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The Chicago Sky return to action Thursday, hosting the Phoenix Mercury after nearly a month between games due to the WNBA’s Olympic break.

Thursday’s game will feature a homecoming for Kahleah Copper, who won a gold medal with the United States on Sunday. It also will be the debut of a new-look roster for the Sky after a rare midseason trade during the break sent shooting guard Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson.

As the Sky work to maintain their playoff position, here are five questions they must answer in the final stretch of the season.

1. Who takes Marina Mabrey’s spot in the starting lineup?

Mabrey was a consistent starter in her two seasons with the Sky. That spot now will be filled by Michaela Onyenwere, who coach Teresa Weatherspoon confirmed will take Mabrey’s place in the lineup Thursday.

This changes the Sky’s starting lineup in several key ways. Onyenwere is a lengthier, more athletic option on the perimeter — and she provides a more rigorous defensive presence than Mabrey. The main downgrade from Mabrey to Onyenwere is offensive output. Even amid one of the worst shooting streaks of her career, Mabrey was averaging 14 points and 2.3 made 3-pointers.

Onyenwere has been a less consistent offensive option, averaging 3.6 points. But she could be a threat from 3-point range, where she’s shooting 45% on 1.1 attempts per game.

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2. How will the Sky utilize Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson?

The trade from Connecticut was a surprise to Banham and Jefferson, but the timing benefited a smooth transition. Both players were able to return home for the break — Jefferson to Texas, Banham to Minnesota — before moving to Chicago. After two weeks of training with their new team, Banham and Jefferson feel acclimated to their roles with the Sky.

For Banham, the expectations are simple: “Be a sniper.”

“Come in and shoot it,” she said. “Shoot 3s. Let it rock. And that’s what I love to do. That’s who I am as a player. So I’m like, say less.”

Banham was a proficient shooter off the bench for the Sun, breaking a single-game franchise record with eight 3-pointers in a July win and shooting 34.8% from 3-point range this season. While Banham might not fully absorb Mabrey’s shot profile, she likely will become the team’s highest-volume 3-point shooter.

Banham voiced excitement to play with new teammates such as Chennedy Carter — whom she described as “the fastest person on earth” — and noted the Sky’s rebounding proficiency should help connect for spray-out 3-pointers on second-chance opportunities.

Jefferson underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right ankle in June, but Weatherspoon said Tuesday that she’s on track to return under a minutes restriction against Phoenix. Jefferson will serve as a facilitator for the second unit, relieving Dana Evans of some of the on-ball duties that have bogged down her ability to take more 3s.

3. Can the Sky pass the Fever in the standings?

The Sky entered the Olympic break in playoff position with a 10-14 record, which places them eighth in the league for the last postseason spot.

Maintaining this position should be achievable as the next-closest teams — the Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks — are three or more games back while facing two of the five toughest schedules to close the season.

The Sky also are positioned to leapfrog the Indiana Fever (11-15), whom they’re tied with in win-loss differential despite playing two fewer games.

Overtaking the Fever would be a challenge after Indiana closed the first half of the season on a surge fueled by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, who finally have unlocked their potential as a one-two tandem. Both the Sky and Fever entered the break on a 5-5 run.

4. Can Kamilla Cardoso make the jump?

For the Sky, the difference between squeaking into the playoffs and genuinely competing in the postseason could hinge on the progression of rookie Kamilla Cardoso.

Cardoso’s introduction to the WNBA was delayed by a shoulder injury, but she has since risen into a comfortable position as the starting center, averaging 8.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. Still, Cardoso has shown major weaknesses that need shoring up, most notably her low efficiency in finishing in the paint.

After a canceled flight thwarted her plans to visit her mother and sister in Brazil over the Olympic break, Cardoso spent the time off working on one key area of improvement: finishing around the rim through contact.

If Cardoso continues to make gradual progress, this rookie season will be a win for the Sky. But if she can get closer to the prowess she displayed in her NCAA Tournament run with South Carolina in the spring, Cardoso could power the Sky into upsets this fall — and potentially deeper into the postseason.

5. Can the Sky find their clutch gene?

Close games were a weak point for the Sky in the first half of the season, posting a 7-11 clutch record that was the second-worst in the league behind the Washington Mystics (3-15). This is an understandable challenge for a young team shaped around a pair of rookies, but it’s also a make-or-break area of growth for the second half of the season.

The Sky already showed improvement in this area before the Olympic hiatus. Eight of their last 10 games before the break ended in clutch time, and the Sky closed five of them with a win. A continuation of this turnaround could lift the Sky to a playoff position — and might determine their ability to advance past the first round.