As the WNBA’s 2026 awards roll out, the eye test could use a little backup. Three advanced metrics measure player value, each in its own way.
Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus (RAPM) begins with lineups. It accounts for who is on the floor to estimate which players affect their team’s scoring margin the most. Win Probability Added (WPA) starts with, well, win probability. It measures which players are responsible for actions that shift their team’s chances of winning. Statistical Plus-Minus (SPM) uses—wait for it—the player stats. It assigns positive and negative values to a player’s stat line to estimate how impactful their production is.
