Double-doubles, triple-doubles, and the RoY race

Now, I’m not a big fan of counting double-doubles and triple-doubles as a statistic. I find it arbitrary and limited, a tribute to our obsession with round numbers. I think measuring streaks is even less useful – I’m not super interested in whether double-doubles are consecutive or not. In short, there are much better ways to determine value than whether a stat happens to hit double digits or not. As an example – on 7/2, A’ja Wilson put up a 28 point, 9 rebound, 5 block game with a 26.3 game score. That’s not a double-double. But on 6/7 Nalyssa Smith put up a 10 point, 10 rebound game with a 6.8 game score. That is a double-double. So again, I’m not a big fan – but if we’re going to have a conversation about double-doubles and triple-doubles, let’s have the conversation.

 

Points/Rebounds Double-Doubles

Angel Reese has shown a clear superpower in rebounding – she’s at 11.9 RPG so far this season, a full rebound ahead of A’Ja Wilson at 10.9 RPG. This also leaves Reese with the narrowly highest RPG average in a season in the WNBA – ever (Sylvia Fowles would be second at 11.88 in 2018).

Caitlin Clark

Reese’s double-double streak has justified the headlines, and she has the most points/rebounds double-doubles in the WNBA this year, albeit narrowly over Dearica Hamby and A’ja Wilson – and their stats in their double-double games are better than Reese’s. Overall, Reese has 15 double-doubles – just over 10% of the 146 double-doubles in the WNBA so far this year. 

It’s worth noting that only a handful of guards have put up points/rebounds double-doubles this year, including Caitlin Clark (3), DeWanna Bonner and Jewell Loyd (2), Kahleah Copper and Rhyne Howard (1)

 

This list includes triple-double games, as they are, by definition, double-doubles as well.

r/wnba - Double-doubles, triple-doubles, and the RoY race
Points/Assists Double/Doubles

Double-doubles achieved with points and assists are much rarer in the WNBA. There have been 146 points/rebounds double-doubles in 132 games (1.11 per game), but only 24 points/assists double-doubles (0.16 per game).

Two players have dominated here – Caitlin Clark and Natasha Cloud, both with 5, more than 20% of the WNBA total. Alyssa Thomas is the only forward on the list and has 3 (including two triple-doubles).

 

 

r/wnba - Double-doubles, triple-doubles, and the RoY race
Triple-Doubles 

There have only been four triple-double games in the WNBA this season so far; two from Alyssa Thomas. Of our two prospective RoY candidates, only Clark is on this list.

r/wnba - Double-doubles, triple-doubles, and the RoY race
Summary:

Reese’s double-double streak is really impressive, and she is no doubt a great rebounder. She leads the WNBA in rebounding and in points/rebounds double-doubles (with just over 10% of the total), which is an amazing feat in a league that includes players like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.

As I said, I think there are deeper statistical looks one could do (I’ve already gone deep into Clark’s stats and may do the same for Reese). But if we’re talking about double/triple-doubles, speaking personally, I find Clark’s more impressive. Points/assists double-doubles are rarer and harder to do in the WNBA, and Clark co-leads the league in them, with a larger percentage (21%). She’s also on the board as the leading guard with three of the rebound variety (one of these was a triple-double).

Keeping in mind we’re only roughly halfway through the season, I’m really excited to see how these two continue to grow as the season goes on.