Analysis of In-Season External Load and Sport Performance in Women’s Collegiate Basketball [Article Review]

This study, "Analysis of In-Season External Load and Sport Performance in Women’s Collegiate Basketball," was motivated by the clear need for detailed, season-long data on how external load varies within NCAA Division I women’s basketball—a field still underrepresented in load monitoring literature, despite the sport’s intensity and the importance of individualized athlete management. External load—quantified via GPS and inertial sensor technologies and expressed in metrics like PlayerLoad (PL), PlayerLoad per minute (PLmin⁻¹), and associated kinematic measures—has become critical for creating effective training routines and for preventing injury and fatigue in high-level sports. However, most research has focused on men’s and professional basketball, leaving a gap in understanding for women’s college teams, who encounter unique physical and scheduling demands.​​

The study tracked 13 NCAA Division I women’s basketball athletes throughout a full season, collecting external load data during 29 games and 66 practices. The researchers compared loads experienced by high- and low-minute players, assessed quarter-by-quarter fluctuations in games, and explored relationships between movement loads and performance outcomes such as points scored and shooting efficiency. Results revealed that high-minute players accumulated considerably higher loads during games on nearly all metrics, reflecting their greater exposure to competitive minutes, while low-minute players experienced higher practice loads, likely an artifact of planned training designed to maintain their readiness and fitness across the season. Notably, measures of intensity (PLmin⁻¹) were greatest in the first quarter and dropped by the fourth quarter, indicating a likely effect of cumulative fatigue and possible strategic pacing as a game progresses. Positional analysis showed that guards consistently recorded higher external loads than forwards, an observation which—though limited by sample size—aligns with prior findings in both men’s and women’s basketball.​​

Crucially, the study also found significant positive correlations between certain external load metrics and basketball-specific performance measures. For instance, higher player loads were associated with more points scored and more field goals, suggesting that higher-intensity, up-tempo play may drive both workload and scoring opportunities. These insights underscore the practical value of external load profiles for coaches and practitioners, providing a data-driven framework to design individualized, periodized training and in-season management strategies that match game demands, especially for high-minute contributors.​

In conclusion, this investigation delivers a comprehensive profile of in-season external loads in Division I women’s basketball, highlighting important differences based on player status, session type, and within-game trends. Findings reinforce best practices in athlete monitoring: tailoring practice and recovery to player minutes, tracking cumulative and acute-chronic loads, and periodizing training to reflect game pace and position-specific demands. Applying these strategies ensures both readiness and injury mitigation, contributing to peak performance and sustainable athlete development across a demanding collegiate season

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