1 storyline to follow in each of Friday's WNBA games

The WNBA playoffs are just around the corner, which means every game is carried with a great deal of importance. Three teams have clinched a spot in the post season already, but with roughly 10 games left in the season, there are still five playoff spots up for grabs.

No team has been eliminated from postseason contention yet and teams currently No. 4-7 in the standings are separated by less than five games. Simply put, fans are in for an exciting finish to the W's 28th season.

Friday night's slate of four games will have major implications for standings, the playoff picture, and individual award races. Here's one storyline to watch in each matchup:

Indiana Fever (15-16) @ Chicago Sky (11-19)

Storyline: Can Caitlin Clark clinch the Rookie of the Year Award tonight?

The Fever and Sky have already faced off in three spirited matchups this season, and the fourth is sure to be must-see TV as well. Indiana won the first two contests but the Sky fought back for a victory in the third, meaning they have a chance to tie up the season series on Friday.

Clark outplayed Angel Reese outright in the first two matchups as her team came away with victories, but Reese responded with an excellent performance in the third faceoff. That June 23rd matchup showcased the two rookies on the biggest stage, with Clark recording 17 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and four steals, while Reese scored 25 points to pair with 16 rebounds.

The two have been neck-and-neck all season in terms of their race for the Rookie of the Year Award, as Clark is leading the entire league in assists, while Reese is tops in the W in rebounds. A dominant performance by Caitlin Clark tonight could tip the scales heavily in her favor, but another strong performance by Reese paired with a win could throw a wrench further into the mix.

Minnesota Lynx (23-8) @ Dallas Wings (8-22)

Storyline: Can the Lynx stay hot and push for first place?

The Minnesota Lynx are the hottest team in the WNBA right now, riding a seven-game win streak into their road matchup with the Dallas Wings. It wasn't long ago that the team was in jeopardy of losing home court advantage in the first round, but they have been flawless since the Olympic break.

Cheryl Reeve has her squad playing impeccable basketball, and they may be peaking at the right time. In their six games since the break, only once has a team come within single digits of them. This stretch is also highlighted by back-to-back double digit wins over the Las Vegas Aces and the red-hot Fever.

While the Liberty still own a 2.5 game lead on the Lynx, they have lost two of their last three games. They have a tough three game stretch coming up where they'll play the Seattle Storm twice and the Aces once, so it is plausible that the Lynx could be catapulted into first in the next week or so.

New York Liberty (26-6) @ Seattle Storm (19-11)

Storyline: Which team can get back on track?

While both of these teams will surely make the playoffs, neither is playing their best basketball right now, which is a bit concerning. As I mentioned, the Liberty have lost two of their last three contests, but the Storm have also dropped three of their last five, and they've only played one playoff team during that stretch.

The Storm escaped at home with a win over the Atlanta Dream in their last game, but they have not been the same team that they were before the break. They did start with a rough stretch of four straight games on the road, but they were not against the W's premier teams.

A narrow win in Los Angeles followed by two road losses to the Dream and Fever is not going to cut it if this team wants to make a serious playoff push. They have a chance to right the ship tonight at home, but it is against the league's top team.

The Liberty came out of the gates hot after the Olympic break, showing no signs of slowing down. But they have hit a curb recently, and they need to get back on track tonight in a tough road environment against the Storm.

After losing to the Connecticut Sun for the first time this season, the Liberty responded with a strong road win against the Mercury, but they fell at the hands of the league's worst team, the Los Angeles Sparks, in their last time out.

This feels like the year that the Liberty can finally win a WNBA championship, but they'll have to perform a lot better down the stretch than they have recently if they want a shot at it.

Atlanta Dream (10-20) @ Las Vegas Aces (18-12)

Storyline: Can the Aces figure out a formula alongside A'ja Wilson?

It still feels weird to be asking this question about the Aces, a team who has won back-to-back championships and is known in the league as a "superteam."

But the Aces have not played like a superteam, or even one of the league's best units, all season, and especially lately. They are 2-5 in their last seven contests, and they desperately tried to choke away a win against the Sky at the beginning of the week.

That negative momentum snowballed, and the team dropped a game in Dallas to one of the W's worst teams. A'ja Wilson has proven game in and game out why she is the league's MVP, but without any help, the team will not maximize its ability.

Inconsistency has been a problem for Las Vegas, as they started the year poorly without star PG Chelsea Gray. Upon her return, however, the team went on a run and moved as high as third in the WNBA standings. But as of late, the Aces dropped to fifth place, and are just three games from being in seventh.

Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young are the two players that have to step up, and they need to do so in different ways. Plum needs to have an attack-first mindset because she is incredible at getting to the rim and it makes her jump shot more effective.

Young needs to look at the rim and be shot ready every time she touches it, because she can fill it up in a hurry using her jumper. Once it starts to fall, she can get to the rim and there really is no stopping her.

The role players like Gray, Megan Gustafson, Alysha Clark, and Tiffany Hayes have all been fantastic and keeping the Aces in games, but the stars have to perform if this team wants a chance to three-peat.