Five biggest post-All-Star break WNBA storylines: Napheesa Collier's comeback, Golden State's rise and more

WNBA All-Star weekend is here.

Before regular-season action picks back up on Tuesday, below are five key storylines we're monitoring the rest of the year.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier's comeback

Collier made her season debut after undergoing two offseason ankle surgeries on Wednesday and showed no rust. In fact, the only thing that limited the five-time All-Star was a restriction that led her to only playing 22 minutes. Her impact was undeniable, leading all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting while adding 10 rebounds in an 86-76 win over the Seattle Storm.

With 16 games regular-season games remaining, Collier should be even sharper by the time the playoffs begin, making the Lynx (22-6, first in league standings) the team to beat.

Can Golden State Valkyries make deep playoff run?

As impressive as Golden State's run to the playoffs during its inaugural season was, what the team's doing this year is arguably more remarkable. The Valkyries (19-8) are only 2.5 games out of first place and lead the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces (18-8) by a half-game for second with 17 games left.

The Valkyries are the WNBA's best defensive team, allowing a league-low 76.4 points per game. They were strong on that end of the court a season ago, and free-agent signings Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes have made instant-impacts — Williams leading Golden State with 1.7 steals per game and Stokes' 49 blocks are tied for the league's most.

Offensively, the Valkyries are No. 13 in scoring (81.9 points per game) but also the league's most prolific three-point shooting team, ranking first in three-pointers made (286) and attempted (824).

It's no longer a question whether Golden State will make a return trip to the playoffs but how far it can go after being swept in the first round by the Lynx last year. The conference finals? WNBA Finals? It's all on the table. 

Indiana Fever's unstoppable offense

We're still catching our breath.

The Fever entered the All-Star break with a bang, setting a franchise-record for points in a 123-88 win over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday. Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 75 points on 62.8 percent shooting, with Clark leading the way scoring 27 points while making 5-of-9 threes. 

After a lackluster first 10 games of the season, Clark has heated up since June 11, averaging 22.8 points and 7.9 assists per game on 47.7/35.4/84.8 percent shooting splits. Per Stathead research, Indiana leads the league in offensive rating (122.1) and net rating (9.9) during that span.

The Fever's defense remains a work in progress, but thanks to their breathtaking offense, those shortcomings are becoming less relevant.

New York Liberty attempt to right ship

The All-Star break couldn't come soon enough for the Liberty, who have struggled amid a rash of injuries. New York is floundering at 4-6 in its last 10 games and closer to missing the playoffs than first place.

Forward Satou Sabally, a prized free-agent acquisition, has been in the league's concussion protocol since June 23 with no timetable for return. Guard Leonie Fiebich has averaged 10 points per game while shooting 43.3 percent from deep but is also out indefinitely with a foot injury, while Marine Johannes is "progressing" from an ankle injury that cost her New York's last two games.

With Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart, the Liberty have enough star power to stay afloat, but first-year coach Chris DeMarco's inability to land on a consistent rotation because of injuries has taken a toll. Until the team's health improves, New York isn't a legit title contender.

Aces center A'ja Wilson's historic fifth MVP pursuit

Wilson, coming off back-to-back MVPs, is having among her best seasons yet, averaging 26.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocks per game while shooting 53.3 percent, including 44.6 percent on 2.3 three-point attempts per game.

She's the clear front-runner for this year's award heading into the second half of the season, and if Wilson sticks the landing, she'd become only the eighth player all-time in MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and WNBA to earn five MVP honors, joining icons Wayne Gretzky (nine), Barry Bonds (seven), Gordie Howe (six), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five) and Peyton Manning (five). Lionel Messi (eight) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five) are the only five-time Ballon d'Or winners.

That's the company Wilson may soon find herself among. Based on the first half of the year, it's only a matter of time.