The Offense is Not the Issue

Largely considered the greatest offensive team in league history, the 2023 Las Vegas Aces started the following players:

A'ja Wilson: 22.8pp/9.5reb/1.6asts on .557/.310/812 splits

Kelsey Plum: 18/7/2.4/4.5 on .475/.389/.912

Jackie Young: 17.6/4/3.8 on .523/.449/.867

Chelsea Gray: 15.3/4/7.3 on .490/.421/.897

All four players had a TS% over 60%. There were only 16 qualified players in the league that year with a TS% over 60%.

As a team, they scored 113 points per 100 possessions, with eFG% of 55.3 and a TS% of 59.7.

This year, the Indiana Fever lead the league in Offensive Rating at 112.4 points per 100 possessions. They also lead the league in both eFG% (54.6) and TS% (59.6). Just a smidge behind the best offense in league history.

The Fever are also scoring 94ppg which would set a new league record. The gap between them and second (Minnesota at 90ppg) is greater than the gap between #2 and #9 (Chicago at 86.4).

To hammer home the issue that the offense is not the issue, they actually score a little more in their losses (93.6 vs 94.6). The defense is the huge swing. In their wins, they only allow 80.4ppgs. In their losses? 102.5. A massive 22-point difference with the offense remaining the same.

Just want to highlight Kelsey Mitchell and her historic season. I believe only 6 guards in league history have averaged more than 22ppg in a season. Only one of those, Cynthia Cooper in the first two seasons of the league, did it with a TS% over 60%.

Mitchell is currently averaging 22.7ppg with a TS% of .621.

Insane stuff all around.