2026 WNBA Model Performance
Season
Every ranked model predicted the same 292 games (2026-05-31 to 2026-10-31, 22 weekly windows) out of sample: each week's games were predicted by models fit only on the season's earlier games.
Model Performance Leaderboard
Ranked by full-season AUC. The final week is the season's last 7 played days (3 games, 2026-10-25 to 2026-10-31), predicted from every earlier game: a small sample that shows the latest form.
| # | Model | AUC | Acc | Brier | LogLoss | AUC final wk | Acc final wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Points Off/Def Points Off/Def Raw points regression with separate offensive and defensive team parameters. More → | 0.763 | 68.8% | 0.201 | 0.590 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
| 2 | Points Off/Def Recency Points Off/Def Recency Off/def points regression with exponential recency weights. More → | 0.762 | 68.5% | 0.202 | 0.592 | 1.000 | 33.3% |
| 3 | Margin Recency Margin Recency Margin regression with exponential recency weights on newer games. More → | 0.762 | 67.8% | 0.200 | 0.588 | 1.000 | 33.3% |
| 4 | Recency Ensemble Recency Ensemble Equal-logit blend of Elo, recency BT, recency margin, log-adjusted pyth, and recency points off/def. More → | 0.762 | 67.5% | 0.197 | 0.580 | 1.000 | 33.3% |
| 5 | Core Ensemble Core Ensemble Equal-logit blend of Elo, recency BT, recency margin, log-adjusted pyth, and points off/def. More → | 0.761 | 67.8% | 0.197 | 0.580 | 1.000 | 33.3% |
| 6 | Margin Margin Linear team-strength model fit on point differential instead of binary wins. More → | 0.761 | 68.8% | 0.200 | 0.589 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
| 7 | Pythagorean Pythagorean Pythagorean win expectation from raw points scored and allowed. More → | 0.760 | 70.5% | 0.209 | 0.608 | 0.500 | 33.3% |
| 8 | Efficiency Efficiency Tempo-adjusted efficiency version of Pythagorean ratings. More → | 0.759 | 69.5% | 0.196 | 0.582 | 0.500 | 33.3% |
| 9 | Avg Margin Baseline Avg Margin Baseline Predict from simple average scoring margin in the training window. More → | 0.759 | 69.9% | 0.202 | 0.593 | 0.500 | 33.3% |
| 10 | Dynamic Bradley-Terry Dynamic Bradley-Terry Time-evolving paired-comparison model with latent team strength drift. More → | 0.759 | 70.9% | 0.198 | 0.584 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
| 11 | Adjusted Efficiency Adjusted Efficiency Opponent-adjusted efficiency model with separate offensive and defensive components. More → | 0.758 | 70.5% | 0.197 | 0.585 | 0.500 | 66.7% |
| 12 | Log Adjusted Log Adjusted Log-scale adjusted efficiency model that downweights blowout leverage. More → | 0.758 | 70.5% | 0.197 | 0.585 | 0.500 | 66.7% |
| 13 | Elo Elo Streaming paired-comparison rating with recency baked into sequential updates. More → | 0.753 | 69.9% | 0.200 | 0.586 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
| 14 | Adjusted Context Blend Adjusted Context Blend Experimental context-heavy win model blending strong team components with rest and venue context. More → | 0.751 | 69.2% | 0.200 | 0.591 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
| 15 | Bradley-Terry Bradley-Terry Static logistic paired-comparison model with one team strength parameter. More → | 0.745 | 69.2% | 0.202 | 0.590 | 0.500 | 66.7% |
| 16 | Bradley-Terry Recency Bradley-Terry Recency Static Bradley-Terry with exponential recency weights on newer games. More → | 0.737 | 67.8% | 0.205 | 0.598 | 0.500 | 33.3% |
| 17 | Home Team Baseline Home Team Baseline Always favor the home team with a fixed prior. More → | 0.584 | 58.2% | 0.244 | 0.680 | 1.000 | 100.0% |
Methodology
Out-of-sample windows
- The season is split into 7-day windows ending on its last played day
- Each window is predicted by models refit on all earlier games of the season
- The first window starts after 21 days of games
- Every model is scored on the same games; a model that cannot predict most of them is listed as not compared
Elo / Bradley-Terry
- Elo: the published league Elo (preseason priors and carryover where configured), frozen at the window start
- Bradley-Terry: static logistic fit on the earlier games
- Recency variants weight games with a 30-day half-life
Pythagorean and margin models
- Raw, adjusted and log-adjusted Pythagorean from scores; efficiency from box-score possessions
- Margin: ridge regression on point margin with a learned home advantage
- Ensembles average the log-odds of five families
Baselines
- Home Team: the home team wins 60% (50% at neutral sites)
- Avg Margin: the higher average margin so far wins
- Models should beat these to add value