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The second night of the resumption of WNBA action offers up a three-game slate beginning with the Seattle Storm (17-8) visiting the Atlanta Dream (7-17) and the Phoenix Mercury (14-12) facing the Indiana Fever (11-15) at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Dallas Wings (6-19) hosting the Connecticut Sun (18-6) at 9:30 p.m. ET. All games are on ION.

Already, the impact of the compressed schedule is evident as the Mercury—a team with three Olympians, including gold medal game hero Kahleah Copper—will be on the second night of a back-to-back. On Thursday, Phoenix appeared roaring and ready for the season’s final push, smoking the Chicago Sky by 20 points, 85-65, in Copper’s first game back in the Windy City. Copper was on fire, scoring 29 points on 12-for-19 shooting, while Brittney Griner was a force, with 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five blocks. It was the kind of performance that reminded that Phoenix is more dangerous than their rather middling record.

Now, they’ll met a Fever team that spent much of the Olympic hiatus preparing for a charge up the standings. Before the extended pause, the Fever were beginning to round into the team they were expected to be, going 5-5 over their last 10 games. In that span, they had the league’s fifth-best offense and eighth-best defense, and a net rating of -0.6. That’s good enough to maintain their spot at edge of the playoff picture. However, to solidify a spot in the postseason, Indiana must demonstrate the two-way consistency that has eluded them in Caitlin Clark’s debut season. Taking advantage of a Phoenix team in a bad schedule spot is a must.

Will Atlanta’s nightmare continue against Seattle?

While the Fever hope not to have lost the measure of momentum they had generated before the break, the Dream have to discover some positive momentum—pronto! Atlanta skidded into the Olympic break on a nine-game losing streak, bogged down by injuries and incoherence. The Dream need All-Star Weekend Allisha Gray and a renewed Rhyne Howard, buoyed by 3×3 bronze medal, to provide direction for a too-often aimless offense. The return of Jordin Canada, whose status remains uncertain due to a finger injury, also would be massive. Over their nine-game losing streak, Atlanta scored an anemic 74 points per game.

The Storm, however, is not the team you want to see across the way when offense is an issue. For the season, Seattle has the league’s third-best defense, and just before the break, they had really found their defensive form, registering a 92.2 defensive rating over their last 10 games. While Jewell Loyd (USA), Ezi Magebegor (Australia), Sami Whitcomb (Australia) and head coach Noelle Quinn (Canada) all spent time in Paris, Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith remained stateside, surely preparing to lead the Storm down the stretch.

Will the Wings take flight over the Sun?

As with the Dream, it’s now or never for the Wings. Even more than Atlanta, Dallas can blame injuries for their season-long shortcomings. The Wings, in contrast to the Dream, appear better equipped to shake off their malaise and a rush up the standings. That’s in large part due to Satou Sabally, who, after missing all of the WNBA season with a shoulder injury, starred for Germany in Paris and is likely to make her season debut on Friday night. The forthcoming return of Maddy Siegrist will also benefit the Wings, although, to make room for Sabally and Siegrist on the roster, the Wings had to part ways with Odyssey Sims and Monique Billings, both of whom gave the team good minutes during stretches of this injury-ravaged season.

The Sun seem well suited to maintain their place near the top of the standings. Playing for Team USA probably felt like a vacation for Alyssa Thomas, who is accustomed to logging 40-minute efforts for Connecticut. The biggest challenge for the Sun will be integrating Marina Mabrey, who was traded to the Sun before the Olympic break but has yet to debut for her new team. Considering she’ll see familiar faces on the other side, as she played for the Wings (alongside college roommate Ogunbowale) before joining the Chicago Sky, expect Mabrey to be ready to put on a shotmaking show for her newest team.

Game information

Seattle Storm (17-8) vs. Atlanta Dream (7-17)

When: Friday, Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gateway Center @ College Park in Atlanta, GA

How to watch: ION

Storm injury report: none

Dream injury report: Jordin Canada (questionable; finger)

Phoenix Mercury (14-12) vs. Indiana Fever (11-15)

When: Friday, Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

How to watch: ION

Mercury injury report: Rebecca Allen (out; right hamstring), Charisma Osborne (out; lower left leg)

Fever injury report: none

Connecticut Sun (18-6) vs. Dallas Wings (6-19)

When: Friday, Aug. 16 at 9:30 p.m. ET

Where: College Park Center in Arlington, TX

How to watch: ION

Sun injury report: Olivia Nelson-Ododa (questionable; right foot), DiJonai Carrington (not with team; personal), Tiffany Mitchell (not with team; illness)

Wings injury report: Satou Sabally (probable; shoulder), Jaelyn Brown (probable; illness), Maddy Siegrist (doubtful; finger)