WNBA Wraparound: Team USA wins Gold, the playoff race begins, and players readjust to in-season life

Here's everything you need to know from the WNBA post-Olympics, in this week's WNBA Wraparound.

3 highlights from the Olympics

Team USA wins eighth straight gold in epic one-point game: In one of the best gold medal games in history, Team USA was able to come out victorious over France. It all came down to a couple of clutch free throws from Kahleah Copper of the Phoenix Mercury. By making both shots, Copper ensured that USA was ahead, even when Gabby Williams made a buzzer-beating long 2-pointer at the end of the clock. Team USA won 67-66, taking home their 10th gold in women's basketball, but the eighth in a row. Diana Taurasi also made history as the first basketball player to win six Olympic gold medals. Team USA has now won 61 consecutive games at the Olympics, a streak that has lasted over three decades.

Lauren Jackson and Team Australia return to the podium: The three-time WNBA MVP made her return to the Olympics for the first time since 2012 with Team Australia. At 43, she won her fifth Olympic medal as the Opals took the bronze by beating Belgium, adding to her collection of three silvers and another bronze. Australia had not been to the podium in women's basketball since 2012, the last time Jackson was able to participate. The two-time WNBA Champion with the Seattle Storm played in the league from 2001 to 2012, but still plays in Australia's WNBL today with the Albury Wodonga Bandits.

WNBA's stars impress on the world stage: Team USA was not the only country with WNBA talent, as players impressed the world up and down the tournament. The French silver medalists were led by Gabby Williams, who most recently played for Seattle, and Marine Johannes of the New York Liberty. Joining Jackson on the bronze-winning Opals were Storm favorites Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, along with Alana Smith of the Minnesota Lynx.

The Lynx also had Bridget Carleton of Canada playing, and she scored 19 points against Australia in group play. Julie Vanloo of the Washington Mystics was part of the fourth-place Belgian team, and her teammate Aaliyah Edwards played in her second Olympics for Canada.

The amount of talent across the board from the WNBA just proves the way the game is growing worldwide, and how great it is that all these countries are producing WNBA-caliber talent. It's made the playing field a lot more even, as Team USA experienced in a few close games. With women's basketball growing so quickly, it's hard to imagine what the international landscape will look like in another four years.

2 WNBA games to tune into this week

Phoenix Mercury @ Indiana Fever: Friday, August 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Now that we are in the second half of the WNBA season, it's a race to the playoffs. Seeding is integral to the success of some of these teams, and with the margins as close as they are, every game matters. Phoenix and Indiana are close in the standings going back into the season. The Mercury sit in sixth place with a record of 13-12, while the Fever are in seventh with a record of 11-15. The Fever will be extremely eager to bridge that gap. Plus, Phoenix had three players in Paris (Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, and Brittney Griner) while Indiana only had one (Kristy Wallace). It will definitely be a great battle with seeding implications.

New York Liberty at Las Vegas Aces: Saturday, August 17, 4 p.m. ET

One of the WNBA's best rivalries, Liberty vs Aces games is basically mandatory viewing. It's hard to predict how each matchup will go since these teams are so even in star power; plus, seeding implications will be in play again. The New York Liberty currently sit alone at the top of the standings at 21-4. The Las Vegas Aces are back in fifth place at 16-8, 4.5 games behind the Liberty.

Yet, the Aces had four players on Team USA's roster, and the Liberty had two on Team USA and two on Team Germany. Lack of rest will be a factor in this game, but the Aces are in a must-win position if they want to climb the rankings. Still, both these teams have great bench depth, so even if their coaches need to reach further down the line to account for resting players, it will still be a great game.

1 WNBA storyline to monitor this week: To rest or not to rest, which will benefit players more?

With the WNBA's regular season resuming this week, players who participated in the Olympics did not get to enjoy a break. Especially if they played in medal games over the weekend. The rest of the WNBA's players had time to take a vacation, get some rest in, as well as practice as a team with no games or travel.

The Olympians on the other hand, will all be returning to their team this week. They either played in the Olympics and then took a short break, or went straight from the tournament, back to in-season life. It will be interesting to see who this benefits; if the rested players will be rusty from lack of court time, giving the Olympians an advantage, or vice versa. While playing competitive basketball for the past few weeks is an advantage, the lack of rest may get to some players now. They could also be experiencing jet lag, which would be even worse for players on the West Coast.

It will be interesting to see how coaches manage these players' rest this week, and how this will impact the results of games. You want to give players the rest they need, but it's also crunch time and every game matters. As the postseason creeps forward, it's already clear there will be many battles for positioning as the season ends. Some players may get to rest, and some may not have the opportunity as their teams try to get into or stay in a playoff position.