The wait is over. The WNBA returns tonight from its FIBA World Cup break, the first slate back since Team USA beat France 97-79 in Berlin on Sunday for a fifth straight world title. The playoff field is fully locked — Minnesota (31-9), Golden State (29-11), Las Vegas (27-13), Atlanta (26-14), Indiana (26-14), New York (24-16), Washington (24-16), and Dallas (24-16) are all in — but seeding is still wide open, and every team has just four games left to sort it out. Sun at Dream tips at 7:30, Mystics at Sky and Sparks at Wings both start at 8:00, and Mercury at Fire and Aces at Storm close the night at 10:00.

Connecticut Sun @ Atlanta Dream | 7:30 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard come home world champions, the first Dream duo in franchise history to win FIBA gold together, with Reese drawing praise for her perimeter defense in Sunday's final. Atlanta sits tied with Indiana at 26-14 for fourth, half a game behind Las Vegas for the No. 3 seed, with the top-4 mattering plenty for home-court in the first round.

Connecticut is 10-30, dead last in the league, closing out a lost season with nothing but pride to play for. The Sun have been outscored by nearly 10 points a game and haven't beaten a team with a winning record since July.

The line sits at Atlanta -15.5, with the total at 169.5. That's an enormous number to lay for a team that landed from Germany days ago, with its two best players adjusting to a nine-hour time difference and an 18-day layoff. Lean Connecticut +15.5, and lean the under.

Connecticut wins if nothing but pride is on the line for a Dream team still shaking off jet lag, and the Sun's youngsters play loose in a game with zero pressure on them.

Atlanta wins if Reese and Howard look like themselves by tip, and the talent gap against a 10-30 team overwhelms any rust in the legs.

Washington Mystics @ Chicago Sky | 8:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron were the surprise call-ups who replaced A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum on Team USA's roster, and both return from Berlin as world champions in their first World Cup appearance. Washington is tied with New York and Dallas at 24-16 for sixth through eighth, a jumbled logjam that makes every one of these final four games matter for playoff positioning.

Chicago is 15-25 and long eliminated, playing out the string at home with nothing but draft lottery odds and pride on the table.

The line sits at Washington -1.5, with the total at 165.5, the lowest of the night. A near pick'em number already prices in some rust from Iriafen and Citron's trip, and a tight, low-scoring game feels right for two teams whose stars need a game to find their legs. Lean Chicago +1.5, and lean the under.

Chicago wins if the Sky's healthy legs and home floor matter more than talent on a night when Washington's stars are running on fumes.

Washington wins if Iriafen and Citron shake off the travel quickly and the deeper roster wins the possession battle in a close game.

Los Angeles Sparks @ Dallas Wings | 8:00 PM ET | USA Network

Dallas clinched its first playoff berth since 2023 on a four-game winning streak, then watched Paige Bueckers head to Berlin as a gold medalist while coach Jose Fernandez served as a Team USA scout. The Wings are locked into the postseason at 24-16 but still chasing a better draw than the No. 6-8 range they're currently stuck in.

Los Angeles is 15-25 and eliminated, but the Sparks have played spoiler before and arrive with no pressure and full legs after 18 days off with no national-team obligations.

The line sits at Dallas -8.5, with the total at 176.5. Bueckers is the only Wing who made the Berlin trip, a smaller disruption than what Atlanta or Washington are dealing with tonight, but a rhythm-first game against a healthy, rested Sparks team makes the under the safer lean. Lean Dallas -8.5, and lean the under.

Los Angeles wins if full rest and no roster disruption let the Sparks play loose and keep this within the number.

Dallas wins if Bueckers picks up where she left off and the four-game win streak carries over from three weeks ago.

Phoenix Mercury @ Portland Fire | 10:00 PM ET | WNBA League Pass

Neither of these teams was represented at the World Cup, so there's no jet lag angle tonight — just two eliminated clubs auditioning for next season. Phoenix is 14-26 and has been without Kelsey Plum since mid-August; the guard was ruled out for the rest of the season with a lower-leg injury not long after arriving via trade, leaving Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper to carry the offense.

Portland is 16-24 in its inaugural season and has been competitive in stretches down the stretch, including a 101-point outburst against Atlanta in its last outing before the break.

The line sits at Phoenix -2.5, with the total at 172.5. With no rust factor clouding either roster and Portland capable of scoring in bunches, this profiles as a game that goes over the number. Lean Phoenix -2.5, and lean the over.

Portland wins if the offense that hung 101 on a good Atlanta defense two and a half weeks ago shows up again at home.

Phoenix wins if Thomas and Copper control the middle minutes and the Mercury's experience shows up late.

Las Vegas Aces @ Seattle Storm | 10:00 PM ET | USA Network

Wilson skipped the World Cup entirely with a lingering back issue, giving the four-time MVP — averaging a league-leading 26 points per game this season — a rare extended rest before the Aces' push to defend their title. Las Vegas is locked in at the No. 3 seed at 27-13 but still has a shot at climbing if Atlanta or Indiana slip.

Seattle is 8-32, the worst record in the league, and closes its home schedule against the level of competition it has struggled with most: a rested contender with nothing to distract it.

The line sits at Las Vegas -10.5, with the total at 173.5. A rested former MVP candidate against the league's worst team, with no jet lag working against her, is the profile of a game that clears a double-digit number. Lean Las Vegas -10.5, and lean the over.

Seattle wins if the Storm's young core plays with house money and Las Vegas looks sluggish returning from three weeks off.

Las Vegas wins if Wilson looks refreshed rather than rusty and the talent gap against the league's worst team takes over early.

The storyline tying the whole night together is the same one that will follow the league for the next week: how fast do the World Cup players find their legs? Reese, Howard, Iriafen, Citron, and Bueckers all landed from Berlin with a title in hand and only days to prepare, while everyone else got 18 days off. With four games left per team and seeding still unsettled from the No. 3 spot down through No. 8, the answer starts showing up tonight.