What to watch for in WNBA's return: Competition heats up for No. 1 seed, home-court advantage and more

*Among playoff teams | Hardest (1) to easiest (8).

The Lynx's schedule is more daunting with three games against other playoff teams. Having taken the season series against Golden State 3-1, Minnesota only needs a split to secure the No. 1 seed, but it will have to work to get that.

The race for No. 4

The Dream and Fever are both 26-14 and have stars looking to continue the positive momentum built in Berlin with Team USA en route to a gold medal. Dream guard Rhyne Howard and forward Angel Reese were sparks off the bench, as were Fever guard Caitlin Clark and forward Aliyah Boston.

Howard had a pair of double-digit-scoring games during the tournament, including a 15-point outburst in the quarterfinals against Hungary, while Reese was an active force on the glass, averaging five rebounds per game.

Clark ranked sixth among all players with 5.3 assists per game, and she and Boston had Team USA's highest cumulative plus-minus, the squad over 100 points better with either on the court.

Whichever golden duo best recaptures the magic of the past two weeks could determine who begins the playoffs at home.

Can the Liberty get on track?

Injuries have stymied New York, which is tied in the standings with the Mystics and Wings (24-16). As The Athletic senior WNBA writer Annie Costabile noted when reporting that forward Satou Sabally (concussion) will be out for the remainder of the season, first-year head coach Chris DeMarco has used 14 starting fives.

"Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Sabally, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones," Costabile wrote, "were expected to be the Liberty's starters, yet have started only two games together due to injuries."

Stewart, named MVP at the FIBA World Cup, is peaking at the right time. New York may need more from Ionescu, who is shooting 15.1 percent from deep over her last eight games, to avoid entering the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

A'ja Wilson returns

All the jockeying over playoff positioning might not mean much if Wilson, who missed the World Cup to heal from a lingering back issue, emerges from the break in top form. The likely soon-to-be five-time MVP is averaging 26 points and 9.4 rebounds per game this season. 

As the WNBA's single-most dominant force, she gives Las Vegas an excellent chance of winning a fourth WNBA championship in five seasons. The next week could lay the groundwork for the Aces' next title run.