Game 1 of Lynx-Storm playoff series to tip off Tuesday night

Game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals between the Seattle Storm and Minnesota Lynx will be played Tuesday night, two days after it was postponed because of inconclusive COVID-19 tests.

The league said Tuesday that multiple players on the Storm had undergone additional testing, which came back negative after their inconclusive ones, and had been cleared to rejoin the team. One player is still awaiting the results of a second test. A player needs to have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart to be cleared to play.

The first game of the series is set to tip at 9 p.m. EDT.

“The health and safety of all players and staff continue to be our top priority. After comprehensive consultation with health and safety specialists following the additional testing of Seattle’s players and staff as well as the implementation of contact tracing, we feel confident in moving forward with the Storm and Lynx taking the court for Game 1 of their Semifinals series,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are coordinating with medical specialists.”

The league said all players and staff remaining in the playoffs will continue being tested under the health and safety protocols.

The WNBA made it through the regular season with a few false positive tests for the coronavirus, but no players developed COVID-19 once the season started. The season is being played inside a bubble environment at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.