Veteran WNBA head coach Dan Hughes
took his share of lumps with a talent-depleted roster during his final seasons
in Texas before passing those dubious duties to long-time assistant Vickie
Johnson – who could fare no better with a team subsequently moved to the Nevada
desert (where “lovable” Bill Laimbeer has inherited the lumps … er, I mean,
duty).
But when the opportunity was presented to coach
the talents of Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Jewel Loyd (not to mention a 6’6”
rookie named Mercedes Russell) and the rest of the Seattle Storm, Ol’ Warhorse
Hughes couldn’t say “No.”
Both Hughes and the franchise know
a little bit about championship pedigree.
The Season by the Numbers [thru 27 games]
(average performance per-game per team)
Possessions: 79.9
Points: 82.3 [PPP:
1.030]
FG: 29.8 – 67.4, .442
3FG: 6.7 – 18.9, .355
3PAr/Usage rate: .281
FT: 16.1 – 20.3, .791
(Off – Tot) Reb: 8.2 – 33.7
[OR% .244]
TO: 14.2 [TO% .159]
Stats and data represent play through Thursday May, 31.
An explanation of the criteria for ranking is available here.
An explanation of the criteria for ranking is available here.
No. 1 Seattle Storm, 5-1 (9.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 8]
KK: +1; (2 Road Wins
– 1 Home Loss) / No. 3 overall (tied)
Flow: +3.00; (43.8 stops
OF opp [No. 6] – 40.8 stops BY opp [No. 3] / No. 3 overall
Striping: +2.92;
(+3.58) conversions [No. 1] - (+0.67) opp conversions [No. 4] / No. 1 overall
SPOR-t: +92; (600
[No. 2] – 508 [No. 3]) / No. 2 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Storm rank third in FG shooting and first in Offensive Rebounding.
No.
2 Washington Mystics, 5-1 (10.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 4]
KK: +2; (2 Road Wins
– 0 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)
Flow: +2.00; (43.8 stops
OF opp [No. 4] – 41.8 stops BY opp [No. 4] / No. 4 overall
Striping: +2.50;
(+3.25) conversions [No. 2] – (+0.75) opp conversions [No. 5] / No. 2 overall
SPOR-t: +55; (566
[No. 3] – 511 [No. 5]) / No. 3 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Mystics lead the league in usage of the three-point shot (.360) and rank
second (.421) in accuracy.
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Masters of the Craft
(Part 1)
Which teams are
performing the rudimentary skills of the game most proficiently at both ends of
the floor? Let’s consider six elements of play: FG shooting, three-point
shooting, Points per Game, Offensive Rebounding, the matter of turnovers and
the SPOR-t score of our ratings. These teams hold a Top Four rank offensively
and defensively:
FG%: Connecticut
3FG%: Washington
PPG: Connecticut
OR%: Minnesota, Seattle
TO%: Atlanta, Los
Angeles, New York
SPOR-t: Connecticut, Seattle
No. 3
Connecticut Sun, 3-0 (12)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 5]
KK: 0; (0 Road Wins –
0 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall (tied-4)
Flow: +8.67; (48.0 stops
OF opp [No. 1] – 39.3 stops BY opp [No. 2] / No. 1 overall
Striping: +0.83; (+1.17)
conversions [No. 4] – (+0.33) conversions [No. 2] / No. 3 (tied) overall
SPOR-t: +151; (646
[No. 1] – 495 [No. 1]) / No. 1 overall
Abacus
Revelation: The Sun have outscored their first three opponents by over 17
ppg..
No.
4 Los Angeles Sparks, 3-1 (17.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 2]
KK: +2; (2 Road Wins
– 0 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall (tied)
Flow: +3.50; (42.5
stops OF opp [No. 9] – 39.0 stops BY opp [No. 1] / No. 2 overall
Striping: -0.37;
(+1.00) conversions [No. 7] – (+1.38) opp conversions [No. 9]) / No. 9 overall
SPOR-t: +18; (549
[No. 6] – 531 [No. 3]) / No. 5 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Sparks’ opposition has made nearly half (.496) of their FG attempts.
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Scoring Pace 27 games
100+ points: 6 games
90-99 points: 8 games
80-89 points: 14
games
70-79 points: 22
games
60-69 points: 4 games
<60 points: 0
games
No. 5 New York Liberty, 1-2 (25.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 3]
KK: -1; (0 Road Wins – 1 Home Loss) / No. 9 overall (tied-3)
Flow: +1.00; (43.0 stops OF opp [No. 8] – 42.0 stops BY opp [No. 5] / No. 5 overall
Striping: +0.83; (+1.83) conversions [No. 6] – (+1.00) opp conversions [No. 7] / No. 3 overall (tied)
SPOR-t: -1; (529 [No. 6] – 530 [No. 7]) / No. 7 overall
Abacus Revelation: The Liberty commit the fewest turnovers (9.3 per game) in the league.
Abacus Revelation: The Liberty commit the fewest turnovers (9.3 per game) in the league.
No. 5 Chicago Sky, 2-2 (25.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 9]
KK: 0; (1 Road Win –
1 Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-4)
Flow: +0.75; (44.0 stops
OF opp [No. 4] – 43.3 stops BY opp [No. 7] / No. 6 overall
Striping: +0.25;
(+1.13) conversions [No. 5] – (+0.88) opp conversions [No. 6] / No. 5 overall
SPOR-t: -11; (546
[No. 5] – 557 [No. 10]) / No. 8 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Sky rank No. 3 in scoring defense despite being worst in the “W” at forcing
turnovers..
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Scoring Differential 27
games
1-5 points: 8 games
6-10 points: 11 games
11-15 points: 1 game
16-20 points: 4 games
>20: 3 games
No. 7 Dallas Wings, 2-3 (28.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 7]
KK: +1; (1 Road Win – 0 Home Losses) / No. 3 overall (tied)
Flow: -1.60; (46.8 stops OF opp [No. 2] – 46.4 stops BY opp [No. 10] / No. 10 overall
Striping: +0.20; (+0.70) conversions [No. 9] – (+0.50) conversions [No. 3] / No. 6 overall
SPOR-t: -29; (487 [No. 9] – 516 [No. 6]) / No. 9 overall
No. 7 Minnesota Lynx, 2-3 (28.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 1]
KK: 0; (1 Road Win –
1 Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-4)
Flow: -0.20; (44.0 stops
OF opp [No. 4] – 44.2 stops BY opp [No. 8] / No. 7 overall
Striping: -1.40;
(+0.10) conversions [No. 10] – (+1.50) opp conversions [No. 10] / No. 11
overall
SPOR-t: +23; (526
[No. 7] – 503 [No. 2]) / No. 4 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The reigning champions, while struggling, still rank No. 2 in defending the three-point
shot.
No. 9
Atlanta Dream, 2-2 (29.5)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 10]
KK: 0; (1 Road Win – 1
Home Loss) / No. 5 overall (tied-4)
Flow: -1.50; (45.8 stops
OF opp [No. 3] – 47.3 stops BY opp [No. 11] / No. 9 overall
Striping: -0.12; [0.00)
conversions [No. 11] – (+0.13) conversions [No. 1] / No. 8 overall
SPOR-t: +5; (515 [No.
8] – 510 [No. 4]) / No. 6 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Dream have been the WNBA’s worst FG shooters (.384) in the early-going.
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Masters of the Craft
(Part 2)
Are not the
exceptionally inept worthy of some recognition? Here are the teams that hold a
Bottom Four offensive and defensive ranking in our key elements of play: FG
shooting, three-point shooting, PPG, Offensive Rebounding, Turnovers and
SPOR-t.
FG%: Indiana, Las
Vegas
3FG%: Las Vegas
PPG: Indiana, Las
Vegas
OR%: Phoenix
TO%: Chicago, Dallas,
Minnesota
SPOR-t: Indiana, Las
Vegas, Phoenix
No. 10 Phoenix Mercury, 2-3 (37)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 6]
KK: -1; (1 Road Win – 2 Home Losses) / No. 9 overall (tied-3)
Flow: -1.20; (41.6 stops OF opp [No. 11] – 42.8 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 8 overall
Striping: +0.10; (+2.10) conversions [No. 3] – (+2.00) opp conversions [No. 11] / No. 7 overall
SPOR-t: -117; (463 [No. 12] – 580 [No. 12]) / No. 12 overall
Abacus Revelation: The Merc have exactly half (24) as many offensive rebounds as their opponents.
No.
11 Indiana Fever, 0-5 (43)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 12]
KK: -3; (0 Road Wins
– 3 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall
Flow: -5.80; (39.2 stops
OF opp [No. 12] – 45.0 stops BY opp [No. 9] / No. 11 overall
Striping: -0.40;
(+0.90) conversions [No. 8] – (+1.30) conversions [No. 8] / No. 10 overall
SPOR-t: -81; (469
[No. 10] – 550 [No. 9]) / No. 10 overall
Abacus
Revelation: By percentage (.797), the Fever are the second-best defensive
rebounding team in the league.
No.
12 Las Vegas Aces, 0-4 (45)
[2017 Abacus Rank: No. 11]
KK: -1; (0 Road Wins
– 1 Home Loss) / No. 9 overall (tied-3)
Flow: -6.50; (42.8 stops
OF opp [No. 10] – 49.3 stops BY opp [No. 12] / No. 12 overall
Striping: -7.25; (-2.75)
conversions [No. 12] – (+4.50) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 12 overall
SPOR-t: -112; (467
[No. 11] – 579 [No. 11]) / No. 11 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The winless Aces have been taking 9.5 more FT’s per game than the opposition.
Abacus Revelation for
the Road / Random Ranking (per-game missed free throws)
Phoenix 2.40
Seattle 2.50
Chicago 3.40
Washington 3.67
Los Angeles 4.00
New York 4.00
Indiana 4.20
Minnesota 4.40
Connecticut 5.00
Atlanta 5.25
Dallas 6.20
Las Vegas 7.50
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