Basketball has evolved in recent years from a big’s game to guards shooting
25-foot shots like layups. Since the 2013 WNBA season, the league has seen a 22%
increase in the number of three-pointers taken per team per game. Squads such as
the Washington Mystics, Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx have all begun to
feature the three-point shot more prominently to bolster their offensive
production.
Overall, teams are averaging about five more three-pointers per game than they
did in the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault’s move to increase his
team’s production from downtown has paid dividends this season. With the
acquisition of Elena Delle Donne and premier three-point threat Kristi Toliver
in the offseason, the Mystics started the 2017 season with three of the top four
three-point shooters from 2016.
Fast forward to the All-Star break and the Mystics lead the league in
three-pointers attempted per game at 21.4. This new-age offense featuring a
barrage of threes has helped Washington boost its total points per game from
80.7 PPG in the 2016 season (10th of 12 teams) to 83.4 PPG (5th).
In addition to the Mystics, the Mercury and Lynx have found increased success
from the three-point line this year. Of the top five teams in terms of record,
the Mystics, Mercury and Lynx rank in the top half of the league in
three-pointers attempted per game. Looking at efficiency from beyond the arc,
the correlation is even higher. Four of the top five teams in the league are in
the top half of the league in three-point percentage: Sun, Sparks, Mercury and
Lynx.
Teams with the highest three-point percentages are not only winning, but they’re
scoring significantly more points. The two teams with the highest three-point
percentage, Connecticut is shooting 43% from downtown, and Minnesota is knocking
down 37.8% of its three-point looks; those two rank first and second
respectively in points per game this season. The Lynx, who currently have the
league’s best record, have scored 22.5% of their points from three-point land,
which ranks fifth in the league. The Sun, who have the WNBA’s fourth best
record, have scored 24.7% of their points from long-range.
And success from long-distance has largely led to offensive success: Four of the
top five teams in three-point percentage (Lynx, Sparks, Sun and Storm) also rank
in the top five in Offensive Rating. That likely means one thing: The long ball
is here to stay in the WNBA.
