Still, when it came time to cast my ballot, Bueckers was my clear choice.
Part of the edge goes to Bueckers simply because of the load she’s had to carry; the UConn product has a 24.9% usage rate this season, meaning that about a quarter of all possessions when she’s on the floor end with her (either taking/making a shot or turning the ball over).
Part of the edge goes to Bueckers due to her playmaking; the Wings rookie is averaging the 10th-most assists per game this season. She has the 11th-highest assist percentage this season (29.4% of Wings players’ field goals are assisted by Bueckers while she’s on the floor). And, she has the 8th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league (among those averaging at least two dimes per game).
Several advanced statistics (imperfectly) measure a player’s individual impact, and Bueckers leads in those categories.
Bueckers has the 9th-highest PER in the league (21.4), while Citron has a 16.5 PER, which is just above league average (15). (Player Efficiency Rating measures a player’s statistical contributions per minute into a single, pace-adjusted number, accounting for positive actions like points, assists, and rebounds, as well as negative actions like turnovers and missed shots).
Bueckers also leads Citron in another advanced analytics, PIE, which shows the percentage of game events a player achieved (based on a complex formula that is basically a revamped version of PER). Bueckers has a 14.2 PIE rating (16th-best in the league), while Citron has an 11.9 PIE (38th-best).
How insightful are these statistics? It’s an age-old question, but the eye test affirms Bueckers’ impact.
Had the Mystics had a stronger finish to the season — and perhaps even secured a spot in the playoffs — Citron’s case would be made more compelling. For much of the season, the gap between the Mystics’ and the Wings’ records was larger and helped Citron’s Rookie of the Year case alive.
But the gap between the two teams’ success is not substantial enough to overcome the fact that Bueckers has carried a heavier load on her team, and by most metrics, has been the more impactful, all-around player.
