Swanny’s Stats

The official Minnesota Lynx Statistician Blog

To the Best Season Ticket Holders in the WNBA:

DON'T FORGET:

WHO: You and your friends
WHAT: College Game Night #4 (Baylor vs. LSU): Watch great college ball, appetizer/drink specials, LYNX giveaways
WHERE: WOODBURY Champps - 8418 Tamarack Village Woodbury, MN 55125-3383 - (651) 735-5050
WHEN: TONIGHT, January 30 @ 5:30PM, Tip-Off: 6PM
WHY: Come and see Sophia Young and the Defending National Champions, take on Seimone Augustus and the #5 ranked LSU Lady Tigers. Print off your tickets on Account Manager and give me a call with any questions!

See you there!
GO LYNX!

Completing our look at some of the top players available when the free agent signing period begins on Wednesday (Feb. 1), we'll delve into rebounders and ballhandlers who may be of interest to the Lynx.

Using data from KnickerBlogger.net, Minnesota finished 10th among the WNBA's 13 teams in turnovers, averaging 21.8 miscues for every 100 possessions. The Lynx were also 10th in assist/turnover ratio (0.99-to-1), while facing a 2.3 ppg deficit in points off turnovers (12.6-14.9). Switching to Hollinger-inspired statistics, here are the top five free agents in terms of Assist Ratio (min. 500 Minutes Played):

Ast% - Player, 2005 Team
.393 - Dawn Staley, Houston (u)
.355 - Dalma Ivanyi, San Antonio (r)
.345 - Ticha Penicheiro, Sacramento (u)
.267 - Tamecka Dixon, Los Angeles (u)
.266 - Nikki Teasley, Los Angeles (r)

Followed by the five with the lowest Turnover Ratios (min. 500 Minutes Played):

.TO% - Player, 2005 Team
.091 - Lauren Jackson, Seattle (r)
.096 - Nykesha Sales, Connecticut (u)
.099 - Vickie Johnson, New York (u)
.113 - Crystal Robinson, New York (u)
.118 - Coco Miller, Washington (r)

The Lynx were 8th in rebounding margin last season, being outboarded by an average of -0.9 rpg (30.1-31.0). Minnesota's top rebounder, Nicole Ohlde, checked in at 15th individually (5.7 rpg); only San Antonio and Charlotte were led by players with lower per-game averages, while four teams (Connecticut, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle) had two players ahead of the Lynx' best. Here are 2005's top per-game rebounding numbers among those available:

RPG -- Player, 2005 Team
9.2 -- Lauren Jackson, Seattle (r)
6.9 -- Elena Baranova, New York (u)
6.8 -- Michelle Snow, Houston (r)
6.6 -- Ann Wauters, New York (r)
5.7 -- Wendy Palmer-Daniel, San Antonio (u)

And similar numbers, this time expressed as Rebound Rate, a formula that estimates the percentage of available rebounds a player collects during her time in the game (.100 would be the nominal average, if all 10 players on the floor rebounded at an equal rate):

Reb% - Player, 2005 Team
.171 - Lauren Jackson, Seattle (r)
.167 - Michelle Snow, Houston (r)
.165 - Elena Baranova, New York (u)
.160 - Natalie Williams, Indiana (u)
.154 - Tari Phillips, Houston (u)