Give Me Five: WNBA Records
Breaking down five league records that could fall (or have already fallen) this season
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Lists are fun. They bring a semblance of order to an otherwise chaotic world. In the sports realm, they generate endless debate among passionate fans. What are the five best games in WNBA history? Who are your top five WNBA players of all time (despite what certain WNBA polls might have you believe, the top of that list is far from decided)? Questions like these promote spirited discussion about a game that we love. As such, each week I’ll be posting top five lists covering various women’s basketball topics. If you agree with a particular list? Great. If not? Even better! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
This week, I’m taking a look at single-season records that could fall this year. From triple-doubles to 40-point performances, offenses have been on a tear this summer. So you can be certain there will be some rewriting of the WNBA record books after the 2023 campaign.
The rankings are based on how impressive I deem the feat to be, and the player or team in question must be on track to break the record or at least have a reasonable shot at it (or has already broken the record). Statistics that don’t normalize for this being the longest season in league history (e.g., total 3-pointers, total assists, etc.) were not considered. I’m not weighing in on whether such records deserve an asterisk à la baseball’s Roger Maris, it’s simply a tad more spectacular when having more games isn’t the primary reason for setting a record.
Without further ado, here are the top five WNBA single-season records that could be broken (or have already been broken) this season.
Honorable mention: Chelsea Gray
Before diving into the top five, a quick honorable mention goes out to Chelsea Gray. While it’s not technically a record, Gray is on pace to join Elena Delle Donne in the exclusive 50/40/90 club - shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the free-throw line across a full season (subject to league statistical minimums). A paragon of shooting efficiency, Gray is within shouting distance of the 50/45/90 club, something never accomplished in the WNBA and only twice in the NBA (Steve Nash in 2005-06 and Steph Curry in 2015-16).
No. 5: Exceeding the league’s team average offensive rebounding rate by 8.5 percentage points
Current record holder: 2007 Sacramento Monarchs
Threatening the record: Dallas Wings (9.8 percentage points)
The Dallas Wings have rebounded 33.1% of their misses this season, a figure that leads the W but would rank only No. 58 on the all-time list. What’s so impressive about that?
Like every stat, context is important. There has been a gradual league-wide trend that eschews crashing the offensive glass in favor of preventing the fast break. In the WNBA’s infancy, average offensive rebounding rates hovered in the low 30s, but they have since bottomed out at 23.3% this season. Of the top 15 offensive rebounding rate seasons in league history, 13 came during the W’s first decade.
Considering the era in which it plays, Dallas’ offensive rebounding rate this season is top-notch. To quantify this, we can look at a team’s offensive rebounding rate relative to that season’s league average. Now, the all-time leader in single-season offensive rebounding rate is the 2007 Sacramento Monarchs (39.1%), a squad with the W’s all-time leader in offensive rebounds in Rebekkah Brunson. Their offensive rebounding rate exceeded the league average by 8.5 percentage points. This year’s Wings team? They’ve exceeded it by 9.8 percentage points thus far.
No. 4 Team assist rate of 74.3%
Current record holder: 2022 Chicago Sky
Threatening the record: New York Liberty (76.5%)
Sabrina Ionescu has averaged 6.1 assists per game over her career, which ranks second all-time. When you add the player who tops that list (Courtney Vandersloot) and two former MVPs to your roster (Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones), the result is a record for assist rate.
Whether it’s the 3-point revolution (3-pointers are more likely to be assisted than 2-pointers), more effective passers overall, or the impact of a small group of uber-talented point guards (e.g., Sloot, Sue Bird, and Chelsea Gray, to name a few), assist rates have been on the rise league-wide. Some may suggest that in an era of high assist rates, it’s not exactly shocking that a team, particularly a superteam like New York, might break this record. After all, the top three spots on the all-time single-season assist rate list are held by teams from last season - Chicago, Seattle, and New York.
Given that context, why is New York’s assist rate on this list? It has to do with just how far ahead of the league average they are. Similar to what we did for offensive rebounding rate, let's compare each team’s assist rate to the league average for that season. Even after controlling for the assist rate inflation in recent seasons, the Liberty’s penchant for finding the open player is still unmatched. Their assist rate is 10.6 percentage points above the league average, a margin that would be a league record if the season ended today.
No. 3: Individual points per game of 25.3
Current record holder: Diana Taurasi in 2006
Threatening the record: Jewell Loyd (24.9)
It’s been a trying year for the Seattle Storm, currently sitting tied for 11th with Phoenix near the bottom of the league standings. The one silver lining has been the Gold Mamba’s pursuit of the league scoring record held by Diana Taurasi. Loyd has gamely shouldered the Storm’s offensive load, pouring in 30+ points in 36% of her team’s games; only Tina Charles in 2021 had a higher percentage.
And yes, Loyd’s high shooting volume has aided her in the chase for Taurasi’s record. Loyd’s 19.6 field-goal attempts per game this season would tie Tina Charles for the most in league history. However, you still have to make the shots, and Loyd is actually on pace for the second-highest points per scoring attempt (1.10) of her nine-year career. Loyd’s ability to get to the free-throw line – where she leads the league in attempts and makes – and knock down shots from beyond the arc – where she’s shooting just under 40% on more than 8.5 attempts per game – has her in contention for Taurasi’s record, perhaps making this a season Storm fans won’t want to completely forget.
No. 2: Triple-doubles in a regular season
New record holder: Alyssa Thomas (5)
Previous record holders: Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu, and Candace Parker all in 2022 (2)
I’ll be honest. When I first conceived of the idea for this list and was jotting down possible contenders, the first thing I wrote was simply “Alyssa Thomas.” A generational talent like Thomas who has normalized the triple-double in the WNBA had to be somewhere on this list.
There were nine triple-doubles in the league’s first 24 seasons. Alyssa Thomas has matched that total over the past two seasons. She’s responsible for over 30% of the triple-doubles in league history. Her nine career triple-doubles are more than double every franchise except Chicago (five total) and Connecticut.
As far as single-season accomplishments are concerned, her five triple-doubles this year have already shattered the regular season record she shared with Sabrina Ionescu and Candace Parker. Arguably more mind-boggling is that she has an outside chance of becoming the first player in WNBA history to capture the triple crown of leading the league in assists, rebounds, and steals per game.
No. 1: Single-season net rating of +17.4
Current record holder: 1998 Houston Comets
Threatening the record: Las Vegas Aces (+17.3 net rating)
The top spot is reserved for arguably the greatest team in WNBA history. Yes, Las Vegas remains in contention for that unofficial title even after Sunday’s 38-point loss at the Barclays Center. And frankly, if the Aces rebound from yesterday’s rout, finish strong in the regular season, and win the WNBA championship, you might even be able to remove the “arguably” qualifier from the opening sentence. I like the Aces’ chances to do just that. They lead the W in points scored per 100 possessions (offensive rating) and points allowed per 100 possessions (defensive rating); six of the seven teams to accomplish that feat in WNBA history have won the championship. When the defending champions improved their roster in the offseason by adding Candace Parker and Alysha Clark, fans expected a team capable of making another championship run. But it was difficult to envision this level of dominance.
The Aces are on track to set the following single-season records: points per 100 possessions (offensive rating of 112.2), field-goal percentage (49.7%), effective field-goal percentage (56.4%), points per scoring attempt (1.21), points per play (1.05). A’ja Wilson could claim her record-tying third MVP. And remember Chelsea Gray’s campaign for 50/40/90? Currently shooting 49.4% from the field, 37.9% from three, and 90.9% from the free-throw line, Kelsey Plum also has a chance to join that exclusive club. Two 50/40/90 seasons on one team? That’s just not fair. So, it was a veritable dealer’s choice for which of Vegas’ potential records to put in this spot.
It all adds up to Las Vegas outscoring opponents by 17.3 points per 100 possessions this year, which is neck and neck with the 1998 Houston Comets’ net rating record of 17.4 points per 100 possessions. The loss of Candace Parker and the team’s daunting August schedule that includes a road contest versus Dallas and a trio of games against second-place New York could jeopardize Las Vegas’ efforts to make history - case in point, yesterday’s blowout loss at New York. And even if the Aces escape the dog days of August relatively unscathed, there’s the possibility that Becky Hammon gives her star players some rest toward the end of the regular season if it’s already clinched the top seed.
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.