Profiling high performers in elite women's basketball: Functional roles and normative benchmarks from 10 seasons of Spanish First Division data.

Despite significant advances in basketball analytics, professional women's leagues remain underrepresented in performance research. Understanding normative performance benchmarks in professional women's basketball is essential for informed player development, scouting, and tactical planning; however...

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Publicado en:Journal of Sports Sciences Vol. 43; no. 22; pp. 2764 - 2776
Autores principales: Courel-Ibáñez, Javier, Piñar López, Maria Isabel, Contreras-García, José Miguel, J. Ibáñez, Sergio
Formato: equations & formulas research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Nov2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Nov2025
      vid: 43
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1080/02640414.2025.2555559
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        atl: Profiling high performers in elite women's basketball: Functional roles and normative benchmarks from 10 seasons of Spanish First Division data.
      aug:
        au:
          Courel-Ibáñez, Javier
          Piñar López, Maria Isabel
          Contreras-García, José Miguel
          J. Ibáñez, Sergio
        affil: Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Granada, Faculty of Education and Sport Sciences, Melilla, Spain
      sug:
        subj:
          Athletes, Elite Spain
          Basketball Spain
          Athletes, Female Spain
          Athletic Performance Evaluation
          Talent Identification, Sports
          Human
          Spain
          Sporting Events
          Factor Analysis
          Cluster Sample
          Criterion-Related Validity
          Benchmarking
          Athletes, Professional
          Team Sports
          Reference Values
          Nonexperimental Studies
          Data Analysis Software
          Inferential Statistics
          Female
          Funding Source
          Chi Square Test
          Descriptive Statistics
          Female
      ab: Despite significant advances in basketball analytics, professional women's leagues remain underrepresented in performance research. Understanding normative performance benchmarks in professional women's basketball is essential for informed player development, scouting, and tactical planning; however, this area remains underexplored. This study analysed ten seasons (2012–2022) of performance data from 609 players, Spain's top-tier women's league (LF Endesa). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirmed the adequacy of 15 key indicators normalized per minute. A two-step clustering approach identified six functional player profiles (Primary Post, Secondary Post, Playmaker, 3&D Specialist, Role Player and Versatile). Players were further stratified into high, mid, and low performers within each role using z-score tertiles. Linear mixed models revealed that High performers consistently outscored Low performers in key metrics such as 2-point and 3-point field goals made, assists, and defensive rebounds (p < 0.01). Convergent validity was supported by the overrepresentation of High performers among First Team selections and players from top-ranked teams. Normative values for each role and performance tier are presented, providing a valuable reference for talent identification and role-based benchmarking in professional women's basketball. Future research should integrate contextual variables and advanced tracking data to refine these classifications across broader competitive settings.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        equations & formulas
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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