The 30th season of the WNBA is just beginning, and through almost three weeks of action, the Connecticut Sun (1-7) and last year’s finalist, the Phoenix Mercury (2-5), look like they are in for a long season. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Dream (4-1), Las Vegas Aces (4-2), and Indiana Fever (4-2) have looked like the best teams, with the Fever standing out as the top offensive team led by their point guard, Caitlin Clark.
Five games into the 2026 season, Clark has returned to peak form, currently averaging 23.8 points (3rd in the league) and a league-leading 9.0 assists per game; she is the only player in the top three of any top categories while adding 4.4 rebounds per game.
The team is currently riding a three-game winning streak heading into their next matchup against the Golden State Valkyries, who hold the same record. The last time these two teams met last week, things got heated with some shoving and words exchanged between players.
The Science of Spacing: Understanding WNBA Gravity
For this season, the WNBA partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to use AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. By using player-tracking data to turn billions of data points into compelling insights, the league introduced a new metric called “Gravity.”
This stat quantifies how much a player pulls defenders out of their normal assignments, essentially measuring how much attention they draw compared to what the spacing on the floor predicts. In simple terms, it tells us who forces defenses to react, even before they touch the ball.
Leading this stat are the Mystics’ Sonia Citron (10.9 average gravity), Tempo’s Marina Mabrey (10.7), and Lynx’s Kyla McBride (10.6), with rookie first-overall pick Azzi Fudd (7.8) excelling in ninth place.
Cunningham vs. Clark: Analyzing Advanced Metrics
For the Fever, the highest-ranked player in this category is veteran Kelsey Mitchell (5.9) at 10th followed by Sophie Cunningham (4.8), who sits at 17th, followed by star player Caitlin Clark (3.9) at number 20.
Because this new metric measures everything, including movement within the paint, it highlights different playstyles; Clark, who does not penetrate often and prefers to operate near the three-point line, has an “interior on-ball gravity” of -3.2.
While this is a complex stat that offers deep insights, the eye test confirms that Clark is having a fantastic season. If she continues at this pace, she will undoubtedly be considered a primary MVP candidate. There is still much of the season ahead for all 15 teams, but this new AI-driven metric is certainly one to keep an eye on as the season advance.