Circle August 15 on the calendar. It’s the first day the WNBA regular season returns – following the Commissioner’s Cup title game on Amazon Prime Video on August 12, that is. After the five-week Olympic break, there’s six games and a lot of compelling storylines.

We are close to the end of the break. Olympians are hooping and the rest of the league have come back from its vacations to begin workouts and preparations for what is going to be a sprint to the finish with anywhere from 11 to 13 games remaining in the regular season.

The standings are stacked at the top with Seattle, Las Vegas, Connecticut, and suddenly Minnesota – the only teams currently with winning records. And the middle is a scramble, with just a game separating the No. 5 Chicago Sky from the No. 9 Dallas Wings.

Let’s take a refresher course on where the WNBA teams stand with a little over two weeks to go before their return to the floor.

Atlanta. A lot has been happening in Atlanta over the break. Interim head coach Mike Petersen stepped down for reported health reasons, leaving another interim head coach Darius Taylor at the helm, likely for the remainder of the year. Heading into the break, the Dream were dealing with the drama surrounding Chennedy Carter and her indefinite suspension. Now Atlanta has signed seven-time All-Star Candice Dupree to a contract, which would seem to be a move to bring a veteran stabilizer into the fold, not to mention the fact that Dupree should be in a position to give the Dream, who will return looking to halt a four-game losing streak, some good minutes at both ends of the floor.

Chicago. The Sky will come off of the break looking to recapture the momentum they gained in June and early July when they reeled off seven wins in their last 10 games and climbed back to the top of the WNBA standings, within striking distance of the coveted top 4 seed. Most of this team is taking advantage of much-earned rest, with WNBA 3-point champion Allie Quigley taking it easy with her trophy at her side. Candace Parker’s influence on this team has been unquestioned – they are 9-3 with her and 9-5 with Quigley in the lineup this season after both were hurt to start the season. And Stefanie Dolson will be coming back with a gold medal as part of the U.S.’s 3×3 team. But the Sky will be tested during the final set of games with three matchups against Seattle and three against Las Vegas. How Chicago fares against the top two teams in the league – particularly on the defensive end – will determine a lot about their championship chances.

Connecticut. The Sun have carved out a space as a title contender that didn’t seem obvious when the season started without 2x All-Star Alyssa Thomas on the floor and the reintroduction of Jonquel Jones into the lineup after a year away. But the Sun adjusted just fine. More than fine, really. They are 14-6 and positioning themselves for a top-two seed. Jones has turned into a world-class post talent (21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds a game), and Brionna Jones has become an All-Star (15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds a game). The biggest question about the Sun down the stretch will be whether they can keep up offensively with Seattle and Vegas.

Dallas. This young, talented Wings team couldn’t have enjoyed the taste of heading into the break on a 3-game losing streak. And the 2021 All-Star game MVP, Arike Ogunbowale, will likely be primed to do something about it. Consistency has been Dallas’ biggest issue. The Wings had won three of four games and looked to be building some good momentum before the run of three straight losses that included a pair of single-digit defeats to New York and Minnesota before a decisive loss at home against Las Vegas. Allisha Gray’s inspired play for Team USA in the 3×3 competition will hopefully carry over as the Wings have only three games remaining against the league’s top 3 teams (Connecticut and Vegas) and an opportunity to break away from the teams in the lower half of the standings in time for the postseason.

Indiana. The Fever went into the break with three straight wins – the franchise’s first three-game winning streak since the 2016 season – and probably wished they would have kept playing, considering that they finally seem to be figuring out what works for them. What works is offensive balance. In Indiana’s last win before the break against Atlanta, all five scorers were in double figures, and Teaira McCowan finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Indiana is going to need more of where that came from in a stretch run that includes three games against Phoenix, three games against a hot Minnesota team, and one game against both Las Vegas and Chicago, who are in prime playoff position.

Las Vegas. The Aces will have five of their players – A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young for the U.S. and JiSu Park (South Korea), coming off of the Olympics (Jackie Young has won gold with U.S. 3×3) and back into the heat of the race to finish with the No. 1 seed. With 11 games to go before the playoffs, the Aces need to return to the form that led them to a five-game winning streak in June before two losses in their final three games before the break. Las Vegas is healthy, experienced, and hungry for the franchise’s first WNBA title, and with this team, they feel like they have all the pieces.

Los Angeles. Six straight losses have the Sparks near the bottom of the standings, but the cavalry may be arriving just in time in the form of sisters Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, as well as veteran guard Kristi Toliver and post Maria Vadeeva. The addition of power forward Lauren Cox before the Olympic break has made L.A. a deeper team and the Sparks are going to need it to fight their way into the playoffs where they have not failed to qualify since the 2011 season. L.A. has 13 games to make up a lot of ground and will have three games against Connecticut, one against Minnesota, and one against the Seattle Storm down the stretch.

Minnesota. Nobody would have blamed the Lynx if they wanted to just keep on playing, since they headed into the break with seven straight wins, eight wins in 10 games, and the kind of consistency that bodes well for a postseason run. Kayla McBride’s offensive outburst – she is averaging 18.8 points a game over the last five games – and the steady backcourt leadership of mid-season addition Layshia Clarendon has stabilized the Lynx.

New York. Coming off a pair of losses heading into the break, the Liberty are still sitting in the thick of the race for the playoffs. But the early days following the break are going to test New York as they take on Minnesota and the two home games against first-place Seattle. The Liberty will need more of what they have been getting from shooting guard Sami Whitcomb, who is entering the Most Improved Player race by virtue of her 3-point shooting prowess (26 3-pointers in the last nine games). Meanwhile, Michaela Onyenwere, who scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, looks like a lock for Rookie of the Year.

Phoenix. If Diana Taurasi is well and healed after her run in Tokyo, the Mercury will have a chance to do what it seems they do best, rally big in the second half of the WNBA season, and become a dangerous postseason threat. Phoenix has won just three home games so far this season, a painful reality for a team that relies so heavily on its X-Factor. The Mercury, who have 13 games remaining on the schedule, suited up just seven players in their last game before the break after Sophie Cunningham went into the concussion protocol, and they definitely need to get deeper and healthier down the stretch.

Seattle. The Storm have the best record in the league, know the Aces are breathing down their necks for the No. 1 seed and will return from the break to a five-game road trip. With five players on Olympic rosters (Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Jewell Loyd with the U.S. and Ezi Magbegor and Stephanie Talbot playing for Australia), Seattle will be hoping that everyone comes back refreshed for the stretch run. Just in case, Seattle re-signed Kiana Williams on a 7-day contract to bring them some additional backcourt help. Despite the long road trip, the Storm actually have a favorable stretch schedule, with only three games among its final 11 against teams with a winning record.

Washington. Sitting currently in the final playoff position, the Mystics are hoping for a strong stretch run, particularly if they can get Elena Delle Donne and Emma Meesseman back on the floor. Delle Donne hasn’t played since the Mystics won the championship in 2019 thanks to a pair of back surgeries and her versatility and consistent scoring has been missed for a Washington team relying so heavily on Tina Charles and Ariel Atkins at this point. Expect Delle Donne to be brought along slowly if she is ready. Having her healthy enough for a postseason push is going to be the goal with 12 regular-season games to go.

Longtime WNBA reporter Michelle Smith writes a weekly column on WNBA.com throughout the season. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its clubs.