Posted: 2025-08-22 09:08:12 (CT) [ 229 views ]
by Clifton Neeley
You may want to keep in mind what has already been verified on this site, as altitude of the home venue vs road venues for teams that travel outside their 3-point shooting comfort zone. If you look at the NBA data, you should look at individual teams data, as combining the entire league data tends to wash out the reality of what individual players are actually experiencing. We display shooting and winning percentages for the NBA and also show the altitudes of NCAAM and NCAAW Division 1 and a VMI rating for each game ahead of the game date.
These altitude changes can be very high and when arriving at a new road-venue, the shooters must re-establish a new base of thrust for three-point shooting during day before and game day shoot arounds. However, both teams' shooters must then re-adjust to much smaller "in-game" barometric minutely changes, but these evidently cause shooting "touch" issues. These seemingly small changes are the focus of this article.
After recording 3 point data per quarter in the WNBA, I have 83 games where the summary is as follows:
| SUM |
MORE THRUST NEEDED (Largest) |
MORE THRUST NEEDED (Larger) |
MORE THRUST NEEDED (Typical) |
Zero (no thrust change) |
LESS THRUST NEEDED (Typical) |
LESS THRUST NEEDED (Larger) |
LESS THRUST NEEDED (Largest) |
||||
| MADE | 668 | 41 | 160 | 269 | 65 | 81 | 31 | 21 | |||
| ATTEMPT | 2046 | 129 | 497 | 841 | 181 | 249 | 92 | 57 | |||
| Accuracy | PERCENT | 32.65% | 31.78% | 32.19% | 31.99% | 35.91% | 32.53% | 33.70% | 36.84% | ||
| ACCURACY WHEN MORE THRUST IS REQUIRED VS LESSER THRUST NEEDED > | MORE | 32.04% | AVG@ zero > | 35.91% | 33.42% | < WHEN LESS THRUST IS NEEDED | |||||
| OVERALL 3 POINT ACCURACY IN GAMES RECORDED > | 32.65% | ||||||||||
Summary:
The above data shows that the seemingly small air pressure changes during the game may in fact be the cause of team three point shooting droughts and rolls.
The overall three-point shooting percentage during the 2025 WNBA Season to date on the 83 games polled was 32.65% rounded to 33%
Accuracy when more thrust was needed to adjust was 32.04% (thrust calculated to approximately the weight of half a baseball) rounded to 32%
However, when the players needed to take off the same amount of thrust by shooting more softly the average increased to 33.42% ----- rounded to 33.5%
However, when the barometric pressure showed no change from the previous quarter or previous shoot around i.e. halftime or pregame; the three point percentage was 35.91% or rounded to 36%
The three columns above, labeled more on the left side of the "zero" column are segments whereby the increase of the barometric change was typical, larger, and largest. And right of the zero column "ditto" in lesser thrust needed.
The 84th game recorded occured last night (Aug 22, 2025) between Minnesota Lynx at Indiana Fever in Indianapolis and was not part of the 83 games included in the study.
The two teams are based at very similar altitudes as Minnesota's arena is at 800 feet and Indiana's arena is at 700 feet elevation. The standard air density for Minnesota's indoor arena is 65.01 on the Neeley Scale, whereas Indiana's indoor arena lands on the scale at 66.16 ADI.
In yesterdays game the actual barometric pressure during pregame shoot arounds was 29.16 inches mercury and stayed the same through the first and second quarters where both teams combined for 60% shooting those first two quarters. (Minnesota 33% and 50% respectively) and (Indiana 71% and 71%)
During half-time and third quarter the air pressure changed to 29.17 inches of mercury but remained steady through the third quarter and the two teams combiined for 71% three point accuracy(almost unheard of). Minnesota shot 3 for 4 and Indiana shot 2 for 3.
In the 4th quarter the barometric pressure changed from 29.17 to 29.19 so the shooters needed to add some thrust (about the weight of a full baseball, but spread out over the shooters leg, torso, arm and hand thrust). The two teams combined for 22% three point shooting. (Minnesota shot 17% at 1 for 6) and (Indiana shot 33% at 1 for 3).
Coaches, players and the general public currently believe that muscle memory, and visual memory are not very stable, however that may not make sense, as typists can type in the range of 90 to 100 words per minute without many errors. We do other things constantly without thinking about it or having errors. Sports performance may be more subject to barometric pressure changes than we actually have any idea.
What can be done? Well, there are some things, but the coaches and players must realize the truth and choose to work on it.
