Efficiency: The Daily Recap

How do many WNBA coaches quickly evaluate a player's game performance? They check her efficiency.

WNBA.com now evaluates all players based on the efficiency formula, the same one also used by fantasy game players in WNBA Virtual GM: ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)).

For example, compare Nykesha Sales' game (16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists) on May 24 vs. Los Angeles and Tamika Williams' game (six points, eight rebounds and two assists) on May 24 vs. Sacramento. Sales played a better game, right? Not exactly. Williams, who shot 3-3 from the field and committed zero turnovers, registered a +16 efficiency total while Sales, who shot 5-14 from the field and committed three turnovers, logged a +14.

For games played on 9/12/2014
@
Mercury  87
 Box Score
Sky  82
Player MIN EFF
C. Dupree40+30
P. Taylor31+19
D. Taurasi35+18
E. Kobryn25+17
D. Bonner40+14
M. Bass15+13
S. Murphy5+1
E. Phillips100
PlayerMINEFF
S. Fowles36+24
A. Quigley29+18
E. Delle Donne40+18
C. Vandersloot36+14
T. Young16+8
J. Breland17+7
M. Gatling4+2
J. Faulkner4+1
E. Prince170

 
2014 MOST EFFICIENT PLAYOFF PERFORMANCES
PLAYER
DATE
OPP
MIN
FGM-A
FTM-A
REB
AST
ST
BS
TO
PTS
EFF
A.McCoughtry ATL 08/24/14 @ Sky 35 13-20 13-14 4 1 2 0 2 39 + 36
M.Moore MIN 08/21/14 vs Stars 37 9-18 6-6 6 7 3 2 0 26 + 35
E.Delle Donne CHI 08/26/14 @ Dream 36 10-19 11-11 2 4 1 3 1 34 + 34
D.Taurasi PHO 09/02/14 vs Lynx 35 12-17 4-7 5 7 1 1 4 31 + 33
T.Catchings IND 08/23/14 @ Mystics 37 8-16 9-10 11 4 2 1 2 26 + 33
M.Moore MIN 08/31/14 vs Mercury 40 10-21 7-7 9 2 3 0 3 32 + 32
L.Whalen MIN 08/23/14 @ Stars 30 11-17 9-10 7 4 2 0 5 31 + 32
S.Fowles CHI 09/01/14 vs Fever 42 12-14 3-5 7 0 3 3 4 27 + 32
M.Moore MIN 08/23/14 @ Stars 37 5-13 5-5 8 10 2 4 1 16 + 31
B.Griner PHO 08/29/14 vs Lynx 33 9-14 5-5 11 1 0 3 3 23 + 30
C.Dupree PHO 09/12/14 @ Sky 40 11-16 2-2 3 6 2 1 1 24 + 30
P.Taylor PHO 08/29/14 vs Lynx 33 3-9 10-11 13 7 2 1 3 16 + 29
B.Griner PHO 09/02/14 vs Lynx 32 9-12 4-4 6 4 0 1 1 22 + 29
D.Taurasi PHO 08/22/14 vs Sparks 36 10-15 8-8 2 3 1 0 6 34 + 29
S.Fowles CHI 08/26/14 @ Dream 39 5-8 3-5 15 1 4 1 0 13 + 29
C.Dupree PHO 09/07/14 vs Sky 31 13-17 0-0 6 1 2 0 3 26 + 28
T.Catchings IND 08/21/14 vs Mystics 29 4-15 14-14 10 2 7 0 2 22 + 28
D.Taurasi PHO 09/07/14 vs Sky 31 8-13 0-0 4 11 2 1 4 19 + 28
D.Adams SAN 08/23/14 vs Lynx 28 8-14 5-6 7 2 0 2 0 23 + 27
E.Larkins IND 09/01/14 @ Sky 45 5-6 5-5 11 2 1 2 4 15 + 26
S.Fowles CHI 08/30/14 @ Fever 36 6-12 8-10 14 0 0 3 3 20 + 26