WNBA to use optical tracking to enhance player analysis [Video]

NEW YORK – The WNBA will become the first women’s professional sports league in the U.S. to have league-wide optical tracking after entering a multi-year deal with Second Spectrum, a Genius Sports technology solution.

With this deal, the WNBA will have access to 3D tracking data that will allow teams to use real-time advance stats that can measure categories such as shot quality, shooter impact and paint touches. It can also gauge a player’s maximum speed and total distance covered in a game.

“Technology continues to fundamentally change the sports landscape,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Deploying state-of-the-art optical tracking technology through Genius Sports will deliver rich data to our teams that they can leverage to enhance player performance while informing in-game strategy and enable a new wave of insights and media elements for fans.”

There will be an array of cameras at each of the WNBA arenas that will help collect …