Seven key stats that tell the tale of the UConn women’s basketball season so far

[SVCBeercats]

Seven key stats that tell the tale of the UConn women’s basketball season so far

The New Year is almost here and the first third of the season is complete for UConn women’s basketball. The No. 9 Huskies dealt with a lot of injuries and adversity through the start of the 2…

www.courant.com

So of the seven stats which three are the most important in a positive and/or negative manner?

 

[vtcwbuff]

Can't read the article but here's my 7.

Negative stats - Defense
Defense
Defense
3 Pt Defense
Positive -
Assists
FG %
3 Pt FG %

 

[Centerstream]

I have different questions. This team currently has the best 3 point shooting percentage since the '88-'89 team.
What is the current 3 point distance compared to '88-'89? Does it make a difference?

 

[Bigboote]

Seven key stats that tell the tale of the UConn women’s basketball season so far

The New Year is almost here and the first third of the season is complete for UConn women’s basketball. The No. 9 Huskies dealt with a lot of injuries and adversity through the start of the 2…

www.courant.com

So of the seven stats which three are the most important in a positive and/or negative manner?

Field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assists. The assists are related to both of the others. Keep up the assists, you keep up the shooting (and vice-versa).

 

[HuskylnSC]

Offensive rebounds (high for you, low for them), turnovers (low for you, high for them), assists. Volume shooting wins. Percentages can be misleading. Give me more shots and many assists and I will win a high percentage.

Of course the only stat that matters is scoring differential.

 

[my2cents]

UCONN women's statistics, when compared historically, are always going to skewed. How?
Because in our most dominant years , our best players never played a ton of minutes.
Most times , we had such big leads , that they may have played a lot in the 3rd. qtr., but not much in the 4th.,
They never had an opportunity to score a lot of points, rack up assists, etc.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I have different questions. This team currently has the best 3 point shooting percentage since the '88-'89 team.
What is the current 3 point distance compared to '88-'89? Does it make a difference?

The 1988-89 team shot an insane 46.3%. I believe that the arc was closer to the basket back then.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Can't read the article but here's my 7.

Negative stats - Defense
Defense
Defense
3 Pt Defense
Positive -
Assists
FG %
3 Pt FG %

We are leading the nation in your last 3: assists, FG percentage, 3-point percentage. Related to them are Nika's assists and Lou's shooting. The negative stat is turnovers, which may be the highest ever by a Geno-led team.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Going into this year several of us were contending that 3 point shooting would be our strength and lots of people were doubting it. Here we have Paige and Azzi not even playing and we are still leading the nation. I think it's still our strength. Period.

 

[TeamFirst!]

We can win any game if we hit our shots but we still need lots of things to be a great team favored to win it all. Even with Azzi back we will not be favored if we reach the final 4 against Stanford or SC. Losing Ice hurt badly as we really needed Ice or Ayanna to emerge as a top contributor.

 

[veryolddog]

I suggest another stat: injuries per game and how many players sittting on the bench that cannot play.

 

[Bone Dog]

I can't read the article (sigh) but here's the stats that catch my eye:

1. shooting percentage -- Azzi Lou Aaliyah Aubrey are shooting lights out. And as a team it's 52/43/77

2. Rebounding at 40/game with an average differential of +10

3. Turnovers 17.5/game -- it's high, but I don't worry because this is an area we can improve on, and will when Azzi returns

4. Assists -- not just Nika's 10/game but the team is averaging almost 22/game. That's 224 assists on 349 made FGs this season. That is an awesome number.

 

[Kat]

UConn has better shooting percentages than their opponents, and scores more (for the most part,) despite the other team taking more shots per game. I think that the Huskies shoot less because they are trying harder to make a "good" shot, rather than just hoist it up there. Being more particular about shots taken means they will make that extra pass to get it to someone in position. Those extra passes, particularly those in transition, explain the amount of turnovers that occur. All in all, I'm fine with a team that shoots better, gets more assists, and rebounds better than its opponent. I'll not sweat the turnovers.

 

[Skeets]

Well, if there is such a thing as a "good" turnover a few of UConn's turnovers I can live with. It's a risk/reward situation. When it works it's an assist, when it doesn't it's a turnover. The stupid stuff, walks, 3-seconds, picking up the dribble without a clue, lazy passes, etc. need to be cleaned up.

 

[CL82]

Can't read the article

These are the Big three:

Nika has had six double digit assist games. The team is averaging 17+ turnovers and Lou is shooting better than 51% from deep.

 

[ochoopsfan]

You can read article if you open it in "incognito mode" on Chrome.

 

[SockCymbal]

Here's the history of the 3-point line according to Wikipedia:

"From the 1987–88 season through the 2007–08 season, the three-point perimeter was marked at 19 ft 9 in (6.02 m) for both men's and women's college basketball.[2] On May 3, 2007, the NCAA men's basketball rules committee passed a measure to extend the distance of the men's three-point line back to 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m);[2] the women's line remained at the original distance until it was moved to match the then-current men's distance effective in 2011–12.[1] On June 5, 2019, the NCAA men's rules committee voted to extend the men's three-point line to the FIBA distance of 6.75 meters (22 ft 2 in), effective in 2019–20 in Division I and 2020–21 in lower NCAA divisions. The women's line remained at 20 ft 9 in until being moved to the FIBA arc in 2021–22.[3][4]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_women%27s_basketball_career_3-point_scoring_leaders#:~:text=The%20statistic%20was%20first%20recognized,men's%20and%20women's%20college%20basketball.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

UConn has better shooting percentages than their opponents, and scores more (for the most part,) despite the other team taking more shots per game. I think that the Huskies shoot less because they are trying harder to make a "good" shot, rather than just hoist it up there. Being more particular about shots taken means they will make that extra pass to get it to someone in position. Those extra passes, particularly those in transition, explain the amount of turnovers that occur. All in all, I'm fine with a team that shoots better, gets more assists, and rebounds better than its opponent. I'll not sweat the turnovers.

I fully agree with not sweating the turnovers, as a tenacious and aggressive defense holds down the opponents' shooting percentage (particularly from beyond the arc), as well as your other points of "a team that shoots better, gets more assists, and rebounds better than its opponent."

Many of the turnovers in the first eleven games were from taking the chance that the opponents would not respond in time, or teammates not continuing their motion into where the pass would have been open. These type of turnovers tend to be "self-healing" as the players play together for extended time as it is an anticipation and timing relationship. Once the speed of play is comfortable for all the Huskies in the rotation, these type of turnovers will be fewer.

Go Huskies!!!

 

[huskyd]

I fully agree with not sweating the turnovers, as a tenacious and aggressive defense holds down the opponents' shooting percentage (particularly from beyond the arc), as well as your other points of "a team that shoots better, gets more assists, and rebounds better than its opponent."

Many of the turnovers in the first eleven games were from taking the chance that the opponents would not respond in time, or teammates not continuing their motion into where the pass would have been open. These type of turnovers tend to be "self-healing" as the players play together for extended time as it is an anticipation and timing relationship. Once the speed of play is comfortable for all the Huskies in the rotation, these type of turnovers will be fewer.

Go Huskies!!!

While many of you are not sweating the turnovers, Geno is. When asked his opinion of the last two games (which he sat out), Coach said that every turnover was a lost chance to score. He acknowledged the risk element of passing but called some decisions "stupid." Clearly, he has not given up on getting the players to think a bit more before they toss the ball around. You gotta admit that some of our turnovers are really ugly.

 

[Bone Dog]

Here's why I don't sweat the turnovers at this moment, and why I think Geno isn't overly worried -- though he'll definitely give the players an earful about it. There seems to be 3 kinds:

1. goof ups -- dribbling off one's feet, throwing over someone's head, etc
2. rushing the break with overly risky passes
3. ill-advised passes into a packed paint area.

#1 will work itself out in practice, to the extent it can be. #2 & 3 will get sorted out in the conference schedule. I think #2 is what CD (and maybe Geno, too?) had in mind when she talked about the cost of a high assist motion offense. We'll get more efficient at this, especially after our starting lineup settles down. Similarly, #3 is partly a function of Azzi's absence. When she's back and we're shooting the lights out from three different positions, packing the paint against us will no longer be possible, and some of those turnovers will go away. Caroline's return to form will also tend to alleviate #3.

If we're still turning the ball over at this rate in March, then I will be worried, because it will mean we have deeper problems at that point.