It’s time to start painting a playoff picture with 10 of the league’s 12 teams realistically jockeying for seeds, byes and playoff spots. As we head into the home stretch of the 2021 regular season, and prepare to celebrate and honor the league’s history, let’s take stock.

Connecticut in the driver’s seat. After a disappointing loss to Seattle in the Commissioner’s Cup right after the Olympic break, the Sun got themselves right in a hurry and slid right into prime position for the playoff’s coveted No. 1 seed and a double-bye in the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons. Connecticut has won seven in a row and nine of its last 10 games in a truly impressive stretch that has included two victories over Minnesota, one over Las Vegas and another of a rejuvenated Los Angeles Sparks team. The remaining seven games include a four-game road trip to Washington, Dallas, L.A. and Phoenix as Jonquel Jones makes her run at the MVP Award with 13 double-doubles, leading the league in rebounding and fourth in the league in scoring.

Phoenix flips the switch. Five straight wins for the Mercury, a season-high, fits a pattern for Phoenix in the past few years. Sputter to start the season, find a groove down the stretch and become the team no one wants to face in the postseason. Phoenix (14-10) is one-game behind Minnesota for the No. 4 playoff spot and a first-round bye. Diana Taurasi is healthy. Skylar Diggins-Smith is playing her best basketball of the season – averaging 18.0 points a game during the five-game win streak and are 9-3 since a four-game losing streak in mid-June. While an ankle injury to Brittney Griner in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s win over New York looks like a setback, Griner has time to get healed and playoff ready. She left the game with 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists and the Mercury put up a season-high 106 points. Phoenix has a closing stretch that will include games against Connecticut, Seattle and Las Vegas. No better way to figure out where you stand heading into the playoffs.

Fowles to the finish. Minnesota got itself into a top 4 playoff position by a rally before the Olympic break and eight wins in 10 games – the two losses coming in back-to-back matchups against the red-hot Connecticut Sun. The Lynx’s chances to make a long playoff run lie with Sylvia Fowles, the now-four-time Olympic gold medalist who entered rarified air in Monday night’s huge statement win over Seattle, which ended an 11-game losing streak to the Storm. Fowles became the first player in league history to post a game with 29 points, 20 rebounds, four steals and three blocks in a game in which she also committed no fouls and no turnovers. It was another extraordinary performance from Minnesota’s centerpiece player, and they will need more where that came from. The Lynx are holding off Phoenix for the No 4 spot with a 15-9 record and have a chance to keep that lead with five of six games in Minneapolis, a place where the Lynx have been pretty comfortable through the years.

Double-bye battle to the finish. With the Sun assuming first-place in the standings, there are two more teams who have clinched their postseason spot – the Storm and the Aces, and are currently in a race to finish No. 2 and earn the second double-bye into the semifinals. The Aces are currently a half-game up in the chase for second place with a win on Thursday over the Dream that also came with the most welcome sight as veteran wing Angel McCoughtry took the court for the first time all season with seconds left on the clock. Vegas’ lineup has gelled around with Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum on the perimeter, with A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage inside, giving the Aces every reason to believe they will also be trophy-hunting. Seattle, meanwhile, has lost three games in its last five on their longest road trip of the season. The Storm will play at home for the first time since July 11 when they host Chicago on Friday to start a four-game homestand that could define their playoff position in the home stretch of the regular-season schedule.

The view from below. Just three games in the standings separate the five teams battling for the league’s final two playoff spots, which would currently be occupied by the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings and New York Liberty, the latter two of the league’s youngest teams looking for postseason cred, while veteran teams Los Angeles and Washington look to scramble into a strong finish. Chicago wants to go into the playoffs in good health and getting Candace Parker back on the floor after a troubling ankle injury was a big step in that direction. Dallas has struggled to win at home (with five home games in their final 7), and the Liberty have lost three in a row and need to get back on track. Los Angeles, behind the play of Nneka Ogwumike, won four in a row before losing two straight on the road and have some work to do to earn a playoff spot with two games still to go against the Sun and one game against the Storm. Washington has staggered through an injury-plagued season and was excited to have Elena Delle Donne back on the floor, but her early exit on Thursday for “precautionary” reason, along with an injury to star Tina Charles (who will miss the next 4-5 games with a glute strain) has to have the Mystics concerned about their ability to make a postseason push.