Scoring Strategies Differentiating between Winning and Losing Teams during FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017

This study aimed to examine the scoring strategies differentiating between winning and losing teams during FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 in relation to different game scores. Data were gathered for all games of FIBA EuroBasket Women 2017 from the official website. The investigated scoring strategies were fast break points (FBP); points in the paint (PP); points from turnover (PT); second chance points (SCP); and points from the bench (PB). Games were classified with cluster analysis based on their score difference as close, balanced, and unbalanced and the differences in the scoring strategies between winning and losing teams were assessed using magnitude-based statistics. Results revealed no substantial differences in FBP in any investigated cluster. Furthermore, winning teams showed a substantially higher number of PP and PT (in close and unbalanced games) and SCP (in balanced and unbalanced games) compared to losing teams. Finally, winning teams scored substantially lower and higher number of BPs in close games and unbalanced games, respectively, compared to losing teams. In conclusion, all the investigated scoring strategies discriminate between winning and losing teams in elite women’s basketball except for FBP. These results provide useful information for basketball coaches to optimize their training sessions and game strategies.