The season pauses after today: a four-game Sunday closes the final slate before the FIBA World Cup break, with the league dark until September 17. The playoff field is locked, so it's all seeding — Golden State (28-11) sits three back of Minnesota (31-8) for the No. 1 overall seed with five to play, Atlanta (25-14) is half a game behind Indiana for fourth, and Dallas (23-16) is chasing New York and Washington (both 24-16) from eighth. Lynx at Dream tips at 3:00, Sparks at Storm follows at 5:00, Valkyries at Fire at 7:00, and Sun at Wings closes the night at 8:30.

Minnesota Lynx @ Atlanta Dream | 3:00 PM ET | NBA TV

Minnesota hasn't played since Monday's 80-66 home loss to Golden State — a rare wire-to-wire beating of the league's best team — so the Lynx arrive with five days of rest, a three-game seeding cushion to protect, and something to prove. Olivia Miles leads them at 19.7 points and 6.1 assists per game, eighth in the league in scoring.

Atlanta's week went sideways: after Monday's win in Los Angeles, the Dream gave up 101 points to Portland at home in Friday's 101-83 stunner, their worst defensive night of the season at the worst time. Allisha Gray (19.2 points per game, ninth in the WNBA) and a Dream team still just half a game out of fourth get one shot at a statement before the break, with DeWanna Bonner now in the fold.

The line sits at Minnesota -2.5, with the total at 177.5. A short number for the league's best team says the books respect Atlanta's home floor, but the Lynx are rested and the Dream just leaked 101. Lean Minnesota -2.5, and lean the under.

Minnesota wins if the layoff sharpens rather than rusts, and Miles picks apart a Dream defense that lost its shape on Friday.

Atlanta wins if the frontcourt turns this into a rebounding fight, Gray gets downhill, and the home crowd feeds a bounce-back effort.

Los Angeles Sparks @ Seattle Storm | 5:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

The Sparks come in with their best win in weeks, an 88-82 takedown of playoff-bound Washington on Friday night in Los Angeles. At 14-25, there's nothing left to play for but pride and momentum into next season — and lately there's been a little of both.

Seattle is 8-31, last in the league, but took care of Toronto 90-78 at home on Wednesday for one of its better offensive nights of the year. This is the classic late-August coin flip: two eliminated teams, a near pick'em line, and a home team that's been more competitive at Climate Pledge than its record suggests.

The line sits at Seattle -1.5, with the total at 172.5. When a 8-31 team is favored, the market is really just pricing home court — and the Sparks are the side arriving with actual momentum. Lean Los Angeles +1.5, and lean the under.

Los Angeles wins if the energy from Friday's upset carries north and the Sparks' frontcourt handles the glass the way it did against Washington.

Seattle wins if the home floor and an extra day of rest matter in a game of thin margins, and the Storm's young rotation strings together four honest quarters.

Golden State Valkyries @ Portland Fire | 7:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Nobody is playing better basketball than the Valkyries, who just swept a three-city road trip by double digits at every stop, including a 80-66 statement win over the Lynx at Target Center. At 28-11 and three back of Minnesota with five to play, Golden State needs to keep winning and get help — which makes the 3:00 result in Atlanta required viewing before this one tips.

Portland is the league's designated party-crasher right now: the Fire hung 101 on the Dream in Atlanta on Friday and are 5-5 across their last 10 despite being out of the race. Home at Moda Center in the finale before the break, they've shown they can score on anyone — but they haven't seen a defense like this one lately.

The line sits at Golden State -5.5, with the total at 158.5 — the lowest number on the board, and the market's nod to what the Valkyries have done to offenses all week. Lean Golden State -5.5, and lean the under.

Portland wins if Friday's shot-making travels home with them and the Fire's guards solve a defense that just held three straight opponents in the 60s.

Golden State wins if the trip-long defensive identity holds for one more night and the seed chase keeps the intensity from dipping against a spoiler.

Connecticut Sun @ Dallas Wings | 8:30 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Dallas hasn't played since Tuesday's 96-78 handling of Portland, so the Wings bring four days of rest and real stakes: at 23-16 and eighth, they're half a game behind New York and Washington with everything about their first-round path still to be decided. Paige Bueckers runs the show for a team still playing without No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd, who is out for the season after knee surgery.

Connecticut closes its road schedule before the break at 10-29, two nights removed from surrendering 111 in Indianapolis — though the Sun did beat Chicago 87-81 earlier in the week, so the effort hasn't gone anywhere even if the defense has. This is the fourth quarter of a lost season against a rested contender.

The line sits at Dallas -13.5, with the total at 166.5. Big spreads have burned this column before, but a rested seeding-chaser at home against a defense that just gave up 111 is the right kind of big favorite. Lean Dallas -13.5, and lean the over.

Connecticut wins if the young core plays loose with nothing to lose, and Dallas comes out flat with the break — and a long layoff — one game away.

Dallas wins if Bueckers and the offense that hung 96 on Portland feast early, and the margin grows while the Sun's defense keeps bleeding.

The seeding race frames the whole day: if Minnesota slips in Atlanta at 3:00 and Golden State takes care of Portland at 7:00, the Valkyries head into the break just two back with the head-to-head edge fresh in everyone's memory. Dallas gets its shot at the 7-8 logjam in the nightcap. Then the lights go out — no WNBA basketball until September 17, when the sprint to September 24 decides everything the break leaves unsettled.