Weekly Roundup: Las Vegas’ Commissioner’s Cup Win, 50/40/90 Part II, and the W’s Playoff Format
Breaking down how the Aces earned $500,000, Elena Delle Donne’s underappreciated brilliance, and issues with the new postseason format
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Man, the Commissioner’s Cup final was a treat to watch. Granted, I was a bit nervous that Las Vegas would turn the contest into a complete rout, but Chicago trimmed the Aces’ 23-point lead to single digits. It was enough of a run that the Sky had me thinking that maybe, just maybe, this could be a repeat of their epic 28-point comeback (biggest in league history) versus Las Vegas on June 21. In the end, Las Vegas left Wintrust Arena $500,000 richer and Chelsea Gray earned game MVP honors.
So, why was it fun to watch? It was quality basketball featuring the league’s two best teams and involved real stakes. I mean, they’re playing for $500,000. For some players, the $30,000 bonus for each participant on the winning team represents a significant portion of multiple players’ total WNBA compensation. Now, if the league somehow finds a way to make the other Commissioner’s Cup games anywhere near as compelling as the final, then, as Richard Cohen suggested, it could serve as a template for other North American professional leagues looking to incorporate a midseason competition.
Speaking of compelling TV, did you know that teams ranked No. 6 through No. 11 in the WNBA standings are separated by only two games? So, my preference would be that half of the league’s teams qualify for the postseason; two-thirds makes the regular season less meaningful. However, I’ll momentarily drop the curmudgeonly, “get off my lawn” attitude for now and appreciate the excitement that six teams competing for three playoff spots has to offer. I can’t wait to watch the chaos unfold over the season’s home stretch. Can Minnesota sneak into the playoffs and give Sylvia Fowles one final postseason run? Will Los Angeles and/or Phoenix overcome tumultuous seasons and find a way to punch their tickets to the WNBA playoffs? We’ll find out in just 12 days!
Stat of the Week - 50/40/90, the sequel?
Last Monday, Her Hoop Stats founder Aaron Barzilai informed me that Elena Delle Donne is closing in on another 50/40/90 season (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc, and 90% from the free-throw line in a single season). I was shocked. How could I have been unaware of this? After all, it’s a milestone achieved just once in league history - by Delle Donne during her 2019 MVP season. The only NBA players to bag multiple 50/40/90 seasons are Larry Bird and Steve Nash.
Perhaps I was biased by the 10 games Delle Donne’s missed this season, precautionary rest as she eases her way back into action after having played just three games over the previous two seasons. Maybe it’s having been distracted by other WNBA storylines this season, like multiple triple-doubles by Candace Parker and Sabrina Ionescu or the final seasons of Sylvia Fowles and Sue Bird.
Whatever the reason for my oversight, the reality is that Delle Donne has quietly compiled one of the most offensively efficient seasons in league history, shooting 49.6% from the field, 41.5% from long distance, and 91.4% from the charity stripe. Additionally, she ranks second in win shares per 40 minutes and third in Kevin Pelton’s wins above replacement player per game metric. If not for her absences, Delle Donne would surely be in the running for her league-tying third career MVP award.
It will be fascinating to see whether or not Delle Donne can cap off another 50/40/90 season. Of course, she’s more interested in capturing a second WNBA title. For that to happen, Washington needs her healthy during the postseason. The Mystics’ net rating with her on the court is a championship-caliber 10.0 points per 100 possessions (for reference, the Sky’s net rating of 8.4 leads the league this season) and a pedestrian 2.0 with her on the bench.
Player of the Week - Alyssa Thomas
Although she cost me a spot in the Her Hoop Stats fantasy league championship, failing to appreciate Alyssa Thomas’ outstanding week would be downright petty. The Sun’s point forward excelled at both ends of the court, averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 assists, six rebounds, and 3.5 steals in Connecticut’s pair of games last week. In her team’s overtime loss to Chicago on Sunday, Thomas became only the fourth player this season to record two five-steal games. In this, the season of the triple-double, the league leader in 15-point, five-rebound, and five-assist games isn’t Sabrina Ionescu or Candace Parker. It’s Thomas, who recorded her eighth and ninth such games last week against Seattle and Chicago, respectively.
As impressive as Thomas’ play was last week, it was simply a continuation of what she’s done all season. She ranks in the top six in rebounding, assists, and steals; no other player in the league even ranks in the top 20 in all three categories. She’s also second in defensive win shares, producing an estimated 1.9 wins through her defensive play. Thomas is even shooting a respectable 73.5% from the free-throw line, important given she has the sixth-most attempts per game this year and remarkable considering she hovered around 50% just a few seasons ago. Taking all of this together, it’s little wonder Connecticut coach Curt Miller recently characterized Thomas as the team’s engine.
Do you think Alyssa Thomas had the best week? Would you have instead selected Courtney Vandersloot (19.5 PPG, 10.5 APG, 7.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG during Chicago’s 2-0 week), Natasha Howard (19.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 SPG), or Kelsey Plum (24.0 PPG on 70.6% three-point shooting during Las Vegas’ 3-0 week)? Let me know in the poll below!
How diminished home-court advantage exacerbates problems with the WNBA’s playoff format
The WNBA playoffs begin 15 days from today, so while Festivus is nearly four months away, I still feel it’s an appropriate time to re-air my grievances about the league’s new postseason format. Last November when the WNBA announced changes to its playoff format - adjustments that included removing single-elimination games in the first round and doing away with byes (and double byes) - I expressed my specific objections in the weekly roundup. While my list of critiques isn’t particularly long, the CliffsNotes version is that the new format devalues the regular season primarily by removing the byes and double byes that higher-seeded teams earned under the old format.
One of the primary benefits still enjoyed by higher-seeded teams is home-court advantage, but it appears even that is significantly diminished. Whether it’s due to the league’s average attendance figures still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels, increased use of instant replay on fifty-fifty calls late in games, or some combination thereof, the bottom line is that this season, home teams have outscored road teams by a minuscule 0.6 points per 100 possessions. That’s on par with last season’s record-low net rating for home teams.
But, you may say, home-court advantage in the playoffs is different. Postseason games draw bigger crowds and there’s more excitement during playoff games, generating a more impactful home-court environment. There’s some intuitive appeal to that argument but unfortunately not much compelling evidence. In WNBA playoff history (excluding 2020), home teams have outscored opponents by 4.0 points per 100 possessions. How about during the regular season? 3.9.
By no means am I suggesting we simply hand the regular season’s best team the WNBA championship trophy. But please, let’s treat the WNBA’s regular season a bit more meaningfully than a 36-game prelude to a tournament where the league’s best team is placed on almost equal footing with a team that loses roughly 60% of its games.
WNBA schedule this week (All times Eastern)
Here is a complete listing of this week’s games, start times, and where you can catch the action.
Her Hoop Stats content in case you missed it
On Courtside, Gabe Ibrahim and Christy Winters-Scott discussed the Commissioner’s Cup final, Liz Cambage’s departure from Los Angeles, Sue Bird’s final trip to D.C. with the Seattle Storm, and much more. Also, congratulations to Christy on her recent induction into the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame - so well deserved!
Cindy Smith offered an intriguing look into Sylvia Fowles’ consistency based on a review of her stats in five-year increments.
In his WNBA Dissected column, Richard Cohen broke down the race for the final three playoff spots and proposed improvements to the Commissioner’s Cup.
Heaven Hill bemoaned New York’s Camp Day struggles and recapped the Liberty’s big home win over Chicago in his latest New York Liberty Notebook.
Other recommended content
The Associated Press’ Doug Feinberg described the potential impact of New York’s Han Xu and Chicago’s Li Yueru on the popularity of women’s basketball in China.
From the Liz Cambage saga to the search for a permanent head coach and general manager, The Athletic’s Chantel Jennings chronicled the recent drama in Los Angeles and argued that the time for a complete rebuild of the Sparks franchise is now.
ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel provided details about the $25,000 name, image, and likeness deal that each member of the Texas Tech women’s basketball team will receive next season.
For Dame Magazine, Dorothy Gentry explained why Brittney Griner’s wrongful detention by Russia reflects which of its citizens the United States values.
Trivia question of the week
First, here’s the answer to last week’s trivia question:
Who has the most 30-point games this season, with three?
Answer: At the time this question was published, Sabrina Ionescu was the correct answer (Diana Taurasi recorded her third 30-point game Thursday night).
And now, here’s this week’s question:
Besides Cynthia Cooper, who is the only player in league history (active or retired) to average at least 20 points during their WNBA career?
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