Because women's sports deserve data analytics, too
A love letter to women's basketball and the beauty of data
I'm Haley, a quantitative researcher turned designer who grew up in Minnesota watching the Wolves and Lynx. I made W.INK (ink for the W) because sports analytics has been central to men's basketball for decades, but the same rigor has never been standard for the women's game. I'm here to change that.
It's great to see that women's sports are finally getting the flowers they deserve. This year, the WNBA All-Star Game drew a bigger crowd than the NBA's! This site charts the W with serious analytics, but in a style that's all its own.
A lot of places that take data seriously also make you do the work, handing you a dashboard full of filters and a page of acronyms nobody stops to explain. I'd rather tell you the story so you don't need to know basketball, or even statistics, to enjoy it.
Why a zine? Because the WNBA has energy, spirit, style, and a strong perspective, which is exactly what zine culture is made of. Every page is inspired by zines and risography, down to the palette made from real risograph drum inks.
The W has never been only about basketball, either. It's a league that cares about people, a broader message, and being on the right side of history. That's why the design and storytelling matter just as much as the analysis does.
You'll see a lot of Lynx here because that's my childhood team, but this isn't meant to stay just one person's zine. My hope is that this becomes a community of women data professionals, each contributing articles about their team, so the whole league gets this kind of attention, not just Minnesota. There's room at this community table; please get in touch if you'd like to join me!
We take women's sports seriously, with a W.INK ;)