Season resumes Thursday
The WNBA returns to action on September 17 after a roughly two-week pause for the FIBA World Cup. The break left teams one week to settle the standings: the regular season ends September 24, and the playoffs tip off September 27.
Eight of the league's 15 teams qualify. The first round is a best-of-three series, which puts a premium on seeding and home court.
Who is in the mix
Atlanta, Indiana, Las Vegas, Washington, New York, Dallas and Golden State are among the teams fighting for position in the final days, with several seeds still undecided. Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson is the heavy favorite for MVP after another season near the top of the league in scoring and rebounding.
Coaches have said the pause cuts both ways. It gave injured players time to heal, but it also interrupted the rhythm of teams that were playing well. Conditioning in the first two games back will matter as much as tactics.
Elsewhere in sports
In baseball, Milwaukee has clinched a fourth straight NL Central title and owns the best record in the majors. The Dodgers and Yankees could both clinch playoff spots this weekend. Houston leads Texas by one game in the AL West, and Chicago and Cleveland met this week in a series that will shape the AL Central.
In the NFL, Kansas City beat Denver on Monday night, and Week 2 continues with Philadelphia visiting Tennessee. Baltimore placed rookie receiver Ja'Kobi Lane on injured reserve, and the Chargers said wide receiver Ladd McConkey would not practice because of a rib injury.
ESPN and broadcaster Joe Buck agreed to a contract extension reported at more than $100 million, keeping him with the network into the 2030s. The deal is the latest in a run of large contracts for top play-by-play voices as networks compete for rights packages.