Things are tightening up at the top of the WNBA standings, and we're starting to get a clearer picture of who's going to end up where and what the brackets are going to look like. Each team in the top four has its own unique path to the title, so let's provide some clarity about what they need to do to get there.
New York Liberty
The Liberty are currently on cruise control, although they lost their composure in a big way in a recent loss to the Sun at home, coughing up the ball 18 times on turnovers on the way to a surprising loss.
They course-corrected quickly against Phoenix, though, and with just eight games left, New York has virtually clinched the top record for the regular season.
The only question left is whether the Liberty decide to go for the Aces single-season wins record of 34, which Las Vegas set last year, but the top priority is likely to go into the playoffs rested and ready. They'll be a formidable opponent for which ever team they draw in the first round.
Connecticut Sun
The Sun are in an interesting position as the WNBA season heads down the stretch. They posted an impressive road win against the Liberty last weekend, then stumbled in Indiana, losing an 84-80 game that drew a lot of national eyeballs.
Connecticut still has some things to figure out going into the playoffs. We know DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Bri Jones can provide offensive production, but there are times when the offense just isn't quite there, which was the case against Indiana.
Marina Mabry has been a spark plug of late, and she may be the key to the Sun's success in the playoffs. Connecticut still doesn't score enough from beyond the arc, and they'll need to add that to their arsenal, especially when they go against the other top four teams.
Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx are the surprise entry in the top-four picture. They were picked to finish ninth in most preseason polls, but coach Cheryl Reeve has done a superb job of getting the most out of her talent.
That's especially true of Napheesa Collier, who has emerged as a possible MVP candidate were it not for the amazing season A'ja Wilson is having. She's a 20/10 player on a nightly basis, and Collier also fills the box score by chipping in with steals and blocks as well.
Collier aside, though, the Lynx are very reliant on 3-point sharpshooting, which might be a problem in the postseason. They have four rotation players shooting over 40 percent from the field--Alanna Smith, Kayla McBride, Bridget Carleton and Cecilia Zandalasini, to be specific--but the 3-point line is going to be highly-disputed territory in the playoffs, which would put a much heavier scoring load on Collier.
Seattle Storm
Compared to the Lynx, the Storm have the opposite problem from beyond the arc. Their shooting percentage from long range is under 30 percent, which probably isn't going to cut it in the playoffs.
The initial answer to this problem is relatively simple--Jewell Lloyd needs to step up here game. She's taking the majority of long-range shots for the Storm, and she simply has to be better than just over 27 percent going down the stretch.
The Storm also aren't particularly good at taking care of the ball, averaging 13 turnovers a game. That isn't going to cut it in the playoffs either, especially since they don't have the long range firepower make up for that kind of turnover rate.
Special mention: Las Vegas Aces drop to the lower half of the WNBA standings
If you read the first part of our Playoff Path series, you might be wondering why we didn't cover Las Vegas. There's good reason for this--the Aces are currently warding off a stiff challenge from the Indiana Fever. Their stars are worn down from playing heavy minutes, including some in the Olympics, and they've involved in a new battle to hold off Indiana.