One thing I’d expect BPM would show is something about team structure. A team that relies on one or two stars who get lots of minutes together means they are likely to be on the floor when good things happen. That clearly describes Sarah and Azzi, and last season Paige. And the way the rest of the rotation shares in the successes may tend to keep KK Ash and Kayleigh out of the top 10.
But this makes it tricky to figure out UCLA with Kneepkens Rice and Betts in the top ten of this list, but not Jaquez whose season started so well. And not Dugalic or Leger-Walker, who play such important roles. Is UCLA really structured like UConn in its rotations? I don’t have the data to say.
By contrast, it’s easy to guess why Hannah is the only ND player in the top 10, but not why Booker is the only player from Texas. Perhaps if we saw the next 10 or even the top 50, this would be easier to understand. More Longhorns might appear just a little lower. I’d say something similar about SC who only has Joyce in the top 10 despite having a small rotation. And why is Blakes not in the top 10 given her role in Vandy’s success?
All of which brings me to Milaysia and LSU. They also have a ‘big three’ in Flau’jae and Mikayla as well as a few strong rotation players. How is Milaysia the only player high on the list, and higher than the other two? Are they in the top 20 or 30?
