A three-peat once seemed relatively straightforward. But a lawsuit, an investigation and subpar play have complicated the Aces' hopes for a third straight title.

Following a 93-90 loss to the lowly Dallas Wings, which capped a post-Olympics skid where they lost three of five games, they went 9-1 to close the season. During that stretch, they were third in offensive rating (107.5), second in defensive rating (94.3) and had a league-best net rating (plus-13.2).