A 4-Year Profile of Game Demands in Elite Women's Division I College Basketball. Issue 3 (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ransdell, Lynda B.; Murray, Teena; Gao, Yong; Jones, Paul; Bycura, Dierdra
• Is Part Of: Journal of strength and conditioning research. Volume 34:Issue 3(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: workload -- catapult -- athlete monitoring -- wearable technology; Physical education and training -- Periodicals; Weight training -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Physical fitness -- Periodicals; 613.7
• DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003425
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1064-8011

Abstract

Abstract : Abstract: Ransdell, LB, Murray, T, Gao, Y, Jones, P, and Bycura, D. A 4-year profile of game demands in elite women's Division I college basketball. J Strength Cond Res 34(3): 632–638, 2020—Workload for a Division I women's collegiate basketball team (0.817 win percentage) was examined by: (a) season, (b) player position, and (c) game outcome (wins vs. losses). Female athletes ( n = 6, mean 19.7 ± 1.5 years, at beginning of study) wore Catapult S5 units during 91.8% of games over a 4-year period. Average PlayerLoad, PlayerLoad per minute (PL·min −1 ), high inertial movement analysis (high-IMA), and jumps were quantified using Catapult Openfield software (version 1.14.1+). Data were checked for normality and log- or square-root-transformed when they were non-normal. A series of linear mixed model analyses were conducted to detect differences in PlayerLoad, PL·min −1, high-IMA, and jumps by season, position, and game outcome. PL·min −1 and jumps data were not normal, so they were transformed, analyses were run; because there were no differences in findings, data are reported in original units to allow for comparisons with other studies. Cohen's d and confidence intervals were provided as additional information about the strength of reported differences. The 3 most consistent findings were that across a 4-year period, jumps increased, PL·min −1 was higher in guards compared with posts, and high-IMA was higher in losses compared with wins. Other workload patterns were inconsistent, and inappropriate for making conclusive statements. Therefore, comparing jumps across multiple seasons, PL·min −1 by player position and high-IMA in losses are important; in addition, all data can be used to profile National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's basketball players and set game workload expectations.