The 2022 WNBA campaign ended nine days ago, but that doesn't mean women's professional basketball has stopped.

A bunch of players and coaches have continued on to perform and coach in the FIBA World Cup in Sydney. Once another champion is crowned in Australia, though, coaches and general managers will have the ability to fully take a deep breath, examine and reflect upon the league's 26th season.

While some front offices will look to fill coaching vacancies, others will prepare their best pitches to the most valuable free agents. And, of course, the scouting of college and international prospects will continue.

Let's look at which goals should be of utmost importance for each team.

Las Vegas Aces: Versatile Forward or Wing

The defending champion Las Vegas Aces will begin a quest to do what no WNBA franchise has done since 2002: Run it all the way back for back-to-back titles.

The Chicago Sky tried their best this past season, but could the Aces be in an even better position? Las Vegas has nine of its 12 players from 2022 signed for 2023, including its core of MVP and DPOY A'ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray, MIP Jackie Young, Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum.

Credit is due to Aces general manager Natalie Williams, who re-signed Gray, Hamby and Plum in the middle of the 2022 season to contract extensions through 2024.

"We're gonna celebrate this one, but the goal is to be a dynasty," Plum said.

Becoming a dynasty doesn't necessarily mean earning back-to-back championships, as the Minnesota Lynx amassed four championships from 2011-17 without winning in back-to-back seasons. But the energy oozing out of the Aces in the locker room after the title-clinching victory and during their championship parade says they intend to be back in the Finals.

While the Aces' shot-creation trio of Gray, Young and Plum in addition to Wilson was close to unguardable in the postseason, expect others teams to figure out counters. With around $138,804 of salary-cap space left for 2023, the Aces should be on the lookout for a versatile forward or wing who isn't as limited as Kiah Stokes.

While Stokes impacted the Aces positively on the defensive end in both the regular and postseason, per PBP Stats, defenses would often help off her, and she'd struggle to capitalize.

Also, Hamby struggled toward the end of the regular season and was out with a knee injury for the majority of the postseason. During the Aces' championship parade, the two-time Sixth Player of the Year announced she was pregnant with her second child. Will Hamby be ready for the beginning of 2023?

Connecticut Sun: More Floor-Spacing Guards

Twice in four seasons, the Connecticut Sun have come so close to the franchise's first championship. If point guard Jasmine Thomas had played the entire season, would the Sun have lost the Finals?

If anything, this season provided evidence of her value on both sides of the ball. Not only is she the head of the snake defensively, but she understands how to put her teammates in the right spots to succeed, something that was a lot to ask of fourth-year guard Natisha Hiedeman and point forward Alyssa Thomas.

With Jasmine Thomas, would the Sun have had a less stagnant offense? During the regular season, Connecticut ranked 11th in the league in three pointers per game and had only two players (Hiedeman and Jonquel Jones) who averaged 20 minutes or more and shot over 35 percent from three. Even if Jasmine Thomas returns to form, the Sun still need more guards to open up the paint rather than players who are primarily drivers and slashers and lack shooting strokes.

When I assessed the Sun's needs a year ago, I noted that they needed more offensive firepower in their backcourt, someone who could create their shot at will and show up in clutch moments. Courtney Williams rose to the occasion and achieved that in the playoffs, but was it enough to garner her return? She's an unrestricted free agent.

Who else will be an unrestricted free agent? Center and 2022 Sixth Player of the Year Brionna Jones. Jones should be offered a max salary, and it will be incredibly difficult for Curt Miller and the Sun to offer her over $200,000 with only $436,313 in cap space. That amount for at least five players is a tight squeeze. It will be difficult to let Jones walk, but if the Sun want to bask in championship glory, they will need another guard or wing who can let the ball fly.

Chicago Sky: Who Is Retiring?

Candace Parker and Allie Quigley are 36 years old. Both players are unrestricted free agents and have more pro basketball behind them than in front of them. For the Chicago Sky to figure out their next steps as a franchise that came up short of back-to-back titles, head coach and general manager James Wade needs to know if two of his core players are set to journey into retirement.

When asked about the prospects of ending their WNBA careers on Sept. 9, Parker and Quigley said they needed time to recover mentally and physically from a taxing and compact season. Quigley explained that in a couple of weeks she'd begin the process of considering what lies ahead. But for Parker, it won't be an emotional decision whether she comes back to play or not.

"It's going to be one of those things where when I know I can't prepare to play or I can't be at a certain level to play," she said. "I'll know it in that moment, and I haven't even started thinking about next year or preparing for next year."

Wade said he will give Parker and Quigley space.

"I try not to influence them one way or the other," he said, "And just try to be there for them and understand and just be open-minded to anything but let them know that the Chicago Sky is the last uniform that we want them playing in, really let them know how much they mean to us as a player or as a retired player."

Seattle Storm: Lead Guards

Sue Bird is irreplaceable. Her court vision, clutch shooting, play-calling and leadership can't be matched.

While the Seattle Storm are heading into a new era, head coach Noelle Quinn emphasized their commitment to putting a winning team together rather than one that is rebuilding. The Storm still have star shooting guard Jewell Loyd under contract for 2023, and Quinn's prerogative will be surrounding her and perhaps Breanna Stewart (an unrestricted free agent) with the most experienced and best lead guard possible.

"The point guard is an important piece—the first piece, reallly, to building your team," Quinn said on Sept. 8. "You think about having an amazing leader in that position, a franchise point guard to lead—Stewie to lead Jewell—to lead us to where we need to go. The backup position is just as important."

In addition to losing Bird, the Storm will also be without backup point guard and defensive standout Briann January, who also retired. The good news for Seattle is that it has only two players under contract in Loyd and Mercedes Russell, who didn't play for most of 2022. The Storm have $1,025,564 in cap space to find their next point guard and to convince Stewart to return to the team that drafted her No. 1 overall in 2016.

Will the Storm pursue Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who grew up in the Seattle metro area? Quinn didn't say, but she hinted that player recruitment will be vital this offseason.

"We have to be super aggressive and be innovative and be intentional," she said. "You throw in overseas and you think about who plays with who overseas and what players that we have and utilizing that as a recruiting tool to capacity as much as possible: players recruiting players."

Vanderlsoot will play for Hungary's Sopran Basket alongside Storm reserve center Ezi Magbegor. Let the recruitment begin.

Washington Mystics: More 3-point Shot-Creation

The Washington Mystics had the best defense in the league but not a consistent enough offense to go toe to toe with the best teams every night.

Still, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team devoid of offense that could amass 22 wins in 36 games. The key for the Mystics is consistency, and head coach and general manager Mike Thibault didn't believe his team had enough reliable offensive threats outside of Elena Delle Donne and Ariel Atkins.

"We have to be way more consistent offensively," Thibault said Sept. 8. "We need to be a better three-point shooting team. We need to take more threes. We need to have people take the load off of Elena and Ariel. [We] can't be dependent on two people every night."

In 2022, the Mystics attempted 22.5 threes per game (sixth in the league) and made 33.8 percent of them (10th). When Washington won its championship three seasons ago, it ranked first in three-point attempts and second in three-point percentage.

The Mystics have most of their core signed on for 2023 in Delle Donne, Atkins, Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen and rookie Shakira Austin but will need a guard or wing who can create and make threes.

Part of the issue was that 2021 offseason signee Alysha Clark returned from her Lisfranc injury to shoot 30.3 percent from beyond the arc, her lowest mark since 2014. Will the Mystics re-sign Clark and hope she will regress back to her mean? Her defensive leadership was so valuable, but Washington ought to look for another piece who can help carry the offensive load and add consistency.

Dallas Wings: A Vision

I used this phrase almost a year ago to describe what the Indiana Fever needed: a vision. How does that make any sense since the Fever are still at the bottom of the pecking order and the Dallas Wings just came off their second playoff appearance in a row? On Sept. 19, one day following the Aces' Finals victory, the Wings announced they weren't renewing head coach Vickie Johnson's contract. Dallas is in search of its fourth head coach in six seasons.

The obvious is the Wings need a new leader, but that leader ought to come with a specific vision for how a lopsided but super talented roster can be maximized, a task Johnson struggled with until the last month of the regular season, when she was awarded Coach of the Month.

With Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally out of the rotation because of injuries, Johnson established the Wings as a team that ran through 6'7" back-to-the basket center Teaira McCowan. I even argued they played better without franchise player Ogunbowale.

How could that be? It was clear Johnson didn't have buy-in throughout the season. Forward Isabelle Harrison complained about Johnson's play-calling and her own lack of playing time on social media. Ogunbowale struggled to play team-centered basketball. There were whispers about two-way threat Allisha Gray seeking a trade in the offseason. What is this team going to be known for moving forward besides constant dysfunction?

New York Liberty: More Star Power

After making the postseason on their own terms for the first time since 2017, the New York Liberty will aim to make a deeper playoff run.

Following their first-round exit to the Sky, head coach Sandy Brondello explained that for the Liberty to continue their upward trajectory, they have to finish with a higher seed.

"You want to be in the top four," she said. "The top four just made it through [to the semifinals], and that shows."

In order to achieve that goal, the Liberty have to make a more aggressive play in free agency. When Brondello and center Stefanie Dolson were asked what qualities the Liberty need to compete for a championship, they mentioned athleticism and toughness on both sides of the ball.

The obvious target is two-time champion Breanna Stewart since she met with New York last year. Stewart is a two-way force who can create her own shot at will and play anywhere on the floor. While Betnijah Laney will return in 2023, Brondello learned in 2022 that the Liberty need more shot-creation and rim pressure. Brondello also knows superstars are key to winning championships.

New York could also pursue a veteran guard, someone who could take the pressure off Sabrina Ionescu, especially if New York doesn't have Marine Johannès in 2023. While Skylar Diggins-Smith isn't a free agent, all signs have pointed toward her requesting a trade. Could she return to play for the coach who brought her to Phoenix?

Phoenix Mercury: Make Decisions

The Phoenix Mercury are in flux. Governor Robert Sarver is looking to sell the team, superstar Brittney Griner is still being held in Russia, and another superstar player in Skylar Diggins-Smith sat out the team's final six games following dissatisfaction with coach Vanessa Nygaard and Diana Taurasi.

The Mercury explored trading her but couldn't find the right deal. And franchise player Taurasi hasn't indicated whether she's ready to retire. Phoenix needs answers during a period of so much uncertainty and upheaval.

How do you solve an uncertainty problem? Control what you can and begin to make decisions. Griner's status is something the organization cannot control. Also, Griner is now an unrestricted free agent. The Mercury can trade Diggins-Smith and earn valuable draft capital or formidable younger players.

The seeds have been planted for a rebuild. There's a new governor in the franchise's future, and Phoenix has a green head coach. Heading toward a rebuild would ensure direction for a team that went through immense struggles in 2022.

But to gain any semblance of certainty, Phoenix needs Taurasi's blessing. The Mercury can't control her decision regarding retirement and when she makes it, but they can entertain discussions with her about her future with the organization. Should they talk about a transition from player to part owner? Should Phoenix plan a retirement tour full of pomp and circumstance prior to that shift, if it happens?

To steer the organization in a new direction after so much disruption, the Mercury ought to commit to making some difficult decisions.

Minnesota Lynx: A New Front-Court Partner for Napheesa Collier

The Minnesota Lynx will be in the draft lottery for the first time in 10-plus years. Minnesota took thoughtful strides to make sure Sylvia Fowles' last season was one she'd remember, but aside from all the gifts, tributes and figurative flowers Fowles received, the Lynx failed to deliver one last playoff run to their last remaining player from the dynasty of the 2010s.

So what's next for the Lynx and head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve? The first priority for Minnesota should be to figure out how to build around its best player, Napheesa Collier. What made the Lynx's previous three seasons winning ones was how well Fowles and Collier played off each other. With Fowles gone, Reeve should examine how she can put together a roster that complements Collier's strengths.

Reeve could go about this in two different ways depending on how the lottery balls fall in December. If the Lynx, who have the lowest odds of earning the No. 1 pick at 10.4 percent, win the draft lottery, then Reeve would be foolish not to select Aliyah Boston, a generational modern center who could fit swimmingly next to Collier.

If they don't land the No. 1 pick, the way to go about finding front-court help is via free agency. Are there any post players looking for a new start or more opportunities? Are there post players playing for Reeve on Team USA in the World Cup who fit this mold? The answer to both questions is a resounding yes.

Unrestricted free agents Brionna Jones and Breanna Stewart could be on Reeve's mind following the competition in Sydney. Jones is one of the young, dominant back-to-the-basket scorers in the W, and her athleticism, size and standing as one of the most muscular players are reminiscent of Fowles, who was so sound and mobile on the defensive end.

For Stewart, pairing with Collier could mean a 2015-16 UConn reunion. If the Lynx re-sign point guard Moriah Jefferson, Reeve could have one-fourth of that NCAA national championship squad, which finished 38-0.

Atlanta Dream: Veteran Leadership

Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright and general manager Dan Padover laid the foundation. No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard won Rookie of the Year and established herself as the franchise's face of the future. Wright gave her team an identity that represented the approach she had as a player. The Dream at their best were the "hardest-working, toughest team," and Padover put together a roster of players who were young, hungry and bought in to Wright's philosophy.

The Dream finished with the fifth-best defense in the league, a major jump from ninth just a year ago. But what's next? While they will have another shot to earn another top draft pick, Atlanta should spend the offseason planning which super talented free agents to target come January.

As of now, the Dream have only five players under contract for 2023 and $942,916 of cap space. That is a lot capital to work with, which gives them the ability to bring in more experienced offensive firepower to try to improve the offense from second-worst in the league.

Will Tiffany Hayes return? Since she left Atlanta for an international commitment, she can only negotiate with the Dream, per Her Hoop Stats. Either way, the Dream should target leaders on and off the court. Without Kia Vaughn, who has retired, Atlanta needs a steady voice who can earn the respect of the younger players.

Los Angeles Sparks: Everything

Following the 2021 season, the Dream earned my "everything" tag, and I now nominate the Los Angeles Sparks.

Similar to the uncertainty that the Mercury faces, the Sparks are also at a crossroads. Los Angeles doesn't have a general manager or head coach and has only five players signed for 2023, including Katie Lou Samuelson, Chennedy Carter, second-year player Jasmine Walker and rookies Rae Burrell and Olivia Nelson-Ododa.

The Sparks are also without a 2023 first-round draft pick, which they traded when they acquired Carter under then-GM and head coach Derek Fisher. Major free-agent acquisition Liz Cambage left the team in midseason via a contract divorce (WNBA lingo for a buyout).

Are the Sparks in denial? Should they move in the direction of a rebuild? Should they retain Nneka Ogwumike, the only player who remained from the 2016 championship team? It would help to know exactly what they want to achieve.

Ogwumike indicated in mid-August that she hasn't thought about leaving L.A. to pursue another ring, though she explained her role this season as the Sparks' primary scoring threat was "a heavy cross to bear" and described the campaign as "tumultuous." Something needs to change.

SB Nation's Sabreena Merchant recently provided more insight into the Sparks' troubles on an episode of the Burn It All Down podcast. She said she was puzzled by how the franchise is run, especially since the Sparks are owned by the same group as the Los Angeles Dodgers, for years one of the best teams in Major League Baseball. The clear lack of investment in the Sparks has led to their recent lack of success. As Merchant said:

"For them to act like a cheapo franchise by not really hiring a full front office, by practicing at just this hellacious gym in Torrance, like not even close to where they play their games at Crypto.com Arena. They just behave like an organization that has no money, even though clearly the resources should be available to them, and it confuses me to no avail."

Indiana Fever: Better Draft Lottery Luck

After years of struggling to find an identity, vision and direction, the Indiana Fever are finally there. They aren't back to winning yet, but interim general manager and senior adviser for basketball operations Lin Dunn has leaned into and executed a rebuild in her first season back with the team.

Dunn is also in the middle of finding a new head coach after the Fever decided to not move forward with interim head coach Carlos Knox. In an interview with Fever play-by-play announcer Pat Boylan, Dunn said she expects to name a head coach by early October.

Indiana will have a new leader, that's a given, but what isn't is how it will continue to rebuild. I don't believe the Fever will aim to load up on draft picks as they did in 2022, but Dunn has talked about how she would like the draft lottery balls to fall in the right way to give the Fever a shot at the No. 1 pick, most likely Aliyah Boston.

"To say that the lottery has been unkind to the Fever is an understatement," Dunn told Howard Megdal on the Locked On Women's Basketball podcast. "If my history is correct, I believe we are the only team for sure that's won a championship without a first pick—we may be the only team that's never had a first pick."

While winning the draft lottery is out of Dunn's control, she can have confidence in the Fever's odds. They are at the top of the heap with a 44.2 percent chance to land the franchise's first No. 1 overall pick.