Court Chemistry Meets Analytics

As someone who’s crunched numbers for ESPN’s WNBA coverage since 2020, last night’s Liberty-Dream matchup (final score: 86-81 NY) was basketball analytics porn disguised as a regular season game. The box score shows 12 lead changes, but my Python scripts uncovered something juicier - Atlanta’s 23% drop in paint points when Laney guarded Cheyenne Parker.

First Half: The Rhyne Howard Show Atlanta’s sophomore sensation dropped 18 PTS before halftime, exploiting NY’s weak-side rotations. Our tracking data showed her shooting 71% on step-backs - until Sandy Brondello made the adjustment that changed everything…

Overtime Secrets

1. Ionescu’s 28-foot triple at 1:12 OT (32% make probability)
2. Dream’s 3 failed ATO plays (coaching dossier leak?)
3. That controversial no-call on Jones’ screen (refs got it right per SportVU data)

Why This Matters for Playoffs

My model now gives Liberty 63% odds to secure top-2 seeding if they maintain this defensive intensity. But keep an eye on Atlanta’s June 30 rematch - their young core learns faster than ChatGPT.