According to the league website, teams averaged nearly 17.5 three-point attempts per game in 2017. Eight of the 12 WNBA teams are averaging 18.5 threes or more so far this season.
Washington led the league with 21.5 attempted threes per game last season. The Mystics, Storm, Liberty and Wings are each getting up more than 22 attempts per game 18 days into the season.
The Lynx and the Sparks were first and second respectively in offensive rating last year. Three-pointers accounted for 21 percent of Minnesota’s scoring output, the eighth lowest in the league. The Sparks? Tenth at 19.1 percent. That rate has barely budged early on for either of the preseason favorites to meet up once again in the WNBA Finals.
The Sparks are off to a 4-1 start despite starting the season without three of their four bigs. Minnesota stands at 2-5 after dropping some close games in which they failed to get enough stops or score as efficiently as they did a year ago.
That said, now feels like a good time to take a look at three-point shooting in the early stages of a new season. As we get deeper into the summer, there’s bound to be regression in both directions around the WNBA. Players off to stellar starts will fizzle out some. Proven veterans will find their groove.
And how about these rookies? Several members of the 2018 rookie class have already come through with monster performances, most of which are just a glimmer of what will become their new normal as they continue to gain confidence and improve over time.
Some observations on teams and players, and their early-season success shooting the three ball (all stats pulled prior to Tuesday’s games):
1. Kelsey Mitchell is getting up 11.2 threes per 40 minutes. That’s the highest mark in the league, even higher than Diana Taurasi’s 10.3 3PA per 40. To the delight of Fever fans, Mitchell has connected on 43.5 percent of those attempts.
Prior to the start of the season, I noted her pedigree as a high-volume shooter. There’s something to be said for her success as a shooter at Ohio State, knowing she shot 38.6 percent from deep in her career on nine or more attempts per game in each of her four seasons (with a good chunk of them being created off the bounce).
2. Through eight games, Tianna Hawkins has already surpassed her previous career high for three-pointers made in a season. She’s 13-29 (44.8 percent) thus far for the Mystics. It should be noted that Hawkins is getting more run this season in Washington, playing 10 more minutes per game than she did last season.
Part of that was due to happen with Emma Meesseman sitting out the season. The Mystics have also been playing without reserve big LaToya Sanders (illness), who has since returned to action, and Elena Delle Donne. Hawkins has been aggressive attacking closeouts and even going to work facing up or on the block against other forwards/centers.
If this near-40 percent clip continues at this rate (5.4 3PA per 40), defenses will be forced to adjusted their game plans accordingly. When Hawkins gets run off the three-point line, she’ll have opportunities to attack downhill and make the next pass to set up an open teammate.
3. 17 of Briann January’s 36 shot attempts have been threes, and she has hit 11 of them. The volume has tapered off for the new Mercury starting point guard after her 46-107 (43 percent) three-point shooting performance in 2012.
Several of January’s triples have been the exact kind of shots — either the first or second pass out after Brittney Griner gets doubled in the post — she and her non-Diana Taurasi teammates will need to hit in the playoffs for Phoenix to make a legitimate Finals push.
4. Jonquel Jones has doubled (2.3 to 4.6) her 3PA per 40 minutes from last year. Everyone ought to be terrified.
5. Somehow, everyone but Breanna Stewart seems to be going bonkers in Seattle. Loyd is getting up three more threes per 40 and has made 19 of her first 45. Sami Whitcomb and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis have combined to hit 14 of 26. Alysha Clark hit eight of her first 15.
If Loyd in particular can keep this up, the league’s second best offense (110.9 points per 100 possessions) just might keep this pace once Stewart begins knocking more shots down from the outside.
Links I like
Here’s Ava Wallace on Connecticut’s Sunday win over Washington, including an update on Elena Delle Donne’s status
Here’s Neil Olstad on the Lynx falling to 2-5 after Sunday’s loss in Los Angeles
Here’s Sydnee Williams with a Q&A with our own Jasmine Brown on the Mystics and their strong start to the season
Related Story: Monday Drop Off: Takeaways from LA's Sunday W over Minnesota
Here’s Percy Allen with some words from Dan Hughes on where he thinks his team is at on both offense and defense thus far