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Dallas Wings sign Liz Cambage; a statistical breakdown of her impact

By Howard Megdal

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Elizabeth Cambage of the Melbourne Boomers celebrates after the Boomers defeayed the Fire during game two of the WNBL Grand Final series between the Melbourne Boomers and the Townsville Fire at the State Basketball Centre on January 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Elizabeth Cambage of the Melbourne Boomers celebrates after the Boomers defeayed the Fire during game two of the WNBL Grand Final series between the Melbourne Boomers and the Townsville Fire at the State Basketball Centre on January 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Wings transformed their roster, signing Australian center Liz Cambage to a multi-year deal, according to Adam Grosbard of the The Dallas Morning News.

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The agreement comes after an extended period of wooing from general manager Greg Bibb and head coach Fred Williams, reflecting the way the 6’8 Cambage is expected to shift the balance of power in the league.

Cambage, a longtime international star for Australia yet just 26 years old, would be enormously beneficial to any WNBA roster. In her two seasons with the Tulsa Shock, 2011 and 2013, she posted a 24.7 Player Efficiency Rating, buoyed by top ten finishes in rebound percentage, block percentage and a league-best 64.2 shooting percentage in 2013.

But it is worth noting what that means to the Wings specifically, a young team that surprised many by reaching the playoffs last season with a young roster. They managed to reach the postseason despite finishing at the very bottom of field goal percentage defense, tied with Indiana, with the primary culprit being a halfcourt defense that ranked at the bottom in defensive points per possession, per Synergy.

Similarly, their offensive efficiency lagged their overall volume of productivity, reflecting a team that played at the fastest pace in the league, but didn’t always take the best shots. Cambage’s scoring prowess on a team that rated ninth in points per possession in transition and eleventh in halfcourt sets will dramatically improve the team’s overall offensive output.

The easiest way to summarize? Dallas shot 44.2 percent from two last year, tied with Atlanta for worst in the WNBA. Cambage shot 64.2 percent in 2013.

Add to that the open looks Dallas’ talented three-point shooters should expect with all the defensive attention focused on Cambage — a Wings team that finished ninth from deep last year, at 31.9 percent, should expect that to rise precipitously through spacing alone.

There’s a reason Bibb and Williams made this a priority. Cambage helps Dallas go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league. She is a counter to Sylvia Fowles when the Wings play Minnesota, to Brittney Griner when the Wings play Phoenix.

And for many other teams, she is a question they cannot begin to answer.

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