With three days remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture continues to come into focus. Let’s break down what we know heading into Friday’s five-game slate and what’s at stake in each of those games.

What We Know

– Seven of the eight playoff spots are filled with seedings still to be determined (Seattle, Atlanta, Washington, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Minnesota have clinched)

– The eighth and final playoff spot will be claimed by either Dallas or Las Vegas

– Seattle (24-8) is the only team that has clinched a top-two seed and a double-bye to the semifinals

– Atlanta (22-10) and Washington (21-11) have both clinched a top-four seed, ensuring a single-bye to the second round

– Los Angeles (19-13) has clinched a top-six seed, ensuring they will host a playoff game

What Is On The Line Tonight

Minnesota (7th, 17-15) at Connecticut (4th, 19-13), 7 p.m. ET, League Pass

Connecticut controls its own destiny as it aims for a top-four seed and first-round bye. The No. 4 Sun and No. 5 Sparks have matching 19-13 records, but the Sun have already locked up the tiebreaker between the teams even with a final meeting to close the season on Sunday.

While the Sun can’t catch either of the top two seeds, they have an outside shot of passing Washington for the No. 3 spot. Should the Sun win their final two games and the Mystics lose their final two games, the two teams would finish with matching 21-13 records. Since they split their season series, the next tiebreaker would be better win percentage against teams over .500 at season’s end.

If that scenario were to play out, the Sun would finish 9-10 against winning teams, while the Mystics would be 8-11, thus giving the Sun the higher seed. Of course, both the No. 3 and 4 seeds come with a first-round bye, but earning home-court advantage in later rounds would be a bonus should the teams meet down the line.

As for Minnesota, the Lynx sit in the No. 7 seed, which would put them on the road in the single-elimination first round. In order to supplant Phoenix as the No. 6 seed, the Lynx need the Mercury to lose at least one of their final two games (Friday vs. Atlanta, Sunday vs. New York). If the Lynx can make up a game in the standings and match the Mercury, Minnesota would earn the No. 6 seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker. A loss to Connecticut would mean the Mercury would have to lose both games for the Lynx to have a chance at the No. 6 seed on the final day of the season.

On a side note unrelated to the playoff chase, Friday’s game gives Sun fans one final chance to pay tribute to former Sun point guard Lindsay Whalen, who announced her retirement from the WNBA earlier this week. Whalen played her first six WNBA seasons in Connecticut and helped lead them to two Finals appearances. While the competition will be fierce once the ball is tipped, expect a rousing ovation from the Connecticut fans when Whalen is introduced.

Los Angeles (5th, 19-13) at Washington (3rd, 21-11), 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV

The Mystics have already clinched a top-four seed, so they have a first-round bye locked up no matter what happens over their final two games. Their odds of catching Atlanta for the No. 2 seed are small as Washington would have to win out and have the Dream lose out to close the season. Considering both teams are on extended winning streak – six games for Atlanta, seven games for Washington – that seems unlikely.

While Washington is nearly locked into the No. 3 spot, the Sparks are trying to climb into the top four in order to bypass the first round. And they close out the season with two games against the teams directly in front of them in the standings – Washington on Friday and Connecticut on Sunday.

A win over the Mystics would earn the head-to-head tiebreaker and set up a potentially huge game on Sunday in Connecticut should the Sun lose to Minnesota on Friday. Were that to happen, the winner of the season finale between L.A. and Connecticut would earn the top-four seed, while the other would be forced to play in the first round. And if Minnesota were to also knock off Washington on Sunday, the Sparks could climb all the way to No. 3.

Las Vegas Aces (9th, 14-18) at Dallas Wings (8th, 14-18), 8 p.m. ET, League Pass

While the first two games we have discussed have a lot of ‘ifs’ associated with them, the matchup between Las Vegas and Dallas is much more cut and dry.

The Aces and Wings are vying for the eighth and final playoff spot and enter their final meeting of the regular season with matching 14-18 records. The Wings won the first two games of the season series, so they own the head-to-head tiebreaker regardless of the outcome of this game.

If Dallas wins, they clinch the eighth playoff spot and eliminate Las Vegas. Even if Sunday sees the Wings lose in Seattle and the Aces defeat the Dream to close the season, that would give them matching records again and the Wings would earn the spot via tiebreaker.

If Las Vegas wins on Friday, they would be one step closer to clinching a playoff berth after finishing at the bottom of the standings in each of their final three seasons in San Antonio before relocating this past offseason. The Aces cannot clinch until Sunday as they would need either a win of their own (vs. Atlanta) or a loss by the Wings (at Seattle) to clinch the eighth seed.

Atlanta Dream (2nd, 22-10) at Phoenix Mercury (6th, 18-14), 10 p.m. ET, League Pass

If the Dream can pick up a win over the Mercury in Phoenix, they would ensure themselves a top-two seed and a double-bye all the way to the semifinals. They would also keep alive their slim chance to catch Seattle for the No. 1 overall seed.

Since Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Seattle, if the Dream win their final two games (at Phoenix, at Las Vegas) and the Storm lose their final two games (vs. New York, vs. Dallas), the top seed in the playoffs would belong to Atlanta.

Friday’s contest in Phoenix will be the toughest test that Atlanta has faced since losing Angel McCoughtry for the season to a knee injury. The Dream are 3-0 so far in her absence, but those wins have come against a struggling Wings team that has lost nine straight and the 7-25 Liberty. This is their first game against a team over .500 and one that has already secured a playoff berth.

The Mercury currently sit in the No. 6 spot and their hopes for a top-four seed and first-round bye are fairly slim heading into the final weekend of the season. Washington, Connecticut and L.A. all sit ahead of them and are vying for those two coveted spots and Phoenix holds only one tiebreaker among that group (vs. Connecticut).

The key for Phoenix heading into their final two games is to hold off Minnesota and maintain a top-six seed so they are ensured of hosting a playoff game. The Lynx are one game behind the Mercury, but do own the head-to-head tiebreaker should the teams finish with matching records.

In an ironic twist, both the Mercury and Lynx have better road records than home records this year, but there is no doubt that each would prefer to open the postseason at home rather than on the road in a single-elimination game.

Phoenix is a perfect 4-0 in single-elimination playoff games during the first two years of the new playoff format. However, they have been unable to win a game in the best-of-five semifinals.

New York Liberty (11th, 7-25) at Seattle Storm (1st, 24-8), 10 p.m. ET, NBA TV

No game has simpler playoff implications than the nightcap between the Storm and Liberty. A Seattle win clinches the top record in the WNBA and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

In fact, any combination of a Storm win or Dream loss wraps up the No. 1 overall seed for Seattle. The Storm could hope for some help from the Mercury to knock off the Dream, or they can handle their own business by beating the Liberty on Friday to lock up the top seed prior to Sunday’s season finale.