WNBA Shot Difficulty Leaderboard Explorer

Shot Difficulty Engine

Custom Scenario

Adjust defender proximity, contest angle, and shot velocity to simulate expected shot difficulty vs. actual conversion rates.

Presets:

Avg Defender Distance 2.4 ft

Tight (1.0 ft) Contested (3.5 ft) Wide Open (8.0 ft)

Contest Angle (Approach) 65°

Trailing (0°) Flank (45°) Full Face-up (90°)

Shot Distance 18.5 ft

Paint (4 ft) Mid-Range (16 ft) Deep 3 (28 ft)

Shot Execution

Clutch Factor

Calculated Difficulty Season Rank #1 Match

94.5 / 100 Expected eFG%: 34.8%

Contest Rating Severe

Distance Index Mid-Deep (0.78)

Diff Margin +33.4% eFG

Shot Difficulty vs. Actual Efficiency (eFG%)

AWS Spatial Metrics: High difficulty converted efficiently highlights extraordinary single games.

Courtney Williams (#1) Top WNBA Games

AWS Tracking Breakdown · Single Game Showcase

Williams posted 22 field goal attempts with an average defender proximity of just 2.4 feet and a 65° contest angle. Her 68.2% eFG% yielded a net +33.4% shot efficiency above expectation, holding the 2024 season crown.

Season Single-Game Shot Difficulty Leaderboard

Filter and rank elite shotmaking performances across the WNBA season.

Filter Clutch: Sort By:

Rank	Player & Matchup	Shot Difficulty	Actual eFG%	Avg Def Dist	Total FGA	Clutch Level	Actions

Showing 6 validated single-game benchmarks. Courtney Williams maintains top mark.

Source: @WNBA Post · Analytics: AWS WNBA Inside the Game

About AWS Shot Difficulty Metric Methodology

The Shot Difficulty rating calculates the statistical challenge of a field goal attempt based on optical court tracking. Key AWS parameters include defender distance at release (ft), defensive approach velocity, contest angle (0° to 90° face-up), shooter movement, release time, and court location. A higher difficulty score indicates tighter defense and off-balance execution. When a player maintains high eFG% under severe difficulty, their performance yields substantial Shot Quality Value Added (SQVA).