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What’s the Best Bargain in Basketball? The WNBA
This article, by Coach Doug Brotherton, was originally published by FastModel Sports
The WNBA Playoffs begin tonight, and coaches should take advantage of the learning opportunity these games will provide.
Coaches spend the off season looking for ways to develop, improve, and learn. What if I told you that you might be missing out on the best bargain in basketball!?! For only $16.99, you could watch some of the best coaches in the world 204 times?
Yes, WNBA League Pass is only $16.99 for the entire season – that’s just over eight cents per game for terrific basketball! While this option is available, too many coaches are not giving the WNBA the respect that it deserves. There are some tremendous XsOs being put on display in WNBA games. The action is uptempo, players are skilled, and more coaches should be tuning in. Furthermore, all coaches should be encouraging their players to watch WNBA basketball!
The WNBA Playoffs tip off tonight (8/21) with both first-round single eliminations games airing live on ESPN2 at 8:30 and 10:30 ET. The Finals will take place the first week of September. Check it out!
Below are some of my favorite plays from the WNBA regular season.
Click on a play to read full description and to download it to your FastDraw library.
Atlanta Dream – Floppy Weak STS
The Dream have have scored multiple times using this wrinkle at the end of Floppy action. The weak side back screen has resulted in many layups, and the screen-the-screener pin down has also created open looks.
Phoenix Mercury – Zipper Pistol Flare
The Mercury ran this ATO to get a wide open three for the great Diana Taurasi. This has multiple options which makes it very difficult to guard. The pistol acton with a weak side flare is a nightmare for the help defenders.
Washington Mystics – Line Split STS BLOB
The Mystics used this BLOB set to get Elena Delle Donne an uncontested game winning-three. The double stagger screen sets up a screen-the-screener action for a shot at the top of the key. This BLOB set has different looks and would be a nice addition to any coach’s baseline series.
Chicago Sky – Elbow DHO Elevator
The Sky are 3rd in the WNBA in 3PT FG%, and this set has resulted in numerous good looks. Even if it is guarded well, the action flows right into an invert ball screen, which is what happened in the clip below.
Los Angeles Sparks – Winner 2.0
This play is named “Winner 2.0” because it is similar to the popular “Winner” set that Brad Stevens has used in the past. This set uses a zipper screen, to set up the back side flare and skip pass. The play has the screen for the shooter, and actually features a second screen (shooter was wide open in the clip).
This is just a small sample of some of the wonderful XsOs that have been put on display during the WNBA regular season. The WNBA Playoffs are going to be exciting and I urge coaches to tune in. If you have questions or are interested in more WNBA plays, you can contact Coach Doug Brotherton at: @CoachBrotherton
Also make sure to follow DYNAMIC COACHING TOOLS on Twitter: @DynamicCoaches
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Screen to Score
When an opponent focuses a defender on the best perimeter shooter on the team, a simple solution is to turn the shooter, into a screener! This is especially effective if that player will take pride in being a good screener. In the 2022 Big Ten semi-finals, Jordan Bohannon provided an example of how impactful this can be. On back-to-back possessions, Bohannon got a teammate wide open, and then screened himself open for consecutive three point shots.
As Bohannon came off of a stagger, his stagger stay connected to him and began to chase over the top. This makes it safe to assume that the defender will not switch on a screen. Bohannon curled and set a terrific screen. The second screener in the stagger recognized this read, and set a screen on his own man. With the primary defender’s unwillingness to help off of Bohannon, Keegan Murray knocked down a wide open 3.
On the next possession, Iowa got an offensive rebound and Bohannon called for “Thumbs Up.” This set play is a diagonal screen-the-screener set. As Bohannon set another tremendous screen, his defender had no choice but to offer help to prevent a layup. This created enough space for Bohannon to sprint to the three point line for an open shot.
Using a great shooter, as a screener, is not a new concept. Teams have been doing this for years. You will see this often from pure motion offensive teams. This game was just another reminder for coaches, as Iowa scored on multiple key possessions by turning their best shooter into a dangerous screener. Add more of this to your offense and your team will be harder to defend.
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End of Season Tools: AAR
As teams finish their season, we want to help provide some valuable tools, which will launch your program into next season. One of the hardest things for coaches to do, is to turn off their competitive spirit, drop the ego, and effectively self-evaluate. We found a great tool, which is pulled from the book, “The Culture Code,” by Daniel Coyle. An After Action Review (AAR) is used by the U.S. Army to deliver feedback after unit training exercises. The purpose of the AAR is to identify issues, find areas for improvement, and obtain lessons learned. So, how does this relate to your team? The answer to this, is found in the questions associated with the AAR. Take a look at the questions below, and think about your basketball season.
After Action Review Questions
What were our intended results?
What were our actual results?
What caused our results?
What will do we do the same next time?
What will we do differently?We recommend that you follow this process, in using the AAR questions to evaluate your season.
- If you are the Head Coach, answer these questions by yourself. Do not share your answers with anyone else, but make sure to keep a copy.
- Get your coaching staff together, and have them work together to answer the questions. Have someone document their answers, so you can use them later.
- Have your players work together to answer the AAR questions. This should happen without guidance from the coaches. Simply give them the questions, and let them document their responses. These are group responses, not individual responses from each player.
At the end of these After Action Reviews, the Head Coach has a nice collection of information, which can be used to begin productively planning for next season.
The AAR will provide you with the WHYs, which can lead to the HOWs, and this information will help you effectively plan for next season’s success.