-of-5 | WNBA Finals Best-of-5 |
| E1 | Connecticut | 2 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Washington | 0 | | | | | | |
| E4 | Washington | 0 | E1 | Connecticut | 1 | | | |
| | | | E2 | Detroit | 2 | | | |
| E2 | Detroit | 2 | E2 | Detroit | 2 | | | |
| E3 | Indiana | 0 | | | | | | |
| E3 | Indiana | 0 | | | | E2 | Detroit | 3 |
| | | | | | | W2 | Sacramento | 2 |
| W1 | Los Angeles | 2 | | | | | | | W2 | Sacramento | 2 |
| W4 | Seattle | 1 | | | | | | |
| W4 | Seattle | 1 | W1 | Los Angeles | 0 | | | |
| | | | W2 | Sacramento | 2 | | | |
| W2 | Sacramento | 2 | W2 | Sacramento | 2 | | | |
| W3 | Houston | 0 | | | | | | |

## Eastern Conference
### First round
#### (1) Connecticut Sun vs. (4) Washington Mystics

* August 18
* Game 1
* Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
* August 20
* Game 2
Washington Mystics 65, Connecticut Sun 68 :
* Connecticut wins series, 2–0 ||
* Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville

#### (2) Detroit Shock vs. (3) Indiana Fever

* August 17
* Game 1
* Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
* August 19
* Game 2
Indiana Fever 83, Detroit Shock 98 :
* Detroit wins series, 2–0 ||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills

### Conference finals
#### (1) Connecticut Sun vs. (2) Detroit Shock

* August 24
* Game 1
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
* August 26
* Game 2
* Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville
* August 27
* Game 3
Detroit Shock 79, Connecticut Sun 55 :
* Detroit wins series, 2–1 ||
* Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville

## Western Conference
### First round
#### (1) Los Angeles Sparks vs. (4) Seattle Storm

* August 18
* Game 1
* KeyArena, Seattle
* August 20
* Game 2
* Staples Center, Los Angeles
* August 22
* Game 3
Seattle Storm 63, Los Angeles Sparks 68 :
* Los Angeles wins series, 2–1 ||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles

#### (2) Sacramento Monarchs vs. (3) Houston Comets

* August 17
* Game 1
* Toyota Center, Houston
* August 19
* Game 2
Houston Comets 64, Sacramento Monarchs 92 :
* Sacramento wins series, 2–0 ||
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento

### Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Sparks vs. (2) Sacramento Monarchs

* August 24
* Game 1
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento
* August 26
* Game 2
Sacramento Monarchs 72, Los Angeles Sparks 58 :
* Sacramento wins series, 2–0 ||
* Staples Center, Los Angeles

## WNBA Finals
### Sacramento Monarchs vs. Detroit Shock

* August 30
* Game 1
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
* September 1
* Game 2
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
* September 3
* Game 3
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento
* September 6
* Game 4
* ARCO Arena, Sacramento
* September 9
* Game 5
Sacramento Monarchs 75, Detroit Shock 80 :
* Detroit wins series, 3–2 ||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills