{"id":711981,"date":"2026-06-18T18:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T18:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/711981\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T18:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T18:33:16","slug":"stats-that-pop-in-the-first-40-days-of-the-wnba-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/711981\/","title":{"rendered":"Stats that pop in the first 40 days of the WNBA season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats newsletter. We\u2019re excited to announce a new partnership with Hudl<\/a>. Hudl\u2019s industry-leading tools – Sportscode, Instat, and Fastmodel – elevate the preparation, performance, and player development of WNBA and NCAA teams. We appreciate their support and look forward to working with them to help bring more insight about the women\u2019s game to you.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Jun 15, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) shoots a free throw against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Considering all the changes that happened this offseason, nobody knew exactly what the WNBA was going to look like in 2026. <\/p>\n

Now 40 days into the WNBA season, we are starting to see the league take shape.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at some of the statistics that pop out from the opening month-and-a-half of the year and what trends may be to come\u2026 <\/p>\n

League wide scoring remains up<\/p>\n

The new WNBA appears here to stay.<\/p>\n

Last year the average game produced 163.4 points per game. This year that number has shot up to 171.0. If you guessed that the difference is at the free-throw line, you are correct.<\/p>\n

The free-throw mania that made headlines to open the season has not dropped, as games are averaging 43.4 combined attempts at the line this year versus 36.4 per game in 2025.<\/p>\n

Other stats across the board are pretty similar. The league-wide field-goal percentage is only separated by half a percentage point from last season and shot attempts per game are nearly identical from both inside and beyond the arc.<\/p>\n

The question is whether the free-throw counts will change as the season goes on. It was worth wondering if the referees were overzealous to start the season with the emphasis on allowing offensive players more freedom, but it seems that they are sticking with the fresh set of rules. If that sustains throughout the season, we will continue to see 100-point games, even if they take three hours.<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Lynx are the best at everything<\/p>\n

Cheryl Reeve, everyone.<\/p>\n

The Lynx are:<\/p>\n

First in points per 100 possessions (111.6)<\/p>\n

First in opponent points per 100 possessions (95.3)<\/p>\n

First in 2-point percentage (55.7%)<\/p>\n

First in 3-point percentage (39.0%)<\/p>\n

First in opponent effective field-goal percentage (45.7%)<\/p>\n

First in rebounds per game (37.4)<\/p>\n

Second in steals per game (9.1)<\/p>\n

Certainly there is a ton of attention on rookie Olivia Miles, who has taken the league by storm with her playmaking, scoring and highlight reel, but the most impressive part of the Lynx\u2019s start to the season is the team chemistry.<\/p>\n

With Napheesa Collier out with an injury, the Lynx only returned two starters in Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride, yet they look like a team that has been playing together for years. Not to mention that Williams changed positions from point guard over the last two highly-successful seasons to shooting guard. Her field-goal percentage is up from 42.7% from the field last year to 49.8% this year.<\/p>\n

Power forward Nia Coffey hasn\u2019t even been a starter since 2023 and yet she has taken Alanna Smith\u2019s as a defensive specialist and floor-spacing 3-point shooter and run with it.<\/p>\n

The Lynx also switched their overall offensive identity, taking fewer of their shots from beyond the arc this season and focusing more on scoring at the basket. Last year, they took over a third of their scoring attempts from three, a 3-point rate that ranked in the top half of the league. This year, 26.3% of their scoring attempts have come from deep, which ranks 13th in 3-point rate.<\/p>\n

Normally we might be asking how the Lynx are going to work an MVP candidate back into their lineup when Collier returns, but Reeve answered all the questions about the new-look team in the offseason, so the Lynx deserve the benefit of the doubt. Where it will be interesting though is how Natasha Howard\u2019s role changes.<\/p>\n

Will she become more of a floor spacer so Collier can work the pick-and-roll with Miles, or will Howard continue to be the main player off the pick-and-roll and Collier become an open for Miles and Howard to drop off passes when the defense rotates? Or will they try to mix and match minutes to make it work for both players?<\/p>\n

The other question is whether the rest of the WNBA will start to find some answers for Miles. We have seen just about every possible pick-and-roll coverage known to mankind thrown at the Lynx and Miles has solved all of them, but the league is going to keep hunting for any possible answer to slow down the Lynx\u2019s dynamic offense.<\/p>\n

The defensive side speaks to Reeve\u2019s coaching and her players\u2019 experience. Across the WNBA, the first month of the season has seen all sorts of confusion as teams try to adapt to new coaches and new teammates, yet the Lynx have been able to master Reeve\u2019s system. The most likely reason for that is the veteran nature of the team. With young or inexperienced players entering the WNBA for the first time, the Lynx have an edge with four of their five starters being at least 30 years old.<\/p>\n

Could a former role player win MVP?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how things have shaped out so far in terms of win shares:<\/p>\n

A\u2019ja Wilson (3.2)<\/p>\n

Olivia Miles (3.0)<\/p>\n

Jessica Shepard (2.8)<\/p>\n

Breanna Steward (2.7)<\/p>\n

Natasha Howard (2.5)<\/p>\n

Rhyne Howard (2.4)<\/p>\n

Allisha Gray (2.1)<\/p>\n

Veronica Burton (2.1)<\/p>\n

Kayla McBride (2.1)<\/p>\n

Paige Bueckers (2.1)<\/p>\n

Jonquel Jones (2.1)<\/p>\n

Names like Wilson, Stewart, Gray are unsurprising and the No. 2 overall pick Miles has been a revelation, but\u2026 Jessica Shepard?<\/p>\n

In Minnesota, Shepard was known as a very high-IQ player who worked extremely hard and played any type of role that Reeve wanted from her, but she was never figured to be a superstar. This year she has played like a superstar under new Dallas coach Jose Fernandez.<\/p>\n

The reason is that she\u2019s playing a point-forward role that puts the ball in her hands constantly at the top of the key. Shepard\u2019s best trait is that she\u2019s an outstanding passer \u2013 legitimately as good as we have seen in the league for anyone her size (6-foot-4). It\u2019s reminiscent of Candace Parker when she averaged over six assists per game in Los Angeles in 2015. Shepard handling the ball allows for handoffs that get offensive players moving downhill, and it takes away the ability of defenders to blitz Paige Bueckers. All the skill players are moving off the ball at once and it\u2019s very difficult for defenders to handle.<\/p>\n

Shepard might never get the attention that other superstars on the list are getting, but she\u2019s turning into a triple-double threat every night. If Dallas becomes a legitimate contender, she will be deserving of more eyeballs on her remarkable season.<\/p>\n

Are Atlanta and Dallas on the same level as the WNBA\u2019s Big 3?<\/p>\n

Because of their recent success and current records, it\u2019s safe to say that the Lynx, Aces and Liberty are at the top of the WNBA heap and everyone else is trying to get into their stratosphere. There are four teams with nine wins, and the most intriguing of the second-tier group are Atlanta and Dallas because their future as legitimate contending teams will be determined by their ability to shore up their shortcomings.<\/p>\n

Atlanta\u2019s shooting is concerning. They are:<\/p>\n

Eighth in points per game (87.1)<\/p>\n

Ninth in 2-point percentage (50.5%)<\/p>\n

10th in 3-point percentage (33.0%)<\/p>\n

The Dream have been carried to an impressive record and point differential (+6.4, fourth-best in the WNBA) by their rebounding and ability to create turnovers. They are second in opponent points per 100 possessions despite ranking 10th in opponent effective field-goal percentage because they are No. 1 in steals per game and No. 1 in defensive rebound percentage.<\/p>\n

With Angel Reese\u2019s freakish rebounding and a bunch of defenders who are good at creating steals like Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, they may be able to sustain their success at creating more total scoring opportunities than their opponent, but it\u2019s worth wondering if they can compete with the top teams without improving significantly on the offensive end.<\/p>\n

Out of 58 players who are averaging at least 8.0 shot attempts per game this season, Reese ranks 39th in field-goal percentage, Howard is 36th and Naz Hillmon is 35th.<\/p>\n

Reese ranks in just the 19th percentile in field-goal percentage within five feet of the basket. Last year Reese showed improvement in her shooting percentage, but her regression is actively hurting Atlanta\u2019s offense. She\u2019s also second in the WNBA in turnovers with 3.8 per game. Reese\u2019s rebounding is so prolific that she can single-handedly give Atlanta an edge, but either her shot selection or her finishing ability has to improve or it\u2019s going to negate the positive impact of the rebounding.<\/p>\n

Howard, on the other hand, is trending in the right direction from where she\u2019s been in the past. This is the first time in her career that she\u2019s been over 40% from the field, including an impressive 37.8% from deep on more than nine 3-point attempts per game. If she can cut down midrange shots (4-for-19 from 10-22 feet from the basket), her size underneath the basket and 3-point shooting can carry Atlanta\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n

They also need more from the bench. Out of their 69.7 shots per game, 40.5 are coming from their three stars, and they don\u2019t have any bench players averaging more than 5.0 points per game. In fact, all five Dream starters are averaging 30+ minutes per game this season; no other team besides Las Vegas (three) has more than two such players. Whether it\u2019s getting them more involved or making a trade at the deadline, it\u2019s tough to win without some depth.<\/p>\n

Dallas has the opposite issue of Atlanta. They are allowing opponents to play efficient basketball against them, ranking 11th in opponent field-goal percentage (46.1%). and 13th in opponent 3-point percentage (38.8%).<\/p>\n

With their offensive talent and fairly deep roster, it\u2019s possible that they can continue to outscore teams. However, they did just hold Las Vegas to 66 points, so they might be finding some answers, but the roster construction doesn\u2019t lend itself to shutting down opponents. The Wings are lacking in size with Shepard often being the biggest player on the floor, and they are inexperienced with Bueckers, Aziaha James and Azzi Fudd either in their first or second years and players like Maddy Siegrist and Awak Kuier still learning.<\/p>\n

Alanna Smith, the WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, is only averaging 15.8 minutes per game after signing a big contract in the offseason. With her contract, a trade is not likely feasible but with her offensive struggles (36.8% from the field), it\u2019s hard to blame Fernandez for keeping her on the bench.<\/p>\n

For now, there might not be an answer for the Wings to improve defensively. It\u2019s tough to put them in the same category as the top teams until they do.<\/p>\n

Quick hitters:<\/p>\n

Can the expansion franchises hang on?<\/p>\n

The Fire have remained in the playoff race to open the season, but their overall numbers are not promising toward keeping it up. They are 11th in points per 100 possessions (100.1) and 15th in opponent points per 100 possessions (108.7). Their roster is likely lacking star power and depth to hang in the playoff race with more complete teams.<\/p>\n

Toronto has the offense, ranking fifth in points per game (88.8), but they are brutal defensively, ranking last in points against (91.3) and 12th in opponent effective field-goal percentage. If they lose Brittney Sykes long term after she was injured on Tuesday, it\u2019s going to be a very hard road.<\/p>\n

Can Phoenix recover?<\/p>\n

The Mercury leaned very heavily on a Big 3 last year, and without Satou Sabally, they haven\u2019t looked anything like the team that went to the Finals last year. Phoenix is 12th in effective field-goal percentage (48.5%) and 14th in opponent effective field-goal percentage (53.6%).<\/p>\n

Kahleah Copper will probably turn things around after a rough start to the season (36.8% field-goal percentage) that has come against a tough schedule, which has included five games thus far against the Aces, Liberty or Lynx. However, it\u2019s difficult to see where the rest of the Mercury\u2019s scoring will come from.<\/p>\n

The question for Phoenix might be whether they would consider trading Alyssa Thomas, who is 34 years old and might net a high return.<\/p>\n

Role players who deserve credit<\/p>\n

Nia Coffey \u2013 Hitting 44.1% of 3-pointers while nabbing 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. She has filled the void during Collier\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

Pauline Astier \u2013 Playing 25.5 minutes per game, Astier has been one of the best shooters in the game at 45.8% from 3-point land and 56.1% overall. Her presence helped New York while Sabrina Ionescu was sidelined with an injury.<\/p>\n

Janelle Salaun \u2013 Few teams have a player coming off the bench that can play 24 minutes per game, shoot 40% from beyond the arc, and give their team over four rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

NaLyssa Smith \u2013 The quietest 69.2% shooter you will ever see. Since she arrived in Vegas, Smith has given the Aces efficient scoring depth (11.2 points per game this year) and rebounding (7.0 per game).<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site<\/a>, our podcast<\/a>, and our social media accounts on Twitter<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n