Analysis of the use, effectiveness, and efficiency of the pick and roll in elite women’s basketball

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness and outcomes of “pick and roll” plays inelite women’s basketball, focusing on the 2021-2022 EuroLeague Final Four. Themain objective is to analyze the tactical efficiency of these actions and identifythe most effective resolution strategies. A total of 298 plays from 1,757 eventsacross four matches were examined using an observational methodology,adhering to a Nomothetic, Point, and Multidimensional (N/P/M) design. Anobservational instrument consisted on twenty-three criteria and 126categories was developed to codify the actions, with reliability confirmed by aCohen’s Kappa value of 0.93, indicating “almost perfect” agreement. Resultsshow that 71.8% of “pick and roll” plays concluded with a shot, with thehighest success rates achieved when the screener executed the final attemptnear the basket. Actions with fewer passes post-screen were significantlymore effective, and collective strategies, such as passing to the screener,outperformed individual efforts by the ball handler. In addition, themultivariate results highlight the second and third quarters of the game as themost important when it comes to executing an effective offensive pick & roll.These findings emphasize the importance of immediate actions post-screen,tactical fluidity, and proximity to the basket, providing valuable insights toenhance offensive strategies in competitive women’s basketball.