BreakAway and the WNBPA Put Women’s Basketball at the Heart of Innovation
WNBPA members will use BreakAway’s app to track performance data and stats.
The BreakAway app changes how analytics are used in sports by putting athlete data in the hands of the athletes who create it.
For Immediate Release | Monday, Oct. 10, 2022
LOS ANGELES — BreakAway Data and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association are partnering to put athlete data in the hands of all WNBA players via the BreakAway app, which gives athletes the ability to collect, store, control, and commercialize their data with licensing opportunities.
In one centralized place, WNBPA members will now be able to track advanced and traditional game stats, as well as their practice and training data—including GPS/tracking data, biomechanics data, sensor data, wearables data, sleep/recovery data, and much more.
“There is nothing more empowering than knowing everything about yourself and using that knowledge to your competitive advantage,” says WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson. “We just finished an amazing season, with record-setting social media engagement across the league, the best TV ratings in 14 years, and a thrilling Finals series. We’re building on that momentum by putting a world-class performance solution in the hands of all of our players.”
The BreakAway app changes the paradigm of how analytics are used in sports—and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association is at the forefront of that innovation.
When athlete data is put in the hands of the players who create it, it empowers them to understand data in the best context possible: what it’s telling you and how that information aligns with what you’re feeling in your mind and body.
“The power of athlete data goes far beyond improving your self-knowledge,” Jackson says. “Our players can enhance their careers by using performance data to better advocate for themselves. They can better communicate with coaches, trainers, and their inner circles to optimize performance, reduce injury risk, make return-to-play decisions, and track their development.”
Putting athlete data in the hands of current WNBA players will also impact younger generations of players. What does it take to make it as a pro? When athlete data becomes part of that conversation, it gives players milestones and goals to target on their developmental journey.
“We hear the same question from young athletes all the time,” says BreakAway Data CEO David Anderson, a former NFL wide receiver. “They’re willing to do whatever it takes to make it to the next level, but so many don’t have an example to follow. They always ask: What do I have to do? Over time, as more players collect their data and share those insights, athlete data will show others how to elevate their game and travel the same path to the elite levels.”
All WNBPA members will have access to the BreakAway app this off-season. To highlight the power of athlete data, BreakAway Data created the opportunity for two high school players in Los Angeles to work out with Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown on an outdoor court against the picturesque backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. High school and college players across the country can now use the same app as the pros. The BreakAway athlete app is available on the App Store.
“Every data point is a small reflection of what you’ve done as an athlete,” Anderson says. “But the big picture is what matters most. The BreakAway app puts all of those data points together to tell the whole story of who you are as an athlete—and it gives you the power to take control of your narrative and keep writing the next chapter.
“WNBA players are now training in those off-season moments, busting their ass while no one else is watching. With the power of athlete data, they’re going to be able to keep score like never before.”
About BreakAway Data
Based in Los Angeles with a global reach, BreakAway is changing how analytics are used in sports by putting athlete data in the hands of athletes. The BreakAway mobile app delivers actionable, cutting-edge performance insights to athletes, putting data at the heart of development. BreakAway also offers biomechanics evaluations through Field Labs, which measure how well players move based on their position, and SpeedWorks, which uses AI tech to coach sprinting technique. BreakAway is utilized by the WNBPA, Athletes Unlimited, the XFL, Power 5 universities, Tight End University, NFL players, NBA players, Olympians, track athletes, EPL players, college athletes, Elite 11, Under Armour Next, and those who desire to be elite.
About the Women’s National Basketball Players Association
Established in 1998, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association is the first of its kind and longest-running union for women athletes. The purpose of the WNBPA is to protect the rights of players and assist them in achieving their full potential on and off the court. The members of the WNBPA are phenomenal and accomplished athletes. Our union members play in the WNBA; and many play for and represent this country in World Championships and the Olympic Games. They play around the world and are, without a doubt, the global ambassadors for the sport.