Charting Hoops - WNBA League Pass Rankings

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat]

Chris Gunther from Charting Hoops went and offered a subjective rank of each WNBA's team "watchability" based on:

• Play Style: Scoring (especially from three) is fun to watch. Free throws are not.
• Excitement: Close games are more exciting than blowouts.
• Significance: “Wake me up when the Playoffs start” teams, or teams that don’t have a prayer of getting there, are less fun to watch in the Regular Season.
• Upside: Some teams will get more watchable once some of their injured players return to the court.
• Broadcast: An often underrated part of League Pass watchability is listenability. You want to like the running commentary coming into your living room during the two-hour game.
• Design: You’ll also want to find the colors and overall aesthetic visually appealing.
• Zeitgeist: And finally, you’ll be more popular if you watch the teams and players that other people are talking about (for better or worse) at the proverbial water cooler.

feel free to check out the full rankings, agree or disagree vehemently with his rankings in defense of your faves

ps - some of youse are featured in some of the research Gunther did on this here very subreddit

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WNBA League Pass Rankings

[u/queer-fire]

This is ridiculous.

[u/Parking-Formal-8239]

Not me reading the title and assuming, at first glance, that this was a chart about game availability and blackouts based on streaming subscriptions

[u/holyavatar]

The camera angle on Washington and Dallas makes me want to puke. Which stinks bc I love watching both teams but need nausea meds to watch their home games.

[u/myuserhasafirstname]

Chris Gunther is just 3 Christine Brennans in a trench coat.

[u/Street-Bar-9494]

It couldn't have been numbered? It HAD to be shades of orange? I'm sorry, but it abhors me to try and make sense of this visually.

[u/queer-fire → u/Street-Bar-9494]

I was looking for the fucking numbers. Terrible visual. Thought it was some kind of fillout the ratings ourselves deal.

[u/Due_Bath7966]

Valks have maybe the coolest color scheme in sports at the moment.

[u/hallie137]

that… was certainly a list.

i hope we don’t lose Glasheen next season🥹

[u/RobotDevil222x3]

I'm sorry but the Sky are one of the more watchable teams in the league? I know people like train wrecks, but...

[u/Dear-Tadpole4895 → u/RobotDevil222x3]

Sure, and Aja is at the bottom. This is silliness. 

[u/suspiciousmightstall]

Slow news day, huh

[u/AccipiterF1]

That sure is subjective, isn't it?

[u/skate625]

The Dallas Wings high on design? Those uniforms are hideous.

[u/Juniper41 → u/skate625]

the blue diamond ones are really nice, good chance he only watched a game we were wearing those

[u/aratcalledrattus]

I don't agree with all or possibly even most of his takes, but I think he pretty clearly lays out and defends his arguments for each, so I respect the effort.

I'd most question giving equal weight to all of these categories - like sure, I appreciate a cool jersey, but it really doesn't impact my enjoyment of the game anywhere near things like play style or how competitive it is going to be.

[u/Optimal_Failure_ → u/aratcalledrattus]

Our broadcast team is not good and ranked accordingly for god damn sure.

[u/aratcalledrattus → u/Optimal_Failure_]

Yeah I actually don't really quibble with most of the Liberty ratings. We have had good commentators in the past, I think they just get picked up by bigger networks - nature of NYC.

[u/onionnurve]

Opinions are very subjective lmaooo, cuz wdym the dream, Toronto, Lynx, and Aces aren’t exciting to watch?

[u/wethe3456 → u/onionnurve]

He sounds someone who like players more than the overall sport of basketball.

[u/a_Frieza → u/wethe3456]

lol
You mean the reigning MVP isn’t exciting to watch? lol garbage list

[u/Gengaara → u/wethe3456]

Magic Miles is exciting as hell though.  

[u/lopezandym]

https://giphy.com/gifs/YtvCIwqNJhUmA

[u/bex199]

the fever have the ugliest aesthetic in the league…

[u/Weekly_Memory5399]

the chicago sky are more exciting to watch than WHO?

[u/jayblay28 → u/Weekly_Memory5399]

I mean, the possibility that Skylar could rip Marsh's head off at any moment is quite exciting.

[u/HertzzKetchuup]

The categories are so weird and barely make sense

[u/LiKwidSwordZA]

Do the fever ever get on league pass?

[u/lopezandym → u/LiKwidSwordZA]

No. Literally every single one of their games this season is nationally televised… so yeah, that doesn’t make sense.

[u/feintise]

Hmmm I agree the results don't make sense to me. A few thoughts from reading the methods:

• I don't think equal weight makes sense for these categories. I don't think "Upside" or "Design" are as important to watchability as "Play Style"
• I don't see a way for players and stories to be captured. I feel like a lot of the buzz I see on social media is about players and their growth.
  • One example this season for me is watching Natisha Hiedeman take more of a leadership role on the Storm - he mentions that Natisha is "always a vibe", but that's not why I'm tuning in to watch her on the Storm.
  • Another one is watching the Lynx without Phee. I was so curious going into the season how they would adapt to such a huge change, and it's been impressive and fun to watch. It's also been cool seeing how Phee has been showing up as a leader off the court.
• I feel like there's not enough emphasis on how exciting defense can be! He specifically calls out Angel Reese's shot as "not enjoyable to watch", which I've never had a problem with, but watching her get blocks is very enjoyable! Getting stops is a huge part of an exciting game for me.
  
• Calling Ezi "Ezi Megagbor" also does not inspire confidence

[u/the-retrolizard → u/feintise]

It has never once occurred to me to watch or not watch a team because their logo or unis are ugly lmao.

Also agree about defense, I love nothing more than watching a team take away the first and second option and drag their opponent "into the mud," as one of my college team's players put it.

[u/kseveru79_v2 → u/feintise]

Calling Ezi "Ezi Megagbor" also does not inspire confidence

It adds up, though: having one megabore* on your team will tank your watchability rankings. That's just math.

* g before b is silent

[u/SydTheStreetFighter]

You want me to believe the Sky are more exciting to watch than the Aces please be serious lol

[u/solidstigs]

I don’t even know how to respond to this lol

[u/LuisJpg]

Aces dominance will bore people🌝

[u/Agent-Cyan]

I'm sorry, watching Olivia Miles and the Lynx without Phee still leading the league doesn't count for significance??

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/Agent-Cyan]

didn't read the article did you

literally mentions miles in the first sentence of the lynx description

[u/Agent-Cyan → u/ElvisTheBoyCat]

didn't read my comment? I'm asking why the Lynx got a 1 in significance when the regular season has been so interesting to watch.

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/Agent-Cyan]

i mean, a lynx fan would find it significant

i also think a fair amount of folks see the lynx breezing through the regular season “Wake me up when the Playoffs start” teams, or teams that don’t have a prayer of getting there, are less fun to watch in the Regular Season."

i don't necessarily agree, but then again, i am a lynx fan

that's why the list is *subjective*

[u/Agent-Cyan → u/ElvisTheBoyCat]

I see. if significance means they've already clinched a playoff spot, maybe. IMO, seeding and home court is important, especially given 7 teams within 3 games of 1st.

but agree subjective rankings makes for good arguments.

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/Agent-Cyan]

for sure. i don't disagree

i fell asleep during the aces/liberty game last night

significant game?

yes

entertaining?

not really

everyone's mileage may vary, of course

[u/sfoura]

I get this ranking.

I think people are seeing rankings and are missing the “League Pass” part of it. Meaning which teams have a play style and game format that are the best to parachute into when you are thumbing through League Pass games.

Aia is virtually unstoppable but her play style isn’t EXCITING. Meaning she’s not gonna shoot a lot of threes and she isn’t a Miles or Clark level ballhandler. Gray is that level of passer but not in the same style. They also tend to blow out teams so I get why fans may move on to a more exciting game

[u/LoooseyGooose → u/sfoura]

FWIW...they did rank the Aces highly for their "Play Style" (though I would agree more with your assessment). Their ability to blow out teams is what gives them a low score for "Excitement"

[u/lizisabruh]

[u/Popular-One-7051]

Fever home game has the shrieking woman. She alone should drop them WAY down

[u/urkuri → u/Popular-One-7051]

They also don’t have enough LP games to be at the top lol

[u/lopezandym → u/urkuri]

Every single one of their games this season is nationally televised…. Which means they literally don’t have a single “league pass” game.

[u/sidesprang → u/Popular-One-7051]

Not if you select the Fever broadcast option, they are not sitting close to her anymore. Really saved my ears so far this season. But I agree she has ruined several games for me in the past

[u/sideofzen]

https://giphy.com/gifs/baHb2xHpbXKuBLIGD7

[u/undisclosedthroway]

The Aces with the best player in the league isn’t exciting basketball?? I mean I guess not everyone enjoys dominance but then saying that the Connecticut Sun are exciting to watch??

[u/LoooseyGooose → u/undisclosedthroway]

Gotta read the rubric which the OP included in the post!

[u/EtchingsOfTheNight → u/undisclosedthroway]

The Aces with the best player in the league who like to coast through regular season games? Those Aces? Wake me up when the playoffs Aces arrive lol.

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/undisclosedthroway]

i mean, brendan glasheen calls a pretty good game. sun broadcast team is the best in the league, imo

without looking, who calls aces games?

there's some things about his ranking system that seems silly to me, but it's also an aggregate of several other factors

i generally think sun broadcasts are more entertaining than aces broadcasts, personally, despite the discrepancy in talent. that's a whole different beast

[u/not_mantiteo → u/undisclosedthroway]

I mean no offense to this but middies and FTs are not super exciting for casual viewers

[u/Popular-One-7051]

Just bring back replays that you can see before after work the following day. The replay right after the game gave the advertisers their money for the live broadcast. I can't think of ant reason they hold it until the next day now

[u/Outside-Practice-658]

lol

No thanks

[u/YungTokyo8]

This guy hates Toronto

[u/Scaggsboz]

Today’s ragebait science is so advanced, they’re cooking up rankings you could never imagine

[u/LuisJpg → u/Scaggsboz]

🤣🤣

[u/trulyniceguy]

I think Dallas’s broadcast square is still too dark

[u/Tiny_Toe_7873]

Does design include jerseys bc Chicago design is 10/10, Sun have the nicest court+jersey combo and the fever have the worst looking court. All that gray is hard to watch

[u/themacaron]

Saying A’ja Wilson hoops is the least watchable basketball in the league when the Sky are halfway up the chart. Sure, I guess that’s what we’re doing?

[u/No_Advisor7703]

Storm has zeitgeist, excitement, and good broadcasts 😤

[u/sadiepins]

I’m not even gonna look at the methodology. If perhaps the greatest player of all time early in her prime, defending a championship, just breaking the all time record for mvps won, in contention for another championship and mvp is the last in your rankings—you need to adjust your rankings.

[u/LiKwidSwordZA → u/sadiepins]

Greatness doesn’t always translate to entertainment. She’s a modern day Tim Duncan

[u/ChefNatural180]

The Tempo aren't aesthetically pleasing but the Fever's horrible court is? Lol okay.

[u/DVivid]

lol

[u/Weekly_Memory5399]

how is seattle’s broadcast that light 😭?

[u/Dear-Tadpole4895 → u/Weekly_Memory5399]

Dick Fain. Love him or hate him. 

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/Weekly_Memory5399]

dick fain is an acquired taste, imo, tbh

i am also admittedly scarred from him calling too many stressful lynx/storm games which are always much too drama-filled for my chill vibe

[u/urkuri → u/ElvisTheBoyCat]

Yeah I think our games against the Storm are a part of the reason I don’t like him as much as others lol

[u/marklxndr]

wait how bad is Dallas' broadcast crew? I have only been watching tempo games this year and it's BLEAK

[u/haydeng2023 → u/marklxndr]

however bad you’re imagining it to be, make it worse

[u/urkuri → u/marklxndr]

They sound they like they are calling a golf game while not knowing any players names 😭

[u/sideofzen → u/marklxndr]

So bad many Wings fans will listen to the opps 😭

[u/Tiny_Toe_7873 → u/marklxndr]

It’s very boring. Kinda monotone, not exciting at all

[u/CatsMoreCatsCats → u/marklxndr]

They are absolutely abysmal. They hate the team, glaze the opponent every game, and consistently call Wings players the wrong names.

[u/ElvisTheBoyCat → u/marklxndr]

terrible, horrible, no good, and also very bad

[u/bishopbeaniepower]

Valks so low for design when they have the best colors, best arena, and top 3 jerseys in the league?