As many WNBA players showcased their talents in Paris at the Olympics -- most notably the stars on the gold-medal-winning United States squad -- the league took a breather for the past four weeks. But now that the Olympians have returned stateside, it's time to turn our attention to the stretch run of the 2024 WNBA regular season.
With a little less than six weeks before the playoffs begin, here's a look at the major storylines, teams and players to watch as the remainder of the 40-game season resumes, with help of advanced metrics such as ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) and my own Estimated RAPTOR player ratings, which use each player's box score stats and on-court impact to determine how much they have been worth to their team's net rating while in the game.
Can the Las Vegas Aces win their third consecutive title?
Key stat: The Aces (16-8) rank fifth in the WNBA in net rating this season.
Coming off two straight titles and arguably the greatest season in WNBA history -- even if Cynthia Cooper's Houston Comets might have something to say about that -- the Aces could be excused for pacing themselves in pursuit of a three-peat. They've been lagging in their standard of excellence and those of the league's top contenders.