Are the Chicago Sky on the verge of a repeat, and five more questions that will determine the WNBA champ

The WNBA season always seems to fly by, but none more than the 2022 campaign, when a record 36 regular-season games are being squeezed into 14 weeks to accommodate the upcoming FIBA World Cup, which runs from Sept. 22 to Oct. 1.

So far this season, five teams — the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics — have separated themselves as championship contenders, while as many as six others are vying for the final three spots in the postseason come August. While the Aces were a red-hot juggernaut to start the season and quickly deemed the team to beat, they have cooled just as the Sky have started to find their rhythm. Both squads are 14-5, but Chicago overtook Las Vegas for first place in the standings Wednesday following the Sky’s win over the Sun and the Aces’ loss to the Storm. Chicago and Las Vegas are set to square off in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game on July 26.

With about six weeks remaining in the regular season, here are six storylines that could dictate what happens the rest of the way, including which team will ultimately take home the 2022 WNBA title in September.

1. Is Chicago finding its stride on the way to repeating as champion?

The Sky might have underperformed in the regular season last year, when they finished with a 16-16 record prior to storming through the postseason and winning the franchise’s first WNBA championship. But Chicago has largely picked up where it left off, and it has been the best team in the league as of late with wins in 10 of its past 12 games. After Wednesday’s decisive win over the Sun, James Wade’s squad improved to 5-3 this season against teams .500 or better, the best mark of all the…