No Offense … but the WNBA in 2019 has been a league in flux.
Not only has the league felt the absence of multiple elite performers, but the
Association’s very existence beyond the current campaign is in doubt.
Have the Players drawn a line in the sand by opting out of
their Collective Bargaining Agreement with the league, essentially challenging
their Adam Silver-gilded benefactors to put up or shut up when it comes to
compensation and accommodation?
On the court, “No Offense” seems to be the order of the day.
During the 2018 season, only SIX times did a WNBA team tally fewer than 60
points in a ballgame … that total has been tripled already this season. (We’ve
already seen 85 sub-70-point efforts thus far, compared with but 42 a year
ago.)
That said, the last four weeks and 57 games have delivered a
crisper and more effective offensive product leaguewide. Through 10 weeks and
131 games, Team Average was scoring 77.1 points on .418 FG shooting and 16.2
FTA’s. Subsequently, scoring has increased by three points per game, FG% to
.435 and FTA’s to nearly 20 per. Perhaps curiously, three-point shooting has
held steady, in terms of both volume (29%) and accuracy (34%).
Here’s what an average 2019 WNBA game performance looks
like, numerically.
[All data reflects play through Monday, September 2. An explanation of the criteria is available
here.]
Possessions: 78.9
Points: 78.4 [PPP:
0.994]
FG: 29.0 – 68.5, .423
3FG: 6.8 – 20.0, .338
3PAr/Usage rate: .291
FT: 13.8 – 17.2, .799
(Off – Tot) Reb: 9.0 – 34.8
[OR% .260]
TO: 14.5 [TO% .160]
No.
1 Washington Mystics, 23-8 (6)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 1
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 1
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 1
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 1
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 1
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 3]
KK: +8; (11 Road Wins
– 3 Home Losses) / No. 1 overall
Flow: +4.45; (44.9 stops
OF opp [No. 7] – 40.4 stops BY opp [No. 1] / No. 1 overall
Striping: +1.56;
(+3.56) conversions [No. 1] – (+2.00) opp conversions [No. 9] / No. 1 overall
SPOR-t: +59; (588
[No. 1] – 529 [No. 7]) / No. 3 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Mystics’ 11 road victories is three better than their nearest rival.
No.
2 Connecticut Sun, 22-9 (17)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 2
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 2
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 4
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 2
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 2
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 1]
KK: +7; (8 Road Wins
– 1 Home Loss) / No. 2 overall
Flow: +1.52; (45.8 stops
OF opp [No. 5] – 44.3 stops BY opp [No. 4] / No. 4 overall
Striping: -0.53; (+0.94)
conversions [No. 11] – (+1.47) conversions [No. 5] / No. 10 overall
SPOR-t: +85; (564
[No. 2] – 479 [No. 2]) / No. 1 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Sun’s +99 in O-Boards, compared to its opposition, is over 25% better than
the “W’s” next best squad.
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%: Chicago, Los
Angeles
3FG%: Connecticut,
Las Vegas
PPG: NONE
OR%: Connecticut,
Minnesota
TO%: Connecticut
SPOR-t:
Connecticut, Minnesota
No. 3
Chicago Sky, 19-13 (20)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 4
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 5
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 3
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 10]
KK: +2; (7 Road Wins
– 5 Home Losses) / No. 5 overall
Flow: +0.88; (46.5 stops
OF opp [No. 2] – 45.6 stops BY opp [No. 8] / No. 5 overall
Striping: +0.81; (+2.06)
conversions [No. 3] – (+1.25) opp conversions [No. 2] / No. 3 overall
SPOR-t: -4; (529 [No.
5] – 533 [No. 8]) / No. 7 overall
Abacus Revelation:
Uncharacteristically, the Sky posted the league’s best OR% (.300) during Weeks
13 & 14.
No. 4
Los Angeles Sparks, 19-12 (21)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 5
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 4
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 5
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 5
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 8
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 6]
KK: +5; (7 Road Wins
– 2 Home Losses) / No. 3 overall
Flow: -0.06; (46.2
stops OF opp [No. 3] – 46.3 stops BY opp [No. 10] / No. 8 overall
Striping: +0.94; (+2.52)
conversions [No. 2] – (+1.58) opp conversions [No. 6]) / No. 2 overall
SPOR-t: -9; (508 [No.
9] – 517 [No. 5]) / No. 8 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Sparks rank among the elite in FG defense (No. 2) and forcing TO’s (No. 3).
No. 4
Minnesota Lynx, 17-15 (21)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 2]
KK: 0; (6 Road Wins –
6 Home Losses) / No. 7 overall
Flow: +2.09; (46.2 stops
OF opp [No. 4] – 44.1 stops BY opp [No. 3] / No. 3 overall
Striping: -0.52;
(+1.27) conversions [No. 8] – (+1.78) opp conversions [No. 8] / No. 9 overall
SPOR-t: +63; (551
[No. 3] – 488 [No. 3]) / No. 2 overall
Abacus
Revelation: The pesky Lynx D has been forcing 17+ TO’s over the past 14
games.
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Scoring Pace 188
games
100+ points: 12 games
90-99 points: 48
games
80-89 points: 107
games
70-79 points: 124
games
60-69 points: 67
games
<60
points: 18 games
No. 6
Las Vegas Aces, 20-12 (22)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 3
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 3
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 2
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 3
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 4
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 8]
KK: +3; (7 Road Wins
– 4 Home Losses) / No. 4 overall
Flow: +2.91; (48.7 stops
OF opp [No. 1] – 45.8 stops BY opp [No. 9] / No. 2 overall
Striping: -1.89; (+0.45)
conversions [No. 12] – (+2.34) opp conversions [No. 12] / No. 12 overall
SPOR-t: +55; (525
[No. 6] – 470 [No. 1]) / No. 4 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Aces’ 3-point accuracy, top-tier all season, dipped to No.8 (.347) during
Weeks 13 & 14.
No. 7
Phoenix Mercury, 15-16 (28)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 8
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 8
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 9]
KK: +1; (6 Road Wins
– 5 Home Losses) / No. 6 overall
Flow: +0.42; (44.0 stops
OF opp [No. 8] – 43.6 stops BY opp [No. 2] / No. 6 overall
Striping: +0.40; (+2.02)
conversions [No. 4] – (+1.61) opp conversions [No. 7] / No. 5 overall
SPOR-t: -88; (470
[No. 12] – 558 [No. 10]) / No. 11 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Mercury are one of only two teams yielding in excess of 10 O-Boards per
game.
ABACUS INFOMERCIAL
Scoring Differential 188
games
1-5 points: 53 games
6-10 points: 59 games
11-15 points: 29
games
16-20 points: 20 games
>20: 27 games
No. 8
Seattle Storm, 16-15 (28.5)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 6
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 3
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 4
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 5
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 4]
KK: -1; (5 Road Wins
– 6 Home Losses) / No. 8 overall
Flow: +0.16; (44.9 stops
OF opp [No. 5] – 44.8 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 7 overall
Striping: -0.24; (+1.77)
conversions [No. 5] - (+2.02) opp conversions [No. 11] / No. 7 overall (tied)
SPOR-t: +2; (512 [No.
8] – 510 [No. 4]) / No. 6 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Storm rank first in scoring defense (74.7), but last in defending the
three-ball (.364).
No.
9 Dallas Wings, 10-21 (29.5)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 9
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 9
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 9
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 9
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 7]
KK: -6; (2 Road Wins
– 8 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall (tied)
Flow: -2.48; (42.4 stops
OF opp [No. 12] – 44.8 stops BY opp [No. 6] / No. 10 overall
Striping: +0.61;
(+1.65) conversions [No. 6] – (+1.03) conversions [No. 1] / No. 4 overall
SPOR-t: +3; (522 [No.
7] – 519 [No. 6]) / No. 5 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Wings lead the league in second-chance opportunities (10.8 per game).
No.
10 New York Liberty, 9-22 (37.5)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 11
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 11
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 11
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 11
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 10]
KK: -6; (5 Road Wins
– 11 Home Losses) / No. 10 overall (tied)
Flow: -4.03; (42.8 stops
OF opp [No. 11] – 46.8 stops BY opp [No. 11] / No. 11 overall
Striping: +0.10; (1.42)
conversions [No. 7] – (+1.32) opp conversions [No. 4] / No. 6 overall
SPOR-t: -56; (507
[No. 10] – 563 [No. 11]) / No. 10 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Liberty stroked their treys at a .408 rate for Weeks 13 & 14.
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%: New York
3FG%: NONE
PPG: Atlanta, Indiana
OR%: Los Angeles,
Phoenix
TO%: New York
SPOR-t: Atlanta, New
York, Phoenix
No.
11 Indiana Fever, 11-21 (38)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 10
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 9
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 7
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 5]
KK: -5; (5 Road Wins
– 10 Home Losses) / No. 9 overall
Flow: -1.59; (43.3 stops
OF opp [No. 10] – 44.8 stops BY opp [No. 7] / No. 9 overall
Striping: -0.92; (+1.09)
conversions [No. 9] – (+2.02) conversions [No. 10) / No. 11 overall
SPOR-t: -23; (530
[No. 4] – 553 [No. 9]) / No. 9 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Fever played the league’s third-best FG defense (.412) during Weeks 13
&14.
No.
12 Atlanta Dream, 7-24 (43.5)
[12-week Abacus Rank: No. 12
10-week Abacus Rank: No. 12
8-week Abacus Rank: No. 12
6-week Abacus Rank: No. 12
4-week Abacus Rank: No. 12
2-week Abacus Rank: No. 12]
KK: -8; (3 Road Wins
– 11 Home Losses) / No. 12 overall
Flow: -4.39; (43.6 stops
OF opp [No. 9] – 48.0 stops BY opp [No. 12] / No. 12 overall
Striping: -0.24;
[+1.03) conversions [No. 10] – (+1.27) conversions [No. 3] / No. 7 overall (tied)
SPOR-t: -95; (471
[No. 11] – 566 [No. 12]) / No. 12 overall
Abacus Revelation:
The Dream played the “W’s” stingiest (.310) Three-D during Weeks 13 & 14.
Abacus Revelation for
the Road / Random Ranking – Home-Court Advantage (?)
In its first 188 games, WNBA 2019 has seen “visiting” teams
win 72 times – that’s a road winning percentage of .383 … that’s down from 2018’s
standard of .458 (93 road victories in 203 games).
Here’s the break-down by team:
New York 31 games – 16
“visitor” wins (.516)
Indiana 32 games – 15
“visitor” wins (.469)
Atlanta 31 games – 14
“visitor” wins (.452)
Washington 31 games –
14 “visitor” wins (.452)
Chicago 32 games – 12
“visitor” wins (.375)
Minnesota 32 games –
12 “visitor” wins (.375)
Phoenix 31 games – 11
“visitor” wins (.355)
Seattle 31 games – 11
“visitor” wins (.355)
Las Vegas 32 games –
11 “visitor” wins (.344)
Dallas 31 games – 10
“visitor” wins (.323)
Los Angeles 31 games
– 9 “visitor” wins (.290)
Connecticut 31 games
– 9 “visitor” wins (.290)
