The WNBA has made history by becoming the first women's professional sports league in the U.S. to implement league-wide optical tracking technology through a multi-year partnership with Second Spectrum, a Genius Sports technology solution. This groundbreaking deal will provide the WNBA with access to 3D tracking data, enabling teams to utilize real-time advanced statistics to measure various categories such as shot quality, shooter impact, and paint touches. Additionally, the technology will allow for the assessment of a player's maximum speed and total distance covered during a game.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed enthusiasm about the transformative impact of technology on sports, stating that the deployment of state-of-the-art optical tracking technology will offer valuable data to teams. This data can be leveraged to enhance player performance, inform in-game strategy, and provide new insights and media elements for fans.
The optical tracking data will be collected through an array of cameras installed at each WNBA arena, with nearly half of the teams playing in NBA arenas where the technology is already in place. Genius Sports' chief commercial officer, Jack Davison, highlighted the partnership's significance in unlocking the next generation of data analytics for the WNBA teams.
WNBA Head of League Operations Bethany Donaphin revealed that the league consulted with their NBA counterparts, who have utilized similar technology for over a decade, to understand its potential benefits. The NBA has been instrumental in assisting the WNBA in implementing this cutting-edge technology.
New York Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb expressed excitement about the comprehensive capabilities of the system, emphasizing its potential to enhance strategic planning across the league. Donaphin, who played for the New York Liberty, shared that having access to such data during her playing career would have been immensely beneficial.
Looking ahead, the optical tracking data could potentially be utilized to enhance TV broadcasts or be shared directly with fans. However, the primary focus currently remains on making this technology available to WNBA teams to optimize player performance and strategic decision-making.
The introduction of league-wide optical tracking marks a significant milestone for the WNBA, signaling a new era of data-driven insights and performance enhancement within the league.
Source: AP WNBA
