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Dan Falkenheim

@thefalkon.bsky.social

460 followers 390 following 120 posts

Fact Checker and super googler at Sports Illustrated | WNBA, NFL mainly | Currently working on MS in Analytics @ Georgia Tech | Most of the time thinking about LOTR, sci-fi and film

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Feb 2

It's been a VERY busy WNBA offseason.

These are the players (mostly) who have swapped teams in the last week. Got it all? Neither do I 😂

(s/o to @acrossthetimeline.com's transactions tracker!)

A network graph showing most of the players (missing Jaelyn Brown) who have switched teams in the past week.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 4d

everyone touches the ball on this! (phoenix’s inverted P&R has been hard to guard as is.) good ball movement to start.

Steve Jones @stevejones20.bsky.social · 4d

Mercury go with inverted P&R for Alyssa Thomas.
-Akoa Makani sets a step-up but notice how Wilson is not giving a gap and able to keep the ball in front.
-Aces switching off ball but Bell chases, Wilson out.
-Smith helps on roll and Mack cuts.

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 4d

Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike nailing what the players are fighting for (to be paid what they deserve!) and critiquing Cathy — all before the WNBA finals tip off — is exemplary work.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

Like, what do you do against *this*?

bsky.app/profile/stev...

Steve Jones @stevejones20.bsky.social · 9d

Phoenix Mercury go back to inverted P&R for Alyssa Thomas. Williams does a good job showing, Smith goes under but good read from Alyssa Thomas. Initiates contact and goes right to the spin move.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

For more numbers, check out the article!

It's been so fun to watch Alyssa Thomas shine this season and in the playoffs.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

This season, Alyssa Thomas set career highs in *both* usage rate and effective field goal percentage.

Scatter plot showing Alyssa Thomas's individual seasons by usage rate (x-axis) and effective field goal percentage (y-axis). She set career highs in both usage rate and effective field goal percentage this season.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

Alyssa Thomas is responsible for 41% of the triple-doubles ever recorded in a WNBA non-exhibition game.

She also has *10* more triple-doubles than all other players with one career triple-double combined.

(Data via @acrossthetimeline.com)

Horizontal bar plot showing the WNBA triple double leaderboard (regular season + playoffs). Alyssa Thomas has the most by far.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

This year, Alyssa Thomas became the only player in WNBA history to average at least 15 points and 9 assists per game in a single season.

(Data via @acrossthetimeline.com)

Scatter plot showing WNBA individual seasons by assists per game (x-axis) and points per game (y-axis). Alyssa Thomas is the only player in league history to average 15+ points and 9+ assists per game.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · 6d

As good as Alyssa Thomas is, she isn’t always discussed to the same degree as the WNBA's other generational superstars, like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart

She should be. For SI, I broke down the numbers behind why AT is the WNBA's best-kept secret:

www.si.com/wnba/alyssa-...

By the Numbers: Alyssa Thomas Is the WNBA’s Best-Kept Secret

As the Mercury prepare for their WNBA Finals series against the Aces, let’s break down the career of Phoenix’s triple-double threat.

www.si.com

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 30

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 27

I wonder if people outside of Seattle realize just how good Gabby Williams has been.

She's one of four players averaging at least 10 points and 3 steals + blocks per game. The others are A'ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith. (Data: @acrossthetimeline.com)

Should be an All Star!

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 15

such a huge credit to the Valkyries players and coach Natalie Nakase for the way Golden State has played.

it ain’t easy gelling as a team with new players, a new coach and a short training camp, and then being competitive right out of the gate.

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 7

great read:

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/o...

Opinion | How Underpaid Are W.N.B.A. Players? It’s Embarrassing.

www.nytimes.com

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 7

Nobel Laureate and labor economist Claudia Goldin on WNBA pay inequity:

"These numbers suggest that the average WNBA salary should be roughly one-quarter to one-third of the average NBA salary [...] Instead, the average WNBA salary is but a minuscule fraction — a mere 1/80th"

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 4

It's really impressive how good Kiki Iriafen has been so early into her career.

I'd love to see the Mystics experiment more with some Iriafen and Shakira Austin lineups. (Although maybe Dolson's three-point shooting is needed to unlock space for Iriafen.)

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 1

There are some gems in here!

babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=in...

Spalding's official basket ball guide for women : containing the official rules revised for 1916-17 / edited by Senda Berenson Abbott

babel.hathitrust.org

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · Jun 1

Late night rabbit hole: Laughing at these two “wrong guarding” pictures from Spalding’s Official Basketball Guide for Women (1917)

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 31

Karl Smesko's system is alive and well in Atlanta: The Dream rank third in Rim or 3 shot frequency (70.3%) and have increased their effective field goal percentage from 45.2% last season to 49.1% this year.

There's still room to grow in efficiency, too.

The image shows two shooting charts. The chart on the left plots the Atlanta Dream's shot frequency vs. league average — they take more threes and less midrange shots outside the paint vs. league average. The chart on the right plots the Atlanta Dream's shooting efficiency — they are more efficient on right-wing threes and shots inside the paint.

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 25

The Sun posted their starting five for today's matchup against the Atlanta Dream.

Love to see the Sun continue to give Saniya Rivers a starting role off the bat. Even though Connecticut is a different group than last season, they have a fun squad and seem to be building in the right direction.

Reposted by Dan Falkenheim

Marisa Ingemi @mingemi.bsky.social · May 24

"They really stepped up and impacted this game."

There's a new dynamic duo in town, and they're French and rookies and suddenly the Valkyries' key players | @sfchronicle.com

www.sfchronicle.com/sports/artic...

Valkyries hold off Sparks to improve to 2-1 led by French rookies Leite, Salaün

The Golden State Valkyries used breakout games from French rookies Carla Leite and Janelle Salaün to beat the Los Angeles Sparks 82-73 on Friday.

www.sfchronicle.com

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Reposted by Dan Falkenheim

Shameka 🏀 @shameka23.bsky.social · May 5

Jonquel Jones looking dapper af at the 2025 Met Gala 🔥😮‍💨

#WNBA #MetGala #MetGala2025 #FashionAndBuckets

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 2

Aaliyah Nye is such a sharpshooter

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 2

Happy first WNBA preseason game day to all who celebrate 🥳

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 1

definitely! it should be fun. it's an interesting puzzle to find ways to have them fit together in a way that's beneficial for the team.

Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 1

Moving Reese a bit further from the basket should create more space and more efficient opportunities for Cardoso. (In theory.)

Julia's reporting indicates the Sky see Cardoso as more of the low-post fulcrum. I'm interested how Reese adapts and how the two play off each other.

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Dan Falkenheim @thefalkon.bsky.social · May 1

The charts show where the Reese, Cardoso and the Sky offense w/ both on the floor were more or less efficient compared to WNBA league average.

(I calculate shot efficiency here as field goal attempts + points on shooting fouls. It's like a blend of eFG% and TS%)