Kelsey Plum leads the WNBA with 19 made 3-pointers. Allisha Gray is second with 15 triples.
The WNBA’s 3-point leaders will meet on Tuesday in Southern California (10 p.m. ET), when Plum’s Los Angeles Sparks host Gray’s Atlanta Dream.
That the two are at the top of the WNBA’s 3s leaderboard reflects the instant philosophical impact of new head coaches Lynne Roberts and Karl Smesko. The pair were imported to the W from the collegiate ranks by Los Angeles and Atlanta due to the modern, 3-point-centric offensive systems they established at Utah and FGCU.
Even as both offenses remain a work in progress, Roberts’ and Smesko’s prioritization of 3-point shooting is evident. Last season, LA shot 22.6 3s per game, making just 32 percent as a team. Atlanta shot only 19.4 3s per game, converting 30.8 percent. Roberts and the Sparks have upped their volume to almost 26 3s per contest, while shooting nearly 38 percent. Smesko has Atlanta taking nearly 31 3s per game, albeit at a less-stellar 31.8 percent.
Plum is shooting 43.2 from behind the arc on 8.8 attempts per game on her way to her league-leading 19 3s. Azurá Stevens has been the most accurate Spark from deep, realizing her full potential as a stretch big by making 47.1 percent of her 3.4 3s per game. For the…
