The WNBA resumes, as does the dominant Brianna Stewart and the Liberty.

The top-ranked New York Liberty picked up where they left off before the Olympic break, dominating the Los Angeles Sparks 103-68 as the WNBA returned to action on Thursday. The Washington Mystics made a welcome return in terms of players — if not wins — and the Phoenix Mercury’s three Olympic players were among the gold medalists in Paris who looked fit and ready to go.

The league is back in action with the playoffs in focus. With just over a month left in the regular season, teams know that every game from here on out counts. The Liberty, who are looking to win their first WNBA title, have their sights set on the top seed as the goal.

For the third-place Minnesota Lynx, who won the Commissioner’s Cup final in June, facing a near-full-strength Mystics team was a good test to start the rest of their schedule. Their 79-68 win was the closest of the night, and Olympic gold medalist Napheesa Collier started things off with her 13th double-double of the season.

The sixth-ranked Mercury, who had been .500 for most of the first half of the season, beat Chicago 85-65 on Thursday to improve to 14-12 and have a chance to catch up with the top five teams in the WNBA. Sky Angel Reyes (11 points, 15 rebounds) had her 18th career double-double, closing in on the all-time record set by Tina Charles in 2010 when she scored 22 points.

Five more teams, including the Indiana Fever with rookie star Caitlin Clark, will return to action on Friday, while the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces return Saturday when they host last season’s WNBA Finals rival New York. Here’s a look at what stood out about the WNBA’s return to action.

How did the Olympians play?

Philip: The Olympians showed no signs of jet lag. All of the U.S. women’s national team players who played Thursday scored in double figures, including the night’s stars — Kahlei Cooper (29 points), Brittney Griner (23) and Brianna Stewart (27) — helping their WNBA teams to wins in their first games back. New York’s starters didn’t need to play big minutes as the team led by as many as 40 points, while each of Phoenix’s five starters played at least 30 minutes.

Whether fatigue sets in during the second half of the game remains to be seen, but the way the Liberty and Mercury played on Thursday, they could make a statement about what lies ahead in the coming weeks and months. The Mercury in particular are a team to watch – if they finally get all their players healthy at the same time, can they make a late run?

Fobel: Griner made 10 of 12 attempts, with nine rebounds, six assists and five blocks — one of her most complete games of the season. Injuries have limited her to just 15 of the Mercury’s first 25 games. But if Griner, Cooper and Diana Taurasi (11 points, four assists) lead the way, the Phoenix could be dangerous.

“After this (Olympic) break, there are a lot of teams and a lot of people who are hungry,” Greiner said. “I know we’re ready to do this job. The sky’s the limit for this team. I think we’re going to do really well.”

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Angel Reyes scores double-digits for 18th time this season

Angel Reyes finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds in the Sky’s loss to the Mercury.

Which bands look rusty?

Philip: Chicago left a lot to be desired, though that probably had more to do with personnel changes: This was their first game since Marina Mabry moved to Connecticut, while Chennedy Carter was ruled out earlier Thursday with a non-Covid illness. The lack of floor space without Mabry on the court, combined with Carter’s lack of power and creativity, has been a real problem for the Sky: Their 65 points are their second-fewest of the season.

It will take some time for the Mabry deal’s two returnees — Rachel Banham (7 points, 26 minutes) and Moriah Jefferson (2 points, 12 minutes) — to adjust, but even if Carter returns soon, Chicago will need them to help energize the offense and find ways to open things up in the zone as they look to secure a playoff spot in the first year under Teresa Witherspoon.

Will a team like Washington impact the playoff picture?

Fobel: Maybe so, though the Mystics themselves — who are in last place with 6 wins and 20 losses — won’t be able to win, but they could be a spoiler. The Mystics have been ravaged by injuries in the first half of the season, but center Shakira Austin (9 points, 10 rebounds) returned to action Thursday for the first time since May 31, and defenseman Brittney Sykes (11 points, 4 rebounds) returned for the first time since June 11.

While Washington could realistically look to the 2025 draft and the season, seeing the team get closer to where it was hoping to finish this season could be a boost. The Mystics should be playing without much pressure.

What’s to watch as more teams resume?

Philip: Speaking of Mabry, we’ll get our first look at how she’ll fit into the Suns’ offense on Friday when they face another of her former teams, the Dallas Wings. Will her three-point shooting power the Suns’ offense as they hoped when they traded her? This will also be Satou Sabally’s first game with the Wings this season after being sidelined with a shoulder injury, but if she can play like she did at the Olympics with Germany, she could help Dallas make some noise in the second half.

Fobel: It will be interesting to see the Liberty take on the Aces again. New York managed to beat the Sparks on Thursday, even without Petnija’s Lani Hamilton, who is still recovering from knee surgery, and the Liberty really want to send a message that they are the best in the league.

The Liberty’s first meeting of the season was on June 15 in Las Vegas, with the Liberty winning 90-82, prompting Aces star Aja Wilson to cry after the game as she promised to help her teammates play better. The Aces fell to 6-6 with the loss; they have since gone 10-2. This will be the second of three regular-season games between New York and Las Vegas. The final game will be in Brooklyn on Sept. 8.