Alright so today I got curious about why the Lynx and Sun are tearing it up this season. Decided to dig into player stats myself instead of just reading headlines. Opened up the WNBA stats site – man, that thing’s got numbers everywhere.
The Head-Scratching Part
Started clicking filters like crazy. Season 2024, both teams selected, basic stats first. Points and rebounds? Nah, nothing jumped out. Everyone felt… average. Super weird for top teams. Tried sorting blocks and steals next – same thing. Felt like hitting a wall.
Switching Gears
Thought “maybe basic stats lie”. Switched to advanced stats tab. That’s when things got spicy. Pulled up:
- Usage Percentage – who actually runs the offense
- Net Rating – how much better team does when player’s on court
- True Shooting – scoring efficiency including free throws
Hovered over everyone slowly. Numbers started swimming before my eyes – until I spotted outliers. For Lynx, this one guard had ridiculous net rating. Sun? Their bench forward had sneaky-good true shooting.
The Lightbulb Moment
Finally noticed the pattern: both squads win with different blueprints. Lynx ride their starters HARD – that guard plays major minutes with killer efficiency. Sun? Their secret sauce is bench depth. That forward I found plays only 18 minutes but produces like a starter when she’s in.
Slapped my forehead laughing. Headlines talk teams, but games are won by specific people doing crazy-specific things. Would’ve never known if I didn’t wrestle those filters myself.
