The playoff-bound Chicago Sky should be well-represented in the WNBA awards. Here’s a look at who’s in contention.

The WNBA playoffs begin Wednesday, and the defending champion Chicago Sky — who enter the final two games of the regular season with the best record in the league — have clinched at least the No. 2 seed in the eight-team bracket and can lock up the top seed with a win Thursday against the Aces in Las Vegas.

Starting Monday, the WNBA will unveil its end-of-season awards over the next month, culminating with the MVP on Sept. 7 and the All-WNBA first and second teams Sept. 15. The Sky, who on Sunday set a franchise record with their 25th win, have a few candidates in contention for hardware.

Here’s what to look for during awards season.

Wade has WNBA Executive of the Year wrapped up.

The Sky coach/general manager put together the deepest roster in the league while building toward the future. Wade retained his core of Courtney Vandersloot, Kahleah Copper and Allie Quigley while adding 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meeseman. With little leverage this offseason, he flipped restricted free agents Diamond DeShields and Lexie Brown into Julie Allemand, Li Yueru and the Phoenix Mercury’s 2023 first-round pick. The Mercury struggled without Brittney Griner and dealt with off-court drama all season, making the pick more valuable. That’s enough for Wade to win the award.

Coach of the Year is a more compelling battle. Becky Hammon took over the Aces, who virtually had the same roster as in 2021, and transformed them into the top offense in the league, moving A’ja Wilson to center and playing more freely on the perimeter. It most likely is a toss-up between Wade and Hammon, and Wade could have the edge after leading the Sky to a franchise record in victories.

Prediction: Wade will win both awards after building a first-place team without compromising its future.

If Meesseman ends up winning the award, it would be a shock. When looking closer at the data, it shouldn’t be.

The MVP is a narrative-based award, and all of the MVP talk has been around the Seattle Storm’s Breanna Stewart and Wilson. Because of the Sky’s egalitarian approach on offense, Meesseman’s traditional stats don’t jump out compared with Wilson’s and Stewart’s. But Meesseman quietly put together one of the best seasons. She is fourth in the league in wins above replacement and fifth in win shares. If she weren’t playing on a team that has two other Finals MVPs and one of the best point guards in league history, Meesseman’s usage and numbers would rise.

Meesseman was an invaluable addition — her intelligence in finding holes in the defense and cutting into open space down low is amplified in the Sky’s motion offense. Meesseman is averaging 1.496 points per possession on non-postup shots around the rim, which ranks in the 100th percentile, according to Synergy Sports Tech.

Meesseman likely won’t be named MVP, but her two-way play is one of the main reasons the Sky are looking down at the rest of the pack. She isn’t concerned about the recognition.

“I just want to win a championship,” Meesseman said. “I’ve never cared about individual awards. I just care about winning seasons and titles.”

Prediction: Wilson will win the MVP award because of her elite two-way impact and national reputation.

This category is loaded with candidates worthy of the award, and Parker is among them. Her shot-blocking and pulling down a league-high 7.6 defensive rebounds per game help her case.

The Sky have a 97.5 adjusted defensive rating with her on the court versus a 105.5 rating when she is on the bench. Outside of missing four games, Parker didn’t do anything differently compared with her 2020 season, when she won the award.

[ [Don’t miss] Q&A with Candace Parker on her Title IX documentary, media future and being an icon: ‘If I had come a generation before, my life could look a lot different’ ]

Parker’s defensive contributions are well-known, but all signs point toward Wilson or Stewart winning the award. Wilson is averaging two blocks and 1.4 steals, while Stewart has been one of the anchors of the league’s second-best defense. Parker had more MVP buzz earlier in the season, but the Sky have managed her minutes and the voters are infatuated with traditional stats.

Prediction: Stewart will win after missing out on MVP.

The Sky would not be in first place without the relentless activity Copper and Gardner provided on the wing. With both on the court this season, opponents are shooting just 29.4% from 3-point range. Wade has turned to Gardner to close out games with Copper, and the Sky have a 75.6 defensive rating in the fourth quarter with them on the court together.

One thing that would stop them from earning first- or second-team All-Defensive would be their reputations. Copper is known more for her offense, while Gardner is a 32-year-old rookie.

“First of all, I know they’re not sleeping on Bek, and if you sleep on Bek you’re crazy,” Copper said. “Rebekah for sure should be on an All-Defensive team.

“Speaking about myself, it’s something I wanted last year, too, and it’s not easy. There aren’t a lot of players who can go out there and get you a bucket and defend the best player while playing 30 minutes. I’m still doing that.”

Prediction: While both deserve to be on this list, Gardner will make second-team All-Defensive.

James Kay is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.